Khuda Haafiz Review

Is this film really a hafiz (protector) for Vidyut Jammwal’s career?

Plot

Newly married couple Sameer (Vidyut) & Nargis (Shivaleeka) face the wrath of recession when they lose their jobs during the financial crisis of 2008. In a desperate attempt they try their luck looking for a job in a fictionalised Gulf country called as the Sultanate of Noman (since the Middle East oil industry was hardly affected during the recession) with the help of a local recruiting agency. As a matter of luck or at least that’s what it seemed like Nargis  gets the job before Sameer & she departs early to begin her new career phase, however things turn worse for the couple when Sameer learns from Nargis through a phone call that she’s been tricked into something dreadful one can hardly imagine.

Cast & Crew

Khuda Haafiz is a Bollywood action thriller film starring Vidyut Jammwal & Shivaleeka Oberoie in lead roles supported by Annu Kapoor, Shiv Panditt & Aahana Kumra. It is written & directed by Faruk Kabir produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak & Abhishek Pathak under the banner Panorama Studios. The film was released on Disney + Hotstar on 14 August 2020.

• Tittle – Khuda Haafiz
• Genre – Action/Thriller
• Director – Faruk Kabir
• Writer – Faruk Kabir
• Producer – Kumar Mangat Pathak , Abhishek Pathak
• Star Cast – Vidyut Jammwal  & Shivaleeka Oberoi

The Review Breakdown

Story/Screenplay – The story is of a common man whose wife goes missing in a foreign land supposedly being abducted by flesh traders. He himself travels to that country in search of her leaving no stone unturned to rescue her but things don’t go smooth as expected because of the strict laws & highly disciplined officers who are a challenge to his quest. Elements covered in the story are very much relatable to the general public because we all face them in real life; those are job loss, fraud recruiting agencies, fake job offers, the not-so-free environment in other countries, corrupt officials, etc.

Although the story is predictable the screenplay is what engages the audience to the movie, it goes on developing curiosity in one’s mind about what is going to be happening in the next scene. As the story develops further especially after the second half the screenplay goes on a medium pace which is a cause of boredom to many however that can be overlooked because it is designed very sensibly keeping the storyline intact & logically linking the series of events taking place in it.

Direction – In terms of direction Faruk Kabir has done an applauding job by presenting a film with a predictable story in an unpredictable way. The film is well written with amazing character development & realistic action scenarios. Even the action sequences of the film have been designed keeping in mind the character of the common man Sameer & not for the martial arts expert Vidyut Jammwal.

Acting – No points for guessing that limelight of the film is Vidyut Jammwal who has given the best acting performance in his career. His transformation from the Commando to a common man is truly award winning to such an extent that this actor can definitely be bankable when it comes to playing character roles.

Shivaleeka Oberoi has really made a lasting impression for the portrayal of Nargis a humble & down to earth wife from any indian family. From being in a position of a dutiful & loving wife to the damsel in distress she has definitely convinced every one of her credible performance.

Speaking of the supporting actors they too have done an awesome job by playing their part effectively. Shiv Panditt looks deadly & intimidating as the no-nonsense cop. Aahana impresses with her expressions but her dialogue delivery in Arabic accent could have been better. Annu Kapoor has again proved his versatility through this film.

Music – The soundtrack of the film had already impressed majority of the people even before the release of the film. All the songs in the movie are very soothing does a commendable task of connecting to emotions of the lead characters while they’re in different situations of the story.

Highlight –

Performance of Vidyut Jammwal, interesting screenplay, good direction are the major factors of the film that definitely makes it watchable even more than one time. Supporting to its credit is the supporting cast’s well quality acting that has done justice to the story & the very well characterisation of every actor in it. The music of the film really takes you on an emotional journey while the story goes on.

Overall –

Khuda Haafiz indeed proves to be good & sensible film despite of having a predictable storyline, thanks to its good screenplay (which could also have been better if it didn’t lack some pace), performances of the actors especially Vidyut Jammwal, music, writing. To conclude audience won’t be disappointed with the film but may feel bore at some instances however they all will like the film so yes this indeed turns out to be the Haafiz for Jammwal’s career.