Maharathi boasts of a fine set of actors who deliver suitably efficient performances but still leave very little impact. Much the same holds true for the film. Shivam Nair’s sophomore effort after Ahista Ahista might mark a major shift in terms of the subject—from middle-class romance to crime of passion—but the narration remains the same, slow, tempered and discreet. It’s evident that Nair is a filmmaker with a decent, prudent approach and knows his craft well. However, for a thriller the film does not pack a punch. The lurking danger, ominous air and destructive passion; the jealousies and deceptions are all implicit yet don’t leap out on the screen. The film does not quite take you to the edge of the seat and remains only intermittently engaging.
Naseer is a wastrel of a filmmaker with a femme fatale wife (Neha Dhupia) and a small-time crook (Paresh Rawal) as a driver and trusted aide. One fine day he commits suicide by shooting himself and leaves behind a lot many crores worth of insurance money. Trouble is that this fortune can be claimed only if his suicide can be passed off for a murder. So his body is hidden in the deep freezer and plots and counter-plots and twists and turns unfold. The film is an adaptation of Paresh Rawal’s immensely successful, long-running play, India’s equivalent of sorts to Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap. The film, however, is unable to let go of the staginess. Wish the static energy could have been harnessed into something dynamic.
High Fives
Bollywood
1. Dostana
2. Dil Kabaddi
3. Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!
4. Yuvvraj
5. Maharathi
Hollywood
1. Four Christmases
2. Twilight
3. Bolt
4. Australia
5. Quantum of Solace
Pop Singles
1. Decode (Paramore)
2. Three Little Birds (Connie Talbot)
3. Very Brutal Christmas (Austrian Death Machine)
4. Just Stand Up (Artists Stand up to Cancer)
5. Hot N Cold (Katy Perry)
Courtesy: Film Information
