Khuda Haafiz
Khuda Haafiz (transl. May God be your protector/Goodbye) is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film written and directed by Faruk Kabir and produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak under Panorama Studios.[3] It stars Vidyut Jammwal and Shivaleeka Oberoi, with Annu Kapoor, Aahana Kumra and Shiv Panditt in supporting roles.[4] Set during the financial crisis of 2007–2008, the film is inspired by true events and follows Sameer Chaudhary, a young man who races against time to rescue his kidnapped wife Nargis from flesh traders.
Khuda Haafiz | |
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Release poster | |
Directed by | Faruk Kabir |
Produced by | Kumar Mangat Pathak Abhishek Pathak |
Written by | Faruk Kabir |
Starring | Vidyut Jammwal Shivaleeka Oberoi Annu Kapoor Shiv Panditt Aahana Kumra |
Music by | Score: Amar Mohile Songs: Mithoon |
Cinematography | Jitan Harmeet Singh |
Edited by | Sandeep Francis |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Disney+ Hotstar |
Release date |
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Running time | 133 minutes[2] |
Country | India |
Language | Hindi |
The film was premiered on Disney+ Hotstar from 14 August 2020.[1]
Plot
Detained by cops in a fictional Middle East country named Noman, Sameer Chaudhary (Vidyut Jammwal) agrees to reveal everything that led to his arrest, to I.K. Mishra (Ikhlaque Khan), an Indian embassy official. A flashback unfolds, where Sameer is a software engineer and gets married to a woman named Nargis (Shivaleeka Oberoi) in 2007. Their lives turn upside down when a financial crisis in 2008 leaves them both jobless. Three months later, they get jobs in Noman with the help of Nadeem (Vipin Sharma), an employee at Ansaar Overseas Recruitment. Nargis leaves first and Sameer stays so that he can arrive once his documents are ready in a few days. After her arrival in Noman, Nargis calls Sameer and pleads for help. Sameer interrogates Nadeem with the help of cops and arranges for travel to Noman, and upon his arrival meets Usman Hamid Ali Murad (Annu Kapoor), a taxi driver who drives him to a store. After exchanging money and buying a local SIM card, Sameer dials every number provided by Nadeem but none is reachable. He asks Usman to take him to the address given by Nadeem but learns there's no such address. Usman takes Sameer to the police station, where Sameer learns on phone that Nadeem has gone missing. With cops not helping him, Sameer approaches the Indian embassy where a woman agrees to contact a higher official. Soon, Sameer poses as the member of a telecom company and acquires the address of the person from whose phone Nargis contacted him. Learning the man is named Shirazi, Sameer goes to his address but doesn't find him. Later, Usman and Sameer learn from the former's friend about Shirazi's involvement in flesh trade. Sameer visits brothels with Usman in search of Nargis and finds her in one, but as she recognizes him, Sameer is attacked by the owners and undergoes a violent transformation as he kills a lot of men in the ensuing fight, followed by a car chase that ends with a crash and his arrest while an injured Usman is admitted to hospital.
Back to present, as Sameer has finished narrating this to the official, he is approached by a cop named Faiz Abu Malik who decides to help him with his team, including officer Tamena Hamid. Together, they view the CCTV footage of Noman airport where they see Nargis arriving and then entering a black van, outside which a mysterious bald man is seen. The bald man is soon revealed to be Iztek Regini, an Algerian modelling coordinator who, on the other hand, orders the killing of Nargis. Soon, Faiz and Tamena come across a charred corpse and believe it to be Nargis. Sameer refuses to believe it's her, but looking at her pendant, he is shattered. Following her funeral, Sameer is handed over compensation and tickets to India. In the meantime, Tamena learns Nargis is alive and the corpse they found was of a different woman. She and Faiz try to find Sameer, before learning he never boarded the flight. Now willing to seek revenge, Sameer posts a resume as a foreign woman to meet Iztek and arranges a gun. Disguised as the girl, Sameer arrives at Iztek's house and holds him on gunpoint. The two violently fight, with Sameer about to kill Iztek before the latter reveals Nargis is alive and the corpse was a decoy. Soon, Faiz and Tamena, who've told Usman about Nargis being alive, arrive along with him and confirm the same. However, Faiz is revealed to be Iztek's ally after he takes the gun from Sameer and gets into a fight with Tamena, as Sameer drives the truck containing Nargis and other women, along with an injured Usman. Faiz kills Tamena and frames Sameer. An ensuing chase leaves Iztek behind and Faiz meets a criminal. This is photographed by an agent who exposes Faiz. As Sameer drives the truck to the embassy, he is captured and held on gunpoint by Faiz, before his betrayal is revealed and Sameer beats him down. Nargis and other women are freed, Tamena is given a proper burial and Faiz is executed. A recovering Usman meets the couple and blesses them before they depart for India.
Cast
- Vidyut Jammwal as Sameer Choudhary, Nargis' husband
- Shivaleeka Oberoi as Nargis Choudhary, Sameer's wife
- Annu Kapoor as Usman Hamid Ali Murad, a taxi driver in Noman
- Shiv Panditt as Faiz Abu Malik, ISA and Iztek's ally
- Aahana Kumra as Tamena Hamid, ISA
- Vipin Sharma as Nadeem, Agent/employee at Ansaar Overseas Recruitment
- Nawab Shah as Iztek Regini
Production
Following official announcement in April 2019, shooting commenced near Uzbekistan on 14 October 2019.[5]
Release and Marketing
On 29 June 2020, Disney+ Hotstar conducted a virtual press conference where Uday Shankar announced the film's digital release on the platform on 14 August 2020, exclusively as part of the Disney+ Hotstar Multiplex initiative which was a result of cinemas being shut down due to COVID-19 pandemic.[6][7][1]
Soundtrack
Khuda Haafiz | ||||
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Soundtrack album by | ||||
Released | 11 August 2020[8] | |||
Recorded | 2019 | |||
Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
Length | 20:53 | |||
Language | Hindi | |||
Label | Zee Music Company | |||
Mithoon chronology | ||||
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Khuda Haafiz - Full Album on YouTube |
The music for the film was composed by Mithoon while the lyrics written by Mithoon and Sayeed Quadri.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Jaan Ban Gaye" | Mithoon | Mithoon, Vishal Mishra, Asees Kaur | 3:31 |
2. | "Khuda Haafiz - Title Track" | Sayeed Quadri | Vishal Dadlani | 3:38 |
3. | "Mera Intezaar Karna" | Mithoon | Armaan Malik | 4:25 |
4. | "Aakhri Kadam Tak" | Mithoon | Sonu Nigam | 4:17 |
5. | "Jaan Ban Gaye" (Reprise) | Mithoon | Asees Kaur | 1:40 |
6. | "Khuda Haafiz" (Unplugged) | Sayeed Quadri | Javed Ali | 3:22 |
Total length: | 20:53 |
Critical Reception
The film opened to mixed reviews by critics, but largely positive reviews from the audience. Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave the film 2.5/5, mentioning, "The spirit of this film, for whatever it is worth, is best exemplified by the hero wishing a friend Khuda Haafiz with his hands folded to denote a namaste. That alone would have set Khuda Haafiz apart if only it had been a better film."
References
- "Vidyut Jammwal glad his upcoming film 'Khuda Haafiz' will launch on OTT". India TV News. 24 July 2020.
- "Watch Khuda Haafiz on Disney+ Hotstar VIP". Disney+ Hotstar.
- "On the sets". Bollywood Hungama. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- "Vidyut Jammwal starts shooting for Khuda Hafiz". Outlook. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- "Vidyut Jammwal starts shooting for Khuda Hafiz in Uzbekistan". New Indian Express. 15 October 2019.
- "Vidyut Jammwal starrer Khuda Haafiz to release on Disney Plus Hotstar". The Indian Express. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- "Disney Plus Hotstar Makes Strategic Choice to Bypass India's Theaters, Give More Movies Streaming Premieres". Variety. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- "Khuda Haafiz - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Jiosaavn.
External links
- Khuda Haafiz on IMDb