Meghna Arts’ HADH, directed by Thampy Kannamthanam, tells the story of a child, Vinoo (Jackie Shroff), who loves his mother (Shama Deshpande) dearly but is deserted by her. Vinoo runs away from the village and goes to the city where he meets a dreaded underworld don, Haji Baba. The don brings him up with a new name, Vishwa, and trains him with two other children, Dalaal (Kiran Kumar) and Shiva (Sharad Kapoor). Vishwa grows upand and Haji Baba appoints him as his successor.
This upsets Dalaal, who murders Haji Baba and holds Vishwa responsible for the murder. Vishwa is sent to jail and after he is freed, a gang war ensues, in which he is supported by Shiva. In the midst of this, he learns that his mother is the wife of the police commissioner (Vikram Gokhale).
Eventually, Vishwa settles the score with Dalaal and reunites with his mother in the climax.
HADH is an apt case of old wine packaged in a new bottle. The makers have padded the film with ingredients that hold scant appeal to the cinegoers of today. Moreover, there has been a barrage of gangwar films in the past, which is the motive behind films of this ilk not exhilarating the viewers anymore.
Besides the plot that is as old as the hills, the film suffers in several other departments, like
The screenplay is of convenience. The director and writer, while conveying the story, have left several questions unanswered.
The music is another drawback. The songs are hardly popular and what’s more, their placement is uneven.
The film has action in overdose at places, may be to compensate for lack of a cohesive script.
Director Thampi Kannamthanam and writer Shyam Sonie have dished out a fare that is outright predictable. What’s all the more sad is that the writer has left so many blanks in the screenplay that it leaves the viewer stunned.
To cite instances, Suman Ranganathan joining hands with Kiran Kumar without any rhyme or reason or Ayesha Julka’s death, which is conveyed, not depicted, prove that the writer has taken the viewer for granted.
Viju Shah’s music is another drawback. None of the songs hold appeal whatsoever. Cinematography is passable.
There’s not a single redeemable performance in this enterprise. Jackie Shroff goes through his role mechanically. Sharad Kapoor is slightly better, but his role lacks substance. Suman Ranganathan’s performance is limited to the songs, while Ayesha Julka is wasted in an inconsequential role. Kiran Kumar is loud.
On the whole, HADH is a weak film and will therefore find the going very tough.