Film
Haasil
Haasil is a muscular Hindi crime-drama about a law student drawn into college politics and violence in rural Uttar Pradesh. Jimmy Shergill anchors a taut narrative that treats ambition, rivalry, and moral compromise with real weight. It's for anyone who loved Rang De Basanti but wants something grittier, less sentimental, and entirely unafraid to let good people do bad things.
If you liked this
Rang De Basanti2006
A touchstone for politicized Hindi cinema about young idealism colliding with corruption. Features the same register of moral outrage and ensemble energy, though Haasil's tone is darker and more intimate.
But The first half moves slowly and the climax leans toward sentiment in ways Haasil deliberately avoids. Some will find it dated.
Jai Bhim2021
Another film about a principled protagonist navigating systemic corruption, but through the lens of caste and law. Shares Haasil's refusal to soften its political edges or offer easy catharsis.
But It's Tamil-language with subtitles, and runs nearly three hours. The violence is unflinching in ways that can feel punishing.
Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 12012
A sprawling crime saga where personal relationships and political ambition are inseparable. Like Haasil, it treats violence as a consequence of power struggles rather than spectacle.
But It's deliberately grimy and chaotic. The first part meanders, and the register is so different from mainstream cinema it can feel alienating.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Haasil
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Pather Panchali1955
Both films locate tragedy not in individual weakness but in systems that offer ambition without escape. Ray shows a village; Haasil shows a college. Same architecture.
Satyajit Ray's masterpiece about rural poverty and thwarted potential. Haasil shares its unflinching eye for how circumstance and ambition collide, though in a modern, violent register.
But It's a slow, meditative film in black and white from 1955. Expect no action or conventional drama—only observation and texture.
More like this (7)
Khakee2004
An intelligent heist film about morally compromised men making impossible choices. Shares Haasil's interest in corruption as systemic rather than personal failing.
But Less focused on character interiority than Haasil; more concerned with plot mechanics and the heist itself.
A Wednesday!2008
A taut political thriller about justice, corruption, and the question of whether the law can serve it. Compact and relentlessly intelligent.
But It's more of a puzzle box than a character study. If you want emotional depth, this trades it for cleverness.
Hey Ram2000
Kamal Haasan's ambitious film about political violence and communal rage. Operates in similar moral territory: how ordinary people become instruments of larger forces.
But It's fragmented, essayistic, and often self-conscious. The structure can feel didactic. Not an easy watch.
Gulaal2009
An underrated film about student politics that spirals into murder and betrayal. Shares Haasil's attention to how idealism curdles into survival.
But The narrative is knotty and sometimes confusing. The tone is inconsistent, which works thematically but can feel muddled.
Ghoomketu2020
A quieter film about ambition, failure, and moral compromise in small-town India. Less violent than Haasil but equally interested in how power structures crush individuals.
But It's deliberately low-key and melancholic. If you want momentum and incident, this will feel slow.
Chandni Bar2001
A brutal portrait of exploitation and survival in Mumbai's underworld. Like Haasil, it refuses to sentimentalize its protagonist or soften the cost of their choices.
But It's punishing to watch—sexually explicit and graphically violent. Not a film that offers comfort or catharsis.
Deool Band2015
Both films treat their protagonists' transitions into violence as inevitable rather than dramatic—the real story is how they live after, not before.
A dark comedy about small-town men stumbling into crime. Uses humor to make space for moral questions without losing sight of consequences.
But The tonal shifts between comedy and violence won't land for everyone. It's also not widely known, so you'll be taking a chance.
People
Cast
Jimmy ShergillAniruddha 'Ani' Sharma
Hrishitaa BhattNiharika Singh
Irrfan KhanRanvijay Singh
Ashutosh RanaGauri Shankar Pandey
Varun BadolaJaved Khan
Sudhir PandeyCM Kamalnath Tiwari
Tinnu AnandMr. Karan Sharma
Sharat SaxenaMr. Praveen Singh
Brijendra KalaShugii
Raj ZutshiJackson
Navni PariharNiharika's Mother
Directing
- Tigmanshu DhuliaDirector
Writing
- Tigmanshu DhuliaWriter