Hailing from Kashmir, Kapil Mattoo directed his latest dystopian satire short film “Haaput” (The Bear). The film stars Hanaan Bawra, Furkaan Baba, Bashir Lone and Munib Ahmed in pivotal roles. The film revolves around two young militants who forcefully enter an old man’s house to hide. Little did they know that Kashmir is ravaged by flesh eating zombies.
Director’s Cut
Director-Producer Kapil Mattoo is a Kashimiri pandit currently residing in Mumbai. He was the executive producer for Rajvvir Aroraa and Imaad Shah starrer psychological thriller “404: Error Not Found.” Apart from producing he was also an associate director in the action thriller SonyLiv series “Tanaav” which was directed by Sudhir Mishrah (Serious Men, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi).
Overview
The film starts with a news broadcast about Kashmir. From the broadcast we can understand that there have been reports of suspicious and unexplained activities in the valley. The scene shifts to two young Kashmiri militants Shahnawaz (Hanaan Bawra) and Hayat (Furkaan Baba) who forcibly enter the house of an old man (Bashir Lone) after crossing the border into India. The old man also has his nephew (Munib Ahmed) with him. The militants order them to get into the storeroom so that they can lock them.
They get a call from their commander who informs them that Kashmir is under Zombie attack. The duo tries to understand what a zombie is and how they are attacking. The commander orders them to stay inside the house and seal it properly. The duo covers all windows and locks every door. They are so scared and confused about the news that they even start talking about the existence of Yeti, a supernatural mountain man. The commander again informs them that zombie bites and whoever they bite, that person also turns into a zombie.
The old man and his nephew are also hearing from the storeroom. The old man wrapped his nephew’s arm, body and neck for protection. The militants think that if the old man prays for them then God’ll hear his prayer. As they are about to open the storeroom’s door someone starts knocking the main door violently. Initially they get very scared but when they see an army officer (Abdul Wahid) is knocking the door, they let him in.
At the end we hear the commander is also dead and now a horde of flesh eating zombies are advancing towards the old man’s house.
Review
Kapil Mattoo wonderfully woven a dystopian narrative in a story based on one location. The narrative of the film is not intense, but it flows like a dark comedy. The characters of the two militants are hilarious because of their innocence. How they are comparing zombies with rabid dogs and how come the municipality is not taking care of it. The activities they are doing are hysterical.
The director masterfully draws a parallel of the word “Haaput” with the situation which the characters are dealing with. In the film, the connection of Happut means “fear.” The cinematography by Aarup Mondal is exceptional. A sense of fear keeps hanging throughout the film. The background music also goes well with the tone of the film.
Conclusion
Overall, Kapil Mattoo directed dystopian satire film “Haaput” is a tale of fear and dread. With its smart writing and hysterical narrative, the film will give you a good time.
