LitHub, one of the Popular literary websites has included Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider starring Shahid Kapoor as Haider in the list of the 7th best Hamlet adaptation in the world. The film has been ranked above Mel Gibson’s Hamlet (1990), Christopher Plummer’s Hamlet (1964), and also Charlie Hunnam’s Sons of Anarchy while the number 1 spot is given to Innokenty Smoktunovsky starrer Russian Hamlet (1964).
The author who ranked these films wrote for Shahid Kapoor, “Kapoor is a much less conflicted Hamlet than we’re used to (I suppose the conflicts of the setting are quite enough to be getting on with), he’s radical and compelling enough that I really don’t miss the agonizing. (I couldn’t find a clip with English subtitled, but this version is on Netflix—do yourself a favor and check it out.)”
Vishal Bhardwaj adapted Shakespeare’s Hamlet mixed with Basharat Peer’s Curfewed Nights as the modern-day Haider. The Indian film focuses on the Kashmir conflicts in 1995 and the civilian disappearances. This film was highly regarded as one of Shahid Kapoor’s best performances of his career. Actors like Tabu, Shraddha Kapoor too played a key role in the film.
Director and music composer Vishal Bhardwaj has earned critical acclaim with his way of adapting the two other Shakespearean tragedies- Macbeth as Maqbool and Othello as Omkara.
