Khuda Haafiz Review: A Substandard, Low Energy Film!

Starring Vidyut Jammwal and Shivaleeka Oberoi in the lead roles, Khuda Haafiz, directed by Faruk Kabir, is the third film out of the seven in the Disney+ Hotstar Multiplex direct-to-OTT line-up, with Dil Bechara and Lootcase being the first two. Now, before I constructively criticize and express why I found this movie underwhelming, let me step back and pitch something more intriguing to the general audience. Khuda Haafiz Review

Also Read: ‘Gunjan Saxena’ on Netflix Review

So, thirty minutes into Khuda Haafiz, after the overall story is established, and when I begin to see the boring climax the film is headed to, I started to recognize a pattern that is comparable to another franchise. And after finishing a one-hell-of-a-tedious ride, I came to the conclusion that this movie could have easily been retitled as Baaghi 4: Lost in the Middle East. Khuda Haafiz Review

Cast Vidyut Jammwal and an angry Tiger Shroff as the dynamic duo, and it could have made a boatload of money at the box-office. Even better, rebrand it as a spin-off film from the WAR franchise, make it a prequel of some sort, turn Tiger into a good guy, there you go, another blockbuster hit. You’re welcome Yash Raj Films and Nadiadwala!

Nevertheless, coming back to the review, the storyline of Khuda Haafiz starts with Sameer (Vidyut Jammwal), an IT technician getting married to Nargis (Shivaleeka Oberoi), and together, they share a pretty wholesome relationship that transmits love, compassion, and warmth. Subsequently, when the 2008 recession period hits, they lose their hard-working jobs, and they collectively choose to move to the Middle East to start a new life as a working couple. However, things instantly turn upside-down as the remainder of the film showcases Sameer trying to fight this disaster of a situation. Khuda Haafiz Review

Time for some activity. Sit back and list off all the films, where the most grumpy-looking antagonist abducts someone very near and dear to the protagonist’s heart, and he had to defy all the odds to get his loved one back. Sounds familiar? Beyond a doubt, we watched, loved, and hated quite a few movies with a similar storyline, and now, they are way past their prime and are borderline mundane to watch, when executed poorly.

Knowing this, writer-director Faruk Kabir elects to steer in the same dull and traditional route without adding any excitement, intrigue, or at least some entertainment to his script. He manages to showcase substandard emotion, pushes the same exact buttons you expect him to press at the right time, and gives us the satisfaction of predicting a high-impact scene a million miles before. Khuda Haafiz Review

The screenwriting felt amateurish and seemed to follow a path that had no big stakes involved other than an unknown city and a silly cartoonish antagonist, who has the same conventional appearance from crisp outfits to grumpy demeanor and smoking a cigar stylishly.

Moving on to the lead characters. First and foremost, when you are trying to institute your entire story is between two characters, who are separated from each other, and the overall storyline showcases how they meet each other by the end. I expect some decent character establishment, tell us why they care for each other so much, rather than cramming everything in one single song. As a result, I barely got behind or cared about the protagonist’s struggle, and never bothered to find some rationale in his inept decision-making skills.

And that brings me to the performances, and I want to start by saying that Vidyut Jammwal tried and offered his best in an emotional and a dramatic role which, if you asked me, could have worked better with a different actor. Shivaleeka Oberoi, the female lead also provided all she could within her minimal amount of screentime. Annu Kapoor, as an old cabbie and Vidyut’s companion, was solid in his role alongside Aahana Kumra and Shiv Panditt. However, their inferior middle-eastern accents threw me off multiple times cause they sounded so artificial and forced.

Furthermore, right after watching the movie, I tried to evaluate a list of reasons why Panorama Studios financed this project when I’m certain that they are a million different “commercial” ideas from up and coming filmmakers that are just waiting to get picked up. How and why did they decide to spend a high-budget and shoot in international locations when the same outcome could have been achieved with a decent budget and in-country locations. How did they even contemplate to impress the fans and the audience of Vidyut Jammwal with barely three or four forgettable action sequences? I don’t know, I will never understand this sort of poor management techniques.

Also Read: ‘Shakuntala Devi’ on Amazon Review

Overall, Khuda Haafiz would have been a much better and an improved product, if Faruk Kabir preferably spent more time in writing an engaging narrative, including some real tension and supplementing some well-choreographed action sequences, the fans expect. However, the majority of the film is underwhelming, frustrating, and maintained that low energy inside and out. This could have been a disappointment at the box-office, and I’m glad that it went directly to streaming. Watch ‘Khuda Haafiz’ on Disney+ Hotstar here.

Rating – 1.5/5 | Grade – D+

Images via Disney+ Hotstar

---