I can't wait for Haider. I can guarantee it's going to mark Shahid's return to form. The last decent film I saw him in was Kaminey, and that was way back in 2009. It gave audiences a visceral insight into the talent that Shahid possesses. Of course its another matter then that he followed that stellar double role up with Dil Bole Hadippa!, Chance Pe Dance, Paathshaala, Badmaash Company, Milenge Milenge, Mausam, Teri Meri Kahaani, Phata Poster Nikla Hero and the biggest crime of all R... Rajkumar.

Still, Haider is different. It's special. Firstly, it reunites him with his Kaminey director Vishal Bharadwaj, and secondly it marks his return to a role that you can bet, is going to give his contemporaries a run for their money.

Haider is the third instalment of Vishal Bhardwaj's trilogy after Maqbool (Macbeth) and Omkara (Othello), and Shahid's so sure of the film that he's co-producing it with Bhardwaj and UTV.

The film is an adaptation of Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet — the author's longest play and among the most powerful and influential tragedies in English literature.

Theatrical Posters: Haider

The trailer of the film hit online this morning (8 July 2014), and it looks nothing short of spectacular. It's kooky, dark, quirky and intense, and looks like it doesn't just mark Shahid's return to form, but Tabu's too. Her role looks like it's probably on par with Shahid's and its not just these two that we have to look forward to in the film. Vishal Bharadwaj, it seems, has got quite the cast together with Shraddha Kapoor (on a roll after Aashiqui 2 and Ek Villian) playing a journalist Arshia and Shahid's love interest, and acting stalwarts Irrfan and Kay Kay Menon in supporting roles.

“I believe in the script and have completely surrendered to Vishal sir’s vision on my character and my look,” Shahid had said a few months ago.

Photo Gallery: Haider Trailer Launch — Mumbai, 8 July 2014

A Kashmiri musician has been signed by Bhardwaj to compose music for the film. Raja Bilal, a young local composer, confirmed that the prolific director had approached him recently to compose a song which had traditional Kashmiri elements.

"Traditional Kashmiri musical instruments including the 'Tumbaknari', 'Sarangi' 'Rabab' and 'Nout' were used to compose the song by an orchestra of local musicians selected by me," Bilal told reporters in Srinagar.

Shot in the troubled valleys of Kashmir, Haider looks like its all set to dazzle and raise temperatures this winter.

Are you looking forward to Haider?

Theatrical Trailer: Haider