Indian movies

The hallmark of any thriller is that it should build the suspense beautifully, hold the attention to the point that the viewer starts pointing the finger of suspicion on the assorted characters in the narrative and hit the viewer like a ton of bricks when the mystery is solved.

Unfortunately, MANORAMA - SIX FEET UNDER doesn't make that kind of an impact. It's well shot, with stunning visuals to back it up, but, hello, isn't cinema all about narrating interesting stories in the most simplistic fashion? What value is the ambience or décor if the food served on the table is anything but delicious?

Let's get more specific! MANORAMA - SIX FEET UNDER takes off well, but faces turbulent weather in between and never gets it right thereafter. Instead of narrating an uncomplicated story, debutante director Navdeep Singh makes the goings-on so confusing that the viewer fails to decipher what's going on.

The story jumps from one track to another, adding to the confusion. Actually, the film fails on the script level since the sequence of events that lead to the finale are so confusing that it's difficult to fathom what exactly the problem was and how it got solved.

To sum up, MANORAMA - SIX FEET UNDER is a classic case of a film gone wrong due to a poor script penned by an amateur.

SV [Abhay Deol] is a government engineer, but his real ambition has always been writing detective fiction. Unfortunately, his maiden attempt, a novel called Manorama, sank without a trace and he has been reduced to writing for cheap magazines.

Stifled by the dreariness of small town existence and frustrated by his failure, SV's life takes a turn when the wife [Sarika] of a powerful local politician [Kulbhushan Kharbanda] arrives at his doorstep with an irresistible offer; the chance for SV to play a real-life detective by spying on her husband. Intrigued and tempted by the opportunity to redeem his self worth, SV accepts the offer.

Upon completion of his assignment, things take a turn when SV discovers that the woman is not who she claims to be. The situation gets further complicated when she is killed in a mysterious accident. Sensing foul play, SV begins investigating her death only to discover that nothing is what it seems to be…

Debutante director Navdeep Singh knows the technicalities well and aided by cinematographer Arvind Kannabiran, Singh comes up with visually enticing frames. But the writing is the cause for worry here.

What were the reasons that led to Sarika getting murdered? What was so important in those photographs that the powerful politician and his cronies wanted to lay their hands on? How relevant was the medical report of the politician with the main plot? How and when do Abhay and Raima get attracted towards each other? And was the politician a paedophile? Besides, how does everything gets solved in the end, with the politician getting his answers and Abhay walking away smiling? Question, questions and more questions. Confusion, confusion and more confusion!

The only departments that merit a strong mention are cinematography and dialogues, which cater to the intelligentsia mainly.

Abhay Deol pitches in a natural performance, but the performance is not as striking as his earlier works like AHISTA AHISTA and EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL. Vinay Pathak gets it right yet again. He's first-rate. Gul Panag is a fine actor, but what is she doing in this film? The role has no potential, except nagging her husband. Raima Sen is alright; her role should've been better defined. Kulbhushan Kharbanda does well. Sarika is hardly there.

On the whole, MANORAMA - SIX FEET UNDER disappoints. At the box-office, the lack of buzz as also the weak content will result in the effort going unnoticed.

Homage to the noir genre, Manorama Six Feet Under is about an amateur detective in a small town who finds himself caught in a web of lies, deceit and murder.

SV (Abhay Deol) is a government engineer but his real ambition has always been writing detective fiction. Unfortunately, his maiden attempt, a novel called Manorama, sank without a trace and he has been reduced to writing for cheap pulp magazines.

Stifled by the dreariness of small town existence and frustrated by his failure, SV's life takes a turn when the wife of a powerful local politician arrives at his doorstep with an irresistible offer; the chance for SV to play a real life detective by spying on her husband. Intrigued and tempted by the opportunity to redeem his self worth, SV accepts.

Upon completion of his assignment, things take a turn when SV discovers that the woman is not who she claims to be. The situation get further complicated when she is killed in a mysterious accident.

Sensing foul play, SV begins investigating her death only to discover that nothing is what it seems to be and that redemption doesn't come easy….

Experimentation is the new mantra today. The past few monsoons have seen the dream merchants envisioning stories that strike the right balance between real and make-believe. 'Think out of the box' and 'Push the envelope' are expressions that echo every alternate Friday.

One cannot classify EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL in any particular genre. There are light moments, hilarious moments, tense moments, dramatic moments, mad moments… Debutante director Sanjay Khanduri tries to pack in everything in those 2 + hours. No issues with that, but what could've been conveyed in a concise format of 1.30 / 1.45 hours is stretched to 2 + hours for no reason. A number of sequences are stretched for no reason, thereby diluting the impact.

Yet, there's no denying that EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL is engrossing at most points. Only if the debutante director and his editor would've used the scissors more judiciously!

EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL is about two people who miss the last local train at 1.40 a.m. to Vikhroli and have full two-and-a-half hours before the next local will arrive. The tale revolves around Nilesh [Abhay Deol], a call center executive, and how missing the last train home proves to be a significant episode in his life.

Nilesh bumps into Madhu [Neha Dhupia], who has also missed her train on the same station and because there is an auto strike, the duo finds themselves getting together and soon seated in a desi bar for some time pass before their next train.

EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL unravels in the most natural manner. The characters are straight out of life and the situations they land into are identifiable by those living in a metropolis, especially Mumbai. But the film doesn't catch your attention from the very start. The goings-on get exciting when Abhay and Neha enter a bar and Abhay starts gambling to make a fast buck.

A few portions episodes in the story raise the bar, like the gambling sequence and also when Neha lands up at Snehal Dabhi's house to pay off the ransom amount. Also, the sequences involving Deepak Shirke and Abhay Deol may appear crass, but are bound to raise laughs.

EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL doesn't have any flaws as such, barring the fact that its theme is very Mumbai-centric and also its length is unwarranted. The film should be trimmed by at least 20 minutes to make the goings-on crisper. A few scenes tend to get repetitive. A few are stretched endlessly. A few were just not required. The ending too goes on and on. Ideally, the film should've ended the moment Abhay lays his hands on the booty in Deepak Shirke's house.

Director Sanjay Khanduri has the trappings of a fine storyteller. He has handled a number of sequences with dexterity and not once do you feel that EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL is his debut film. Cinematography is consistent. The background score is jarring.

Abhay Deol comes up with an honest performance yet again. Actually, he carries the middle class look very well. Neha Dhupia proves herself in latter reels, when her true identity is exposed. Virendra Saxena is okay. His lady accomplice is fantastic. Ashok Samarth as the cop is excellent. Snehal Dabhi as the eunuch is tremendous. The actor enacting the role of Ponappa is first-rate. Deepak Shirke is incredible.

On the whole, EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL is a decent fare that stands out for a few individualistic episodes in the narrative. At the box-office, the film caters to the multiplex audience mainly, especially big city multiplexes. Business in Mumbai multiplexes should be better due to its Mumbaiya flavor.