Haraamkhor, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, which hit the theatres on Friday, January 13, has received mixed reviews from critics.
Also read: No competition with OK Jaanu, Haraamkhor producer Guneet Monga
Directed by Shlok Sharma, the plot of Haraamkhor revolves around a married school teacher, played by Nawazuddin, in a relationship with his teenaged pupil Sandhya (played by Shweta Tripathi). At the same time, Sandhya's junior schoolmate admires her and falls in love with her.
The movie has impressed a certain section of critics who claim it to be rustic yet with a fresh concept, which has never been portrayed on screen. Produced by Anurag Kashyap, Guneet Monga and Feroze Alameer, Haraamkhor had gotten into trouble with the Central Board of Film Certification, before it was cleared and passed with a U/A certificate.
We bring to you some critics' opinion about the movie:
Mayank Shekhar of Mid-Day said: "Haraamkhor, at its core, really looks at this strange but very common mismatch. The pupils of your eye will possibly dilate at seeing anything normal in such a relationship. The filmmakers aren't suggesting otherwise either. Look at the title. It's Haraamkhor. It refers to the teacher Shyam in the film, of course. It is, however, a very interesting take worth the big screen, if not in the theatre, then ideally in the comfort of home since Netflix or Amazon very much allow such options."
Renuka Vyavahare of the Times of India said: "What shines in this otherwise bold but ambiguous film are the performances and Mukesh Chhabra's impeccable casting, especially when it comes to the young boys. Shweta Tripathi stuns you as a 31-year-old, playing a 14 something with her understated portrayal. Nawazuddin Siddiqui once again proves why he is considered to be one of the finest actors of today. Haraamkhor shows a lot of promise but ends up being way too vague to be hard-hitting."
Devarsi Ghosh of India Today said: "There is a lot to love and lot to notice in Haraamkhor. The film is like a diamond; the more you notice, the more you find imperfections which make it all the more beautiful, all the more perfect. Just one advice: Don't take your jaanu to watch it with you, it is not a date movie."
Shubhra Gupta of Indian Express said: "Overall, despite some strong moments, the film suffers from slightness and disjointedness: did the censorship process snip off more than we could chew? Was there more? A second film from the clearly talented Sharma will give us a clue."
Economic Times said: "See 'Haraamkhor' for its original and audacious content and for the way the debutant director extracts a gush of empathy from these bored characters even during their worst moments. Love, we always knew, as redemptive. But lust needn't be all that bad either."
Stutee Ghosh of The Quint said: "The film's climax comes off as being contrived and the hand-held jerky camera shots give us a few moments of despair. Despite these, 'Haraamkhor' is an important film, one that needs to be seen and talked about."
Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV said: "Haraamkhor is a triumph of casting. Every actor is perfectly suited for his/her part. The two young actors, Irfan and Samad, are outstanding, as are the older members of the cast - Trimala Adhikari and Harish Khanna. Haraamkhor isn't a ground-breaker, but it certainly is worthy of applause for its fearlessness and for the impressive quality of the acting."
Stay tuned for more updates.
