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Haraamkhor is a movie based in a small Gujarati town, where a school teacher has more than an academic interest in one of his female students.
Critic Consensus
Critical reception for Haraamkhor is mixed-to-moderate, with most reviewers acknowledging the film's boldness in tackling a taboo subject and praising the quality of performances, particularly from Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Shweta Tripathi, and the two young actors. Several critics, however, felt the film failed to fully deliver on its potential, citing vagueness, repetitive scenes, and an abrupt, unsatisfying climax as notable weaknesses. A recurring concern was the lack of emotional engagement with the characters, leaving some reviewers feeling distanced despite the provocative material. The film is broadly seen as a niche watch suited to fans of indie and performance-driven cinema rather than general audiences.
22 reviews · 14 positive · 3 mixed · 1 negative
AI-generated summary of 22 critic reviews · may contain errors
Report inaccuracyCritic Reviews (22)
"Shweta Tripathi and Nawazuddin Siddiqui front a film about a topic we barely acknowledge, forget showing it in our films. Director Shlok Sharma shows talent."Read full review ↗
"Haraamkhor is one film you just shouldn't miss, even if it's just to see how Hindi cinema is exploring new themes with finesse."Read full review ↗
"This film is insightful and dark, a certified entry into the indie and art cinema stable. If you like your films to be gritty and real, Haraamkhor is a real mean machine."Read full review ↗
"There is a lot to love and lot to notice in Haraamkhor. The film is like a diamond; the more you notice, the more you find imperfections which make it all the more beautiful, all the more perfect. Just one advice: Don't take your jaanu to watch it with you, it is not a date movie."Read full review ↗
"See Haraamkhor for its original and audacious content and for the way the debutant director extracts a gush of empathy from these bored characters even during their worst moments. Love, we always knew, as redemptive. But lust needn't be all bad either."Read full review ↗
"Haraamkhor shows a lot of promise but ends up being way too vague to be hard-hitting."Read full review ↗
"'Haraamkhor' has good performances to watch but it won't appeal to the masses. Since there are multiple big releases this Friday, pick this only if you are an ardent Nawazzudin Siddiqui fan or want to see an unconventional love story with a social message."Read full review ↗
"How far will this film travel? Not sure. No one ever is. It is, however, a very interesting take worth the big screen, if not in the theatre, then ideally in the comfort of home since Netflix or Amazon very much allow such options."Read full review ↗
"Haraamkhor deals with a taboo subject and the theme may not be everyone's cup of tea. But that doesn't stop it from being a captivating watch for Sharma's skillful treatment and the superlative performances. Go for it if you are looking out for some escape from the usual stale crowd-pleasers!"Read full review ↗
"In a small town, when a young girl battling hormones battles loneliness and finds it easy to seduce a local teacher, who thinks nothing of but his own pleasure, there is chaos in the lives of a young lad (and his friend) who stalk her constantly. This is such fearlessly new storytelling, it takes getting used to. But it's a story that needs to be told."Read full review ↗
"Haraamkhor may not appeal to the regular Bollywood audience but if you're a Nawazuddin Siddiqui fan and love watching performance-oriented films, this shouldn't be missed at all..."Read full review ↗
"Haraamkhor starts off as a very enjoyable film that's filled with funny situations, unique characters and an overall enjoyable aura. But in the second half the story seems to take unnecessary turns, slowing its pace down. It will still be a delight to watch for those who admire the genius that is Nawazuddin Siddiqui."Read full review ↗
"'Haraamkhor' is a bold, artistic and engaging film, which will be enjoyed by all those who like content driven film. The movie could have been a great film, but settles up only due to some great performances and the novelty factor associated with it."Read full review ↗
"The best part about Shlok Sharma's 'Haraamkhor' is that the trailer of the film gives out nothing of what you can expect from this bold film, apart from a little about its characters. However, we know that there is something mysteriously fun about this film."Read full review ↗
"Haraamkhor is definitely not everyone's cup thanks to its gritty subject. However it is not exactly a fantastic piece of art either, even though it had the potential to be one. But thanks to the spectacular performances of Nawazuddin, Tripathi and the kids, Haraamkhor can be an uncomfortable one-time watch."Read full review ↗
"Haraamkhor isn't a ground-breaker, but it certainly is worthy of applause for its fearlessness and for the impressive quality of the acting."Read full review ↗
"After the insipid scripting, the lack of connection of Nawaz and Shweta with the audience becomes the movie's biggest drawback. Further during the climax when we pray that this tepidly misguided attempt will reach to some conclusion, a dark, abrupt end makes the matter worse leaving the audience in confusion whether to scratch their brains or tear the screen in which they have just seen HARAMKHOR - ironically, the makers have managed to objectify the movie's title in the end. BRAVO. What an art!!"Read full review ↗
"Haraamkhor's characters are supposed to have shades of grey, but their blandness can never be mistaken for maturity. About the most shocking thing about this major-minor affair is its sloppiness."Read full review ↗
"Nawazuddin Siddiqui has made a career out of playing the evil man, so he gets into his role in "Haraamkhor" with ease, bringing the right kind of sliminess to Shyam's character that will make you despise him. Tripathi as Sandhya is wonderful too, but it is Irfan Khan and Mohd Samad, the two boys who play Kamal and Mintu, who are the two standout performers in the film."Read full review ↗
"Though the scenes are repetitive, Sharma does succeed in walking the edge between intensity and airiness and transporting the audience into this simple and confined world. As the uneasiness builds, you brace yourself for an explosive end. Unfortunately, when it does come there is a sense that everything that preceded it was designed to lead up to it and, as grisly as it is, like everything before, this scene too does not move you. I didn't feel for any of the characters and I was let down by this emotional disinterest."Read full review ↗
"For once, don't watch a movie for the actor playing it. Give this film a try, and you will be awed by the performances of the young stars. The story is dark, the ending is not happy, but the journey is highly entertaining as well as educating about an issue that is not often spoken about."Read full review ↗
Cast & Crew
Cast
- Nawazuddin Siddiqui · Shyam
- Trimala Adhikari · Sunita
- Harish Khanna · Raghuvir
- Shweta Tripathi Sharma · Sandhya
- Irfan Khan · Kamal
- Mohd Samad · Mintu
Details
User Ratings & Reviews
4 ratings from the community
Community Reviews (1)
Looking back, having failed to catch this interesting-looking film at the 2015 Mumbai Film Festival due to BookMyShow's ridiculous ticketing system is not that unfortunate. That is because this social drama only looks good, but is surprisingly hollow.<br /> <br /> Shyam (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is a teacher who lives with his wife in a small house near the school where he teaches math to secondary-class students. He also moonlights as a tutor at his home for students who appear to be both academically weak and mischievous. Perfect examples of such types are two boys named Kamal (Irfan Khan) and Mintu (Mohd Samad) who think that their class-cum- tuition mate Sandhya (Shweta Tripathi) is fond of Shyam, who seems to be the only teacher around. What follows is Kamal and Mintu's countless attempts at showcasing the former's love to Sandhya while she is absorbed by Shyam's mature persona due to the much-discussed natural effect of adolescence.<br /> <br /> Director Shlok Sharma is surely not fooling around when it comes to hitting the point - the illicit relationship between teacher and student. How it originates is rather a touchy subject and Sharma fails there, causing the film to be a partial depiction of all that was intended. Although he makes the audience ask the question as to who the real haraamkhor (unprincipled) is - Shyam or Sandhya or someone else, there is this lack of depth which lingers throughout the film. Soon enough, it becomes certain who the unprincipled character is, but by then one more thing becomes certain - there is no explanation as to why happened what happened. Did Shyam make the effort despite being married? Or was it Sandhya who craved to know more about "adult love", fueled by issues at home?<br /> <br /> One may try to decipher the answers to the questions, but then it would become a hike and you wouldn't gain any entertainment, unless you consider Kamal and Mintu and their hilarious activities. The screenplay is rather crisp with Siddique and Tripathi both holding waters, but someone here in the IMDb message boards gets it right when he says Siddiqui cannot alone drive a film forward. He is brilliant as his typecast character, but insufficient when it comes to being the main guy. Tripathi was lovable in Masaan (2015), but the credits tell me this is her debut film. Her innocent face and those telling eyes puts her perfectly into character as the naive 9th grader.<br /> <br /> All in all, the film is decently made, but is without the ingredients that are essential to club social message with feasibility. Working on a story and putting it on screen without exploring its causes and factors is bad filmmaking. However, an afternoon watch on Netflix won't hurt, but make sure you watch it alone and not with your Indian parents.<br /> <br /> BOTTOM LINE: Shlok Sharma's "Haraamkhor" is about an affair between a teacher and a student that provides limited information to talk about a widely relevant subject. Had there been a gender-swapped version, things would have been different, and that is the film's biggest flaw. Watch it on your free Netflix subscription.<br /> <br /> Can be watched with a typical Indian family? NO
























