Saat khoon, no maafi.

7 Khoon Maaf

Reviewed by Sunanda Pati

Heartwrenching, cold-blooded, passionate, sinful, clever... I wish at least one of these adjectives could court Saat Khoon Maaf. But alas, Vishal Bharadwaj's newest offering fails to shake or stir. It seems like a great opportunity gone waste for Ruskin Bond's short story 'Susanna's Seven Husbands' have been Bollywoodised and pretty badly at that. Seen through the eyes of narrator Arun Kumar (Naseeruddin Shah's son), the story rests upon the deeds of a certain beautiful woman named Susanna (played by Priyanka Chopra. After watching this film, I really think the name Piggy suits her better). From the ravages of a jealous husband-in-uniform to the sickly erotic fantasies of a Kashmiri poet, poor Susanna has to bear torture and trauma for a great pursuit. And, that great pursuit's name in the film is love. Pure love. I wish Mr. Bharadwaj were clearer about the kind of love Susanna is really in search of. From falling for the charms of a shallow musician named Jimmy (played by John Abraham) to finding a soulmate in Russian Nikolai Vronsky (who, by the way, fails to tickle you with his 'mere paas ma hain' act), Susanna keeps repeating the mistake of making all the wrong men her husband. In line with the original story, Susanna kills each one of them. But the film fails to portray the intensity of Susanna's passionate love and do justice to the way she experiences scorn and hatred. Susanna's angst doesn't touch me. And, that's the biggest problem.

Well, that doesn't mean the film has nothing good about it. Naseeruddin Shah is splendid as Modhusudhan Tarafdar (quite adeptly he pronounces it perfect Bong-style 'taw-roph-dar') and Neil Nitin Mukesh as the sadist General Rodriguez. Now back to my bashing best, John Abraham is yet again successful in being a ham and Alexander Dyachenko is pathetic. Even if one were to forgive these unpalatable performances, it would be because Bhardwaj composed a brilliant score. But no, this tackily presented murder movie doesn't even have that. As my temples throb, I can't help but hear a faint 'Jag ja re gudiya'...

A beautiful story of a woman's soulful search for love has been bungled. I wouldn't take away from the little thrill the film provides by giving away the plot. I'd rather watch Omkara once every day rather than Saat Khoon even once. And, I'd rather wait for Bharadwaj's next, in hope.

Rating: 2/5

7 Khoon Maaf review

7 Khoon Maaf

Reviewed by Sab Khan

 

The long awaited movie 7 Khoon Maaf, is a female oriented roller coaster ride about a black widow, who is not bound to any fixations and could cross any limitations to seek true love and happiness in life. Playing the multi-dimensional character is Priyanka Chopra, who in recent times has proven her acting skills. 7 Khoon Maaf is an extraordinary show for people who love watching drama movies with generous hints of crime, murder, love and mystery. So if you are setting up your mood for a jerky ride of entertainment, better get the tickets for this movie- they are selling off fast.

Vishal Bhardwaj, whose last films Ishqiya and Kaminey surpassed all box office and critical expectations bases the story of this film on Ruskin Bond’s book, Susanne’s Seven Husbands. Susanne (Priyanka) is a black widow who, in search of happiness and love marries seven different men but her relationships don’t exactly end the way she wants them to. She plans up bloody revenges and executes them to perfection. Playing Susanne’s seven unfortunate husbands in the movie are Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan, John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Anu Kapoor, Aleksandr Dyachenko, and Vivaan Shah.

The mystified darkness of the movie reveals the story turn by turn. From the very first scene, the movie is gripping and makes the audience anxious for more. Most women should relate to Susanne’s character, not because she commits murder but because of the inner passion and desires that remain uncultivated in her. Probably the difference lies in the fact that she took extreme steps to change her circumstances and most of us don’t dare. Even though, she’s been a murderer using techniques ranging from poisoning and gun fire, we don’t blame her for her real cause. Her typical male-dominating husbands are portrayed as the usual chauvinistic “man next door” who beat their wives up, dictate them, are aggressive or just use their women for sexual gratification. Though women are a lot empowered these days and do raise their voices, Susanne is someone who prefers to change it in her own way. Though bloody, the hope for change is heart touching for the oppressed women who watch the film.

The director did an enormous job in manipulating the entire seven husbands respectively. It was one of Priyanka Chopra’s best performances as she maintains her stance as the centre of attraction. Vishal’s music and Gulzar’s lyrics, as proven in their previous collaborations, could never go to waste. Vishal cleverly uses each track to musically represent the relationships and characters. 7 Khoon Maaf is an absolute must watch for this weekend!

Rating: 4.75/5