Review by Shevaal Singh
Director : Vinesh Bhatt
Starring : Randeep Hooda , Aditi Rao Hydari & Sara Loren
In the the last ten years, the Bhatts (Mahesh and Mukesh ) have achieved the art of the high concept flick made with a low-budget franchise. When you think about movies like Jannat, related stories Raaz and, of course Murder , they were all box-office hits and made on low budgets. The Murder flicks have nothing to do with each other in terms of story or character. They all offer a similar mélange of suspense, moral indistinctness and the definite erotica. Dissimilar, the first two films, which were bold copies but Murder 3 is the official remake of a Spanish film titled La Cara Oculta (or The Hidden Face).’Murder 3’ ends on a note which is a bit unforeseen and this works as a plus point for Bhatts as there will be a Murder 4. The film has its share of thrills and chills in parts, but doesn’t really leave a dent on one’s mind eventually. The gripping story the songs will keep you mesmerised throughout this tale of lustful love…
In murder 3 Vikram (Randeep Hooda) is a wildlife photographer in South Africa, who gets a rewarding contract which involves him shifting to fashion photography and moves to Mumbai with his girlfriend Roshni (Aditi Rao Hydari). They have everything going their way with a super extravagant house in Mumbai, gorgeous song sequences and great cinematography. It is like a fairy tale just so the wonderland gets stained by hints of suspicion. Roshni suspects Vikram to be cheating on her with his hairstylist Niyomi and chooses to leave him, in doing so she leaves a recorded video message and Vikram’s world comes collapsing down. The man whiles his time away in tons of whiskey and a lot of work.
Then along came Nisha (Sara Loren) a curvy vixen waitress at the bar Vikram visits. Nisha is sympathetic towards Vikram and as she says, “ tanha mard ke aankhon mein aansoo mujhe pasand nahi hain” (I don’t like tears in the eyes of a lonely man). She takes the drunken Vikram home one night when there is an altercation, which instigates Nisha and Vikram’s lustful twisted affair. She moves in with Vikram, in his house. Roshni, in the intervening time has inexplicably missing and according to the police Vikram is at the crux of it all. There are bizarre noises from the washroom which almost robs Nisha of her sleep. Nisha is convinced that the house is haunted and tells Vikram , who simply laughs them off which indicates there’s perceptibly, a lot more than what meets the eye.
Randeep Hooda as the wildlife/fashion photographer has created his stance and identity in the film much better and more naturally than in previous movies. As far as acting is concerned he does a fair job. There are moments when you wish he didn’t always speak like he’s continuously drunk, but thankfully those moments don’t last. The loving boyfriend at times and the jilted lover at others, Randeep manages to play his part exceptionally well , but doesn’t really make an impact on the minds of his viewers ,we’ve seen him perform better in other roles. Debutante Sara Loren emanates worryingly close to being tedious when it comes to expressions. She needs her acting skills refined, and the sooner, the better-she seems to have what it takes to be an actress in current day Bollywood – when she is not screaming,though! The one who actually shines as a polished well put together actor among the trio is Aditi Rao Hydari. The girl who forayed into the industry with a entirely un-glamourized role in ‘Delhi 6’and has seen some remarkable performances in between in ‘Yeh Saali Zindagi’ and ‘London, Paris, New York’.She does a great job of playing Roshni. The supporting cast comprising Rajesh Shringarpure as the police officer and Bugs Bhargava Krishna as DK Bose don’t disappoint.
What disheartens is the raw direction. Vishesh Bhatt, the debut, hasn’t done an excellent job with the direction and there are acts in the film which are funny, and unintentional. Nisha’s shrieks at the drop of a hat for example, tends to get on your nerves after a while. ‘Murder 3’ stands out in few moments like when Hydari, breaks down in front of the mirror, being a praiseworthy one. The film picks up pace a little while before the intermission, and then keeps the viewer sort of hooked on to it. The music is a colossal saving factor of the film with Mustafa Zahid (Roxen) and Pritam having done a job which deserves praise. All four tracks, ‘Teri jhuki nazar’, ‘Mat aazma re’, ‘Jaata hai tujh tak’ and ‘Hum jee laingay’ are extremely melodious and hummable. The Bhatts have always had their music clicking for them, Like all the Raaz movies , Jannat 1 and 2 , Jism 1 and 2 .‘Murder 3’ is no exception.
In a nutshell, ‘Murder 3’ is a onetime watch, only if you are a huge fan of Aditi Rao Hydari. This film too, will probably fade into oblivion leaving only its music on people’s lips for a long time to come Murder 3 gets a 7/10 from me for ‘killing love this Valentine’. Murder 3 is a thought-provoking movie where the suspense will keep you hooked and it’s a totally recommended watch !