Movie Review : The Stoneman Murders

Ok People, my first attempt at Movie Review writing, I have some large shoes to fill(Karthik being my mentor), I hope to live up to the expectations. Every now and then Bollywood takes a break from churning out meaningless and stupid movies to comeup with a superb film like The Stoneman Murders.

As a rule I am not a big movie fan, at the most I will watch the re-runs of popular movies on Star Movies or HBO. As I have said in the past to make me go to the multiplex I must either be in a near suicidal mood or the movie must strike a chord with me. On my way back from work a couple of days ago I noticed the hoardings for The Stoneman Murders. I am a sucker for conspiracy theories and whodunits and to be fair the hoarding were pretty intriguing.

So, that is how I found myself yesterday at Fun Republic, Andheri buying the tickets to have a dekho at the movie.

Here is what I have to say about the movie.

Movie: The Stoneman Murders
Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Arbaaz Khan, Vikram Ghokale & Virendra Saxena.
Director : Manish Gupta
Duration: 1 hour 45 mins.

This movie is based on the killings that started in Mumbai in 1985 and lasted for about two years(the killing, I mean, Duh). The killer crushed the heads of sleeping pavement dwellers with large stones. Somewhere around the middle of 1987 the killings stopped as mysteriously as they had started. The killer was never found.

The film is gripping and fast paced and keeps you glued to your seat. Also a movie which has Kay Kay Menon can't go wrong. He is one of the few actors (Irfan and Rahul Bose being the others) whose films are watchable and you have to forgive them a few lemons like Drona and Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam which complete their repertoire. Kay Kay is absolutely superb as the Special Unit Officer Sanjay Shelar, who is trying to solve the case. There are also fine performances from veteran actors Vikram Ghokhale as the Special Unit Chief and Sanjay's mentor and Virendra Saxena as Constable Kamble. Arbaaz Khan as Police Inspector Kedar who is Sanjay Shelar rival and intensely dislikes him is good.

The story is nicely woven into reality and you really start believing that what is being shown on the screen could infact be the truth. Sanjay who is suspended post a custodial death takes on a parallel investigation after getting the green signal from his boss and mentor (Vikram Gokhale). The further carrot is that he might get his job back if he manages to solve the Stoneman Case. Inspector Kedar who is officially incharge of the case spends more time jeering at Sanjay and eating free food off the roadside stalls.

The film plays with your mind as more than once the person Sanjay meets is the next victim. Also Sanjay is suspected to be killer as he is found in the vicinity of the scene of the crime a little too often.

On the flip side the film could have been longer with some more emphasis on why Sanjay thinks that there is a pattern in the murders and how he goes about cracking the case. Also not sure what message Manish Gupta wants to give when he has Sanjay telling his wife, "Tum Puchti ho na, kala dhan kyon ? Aaj issi kale dhan ke wajah se yeh ghar hai, jis ne bacha liya" meaning, "You always ask my why we need Black Money, today it is the black money that saved me, this house is thanks to the black money". The twist in the end is good though you begin to suspect that it is Mr.X whodunit. I am not gonna say anything more, go watch the movie!!!