Murder 3 Review

Murder 3 Movie Review by Indicine critic Joginder Tuteja

‘These guys indeed know how to tell a murderous tale’ – That’s what one ends up exclaiming the moment last shot of Murder 3 is seen on screen. A thoroughly engaging affair that makes you nod in agreement with the choice of subject that first timer Vishesh Bhatt has made for his directorial outing, the film not just lives up to the huge expectations that one has from the Murder franchise, it also makes one think of the kind of ideas that time and again get a green signal from the Bhatt camp. No wonder, Murder 3 entertains, shocks and makes you rub your eyes in disbelief as the drama unfolds.

However before one starts believing that all is perfectly well with Murder 3, here is an observation. The film comes on it’s own only in the second half. In fact the entire first hour of the film, if seen in isolation without stepping into the second hour, ‘seems’ plain ordinary. Yes, once the second hour starts unfolding, everything about the hour gone by starts making sense. In fact, a lot of sense! However for that, one has to be really patient till the interval card flashes.

Murder 3 Review

This means right from the opening shot where Aditi Rao Hydari disappears from the scene to the instant love that develops between Randeep Hooda and Sara Loren to the police investigation – just about everything appears not just haphazard but even half baked. (Spoilers ahead) It is just impossible to believe the manner in which Randeep and Sara come together or the latter turning out to be dumb enough to follow him or the mysterious ways in which Randeep talks or a distracting angle about a cop expressing his feelings for Sara. Frankly, after a point there is a sense of disengagement that starts setting in. Of course there are spooky moments thrown in between which leads to some level of intrigue but then constant flip-flop in proceedings tends to make one a little impatient.

However the turnaround takes place a few minutes into the second half, and how. The twist in the tale is amazingly established and the 40 minutes that follow bring the film into third, fourth and the fifth gear with the kind of fervour that one was waiting for all this while. Really, it is one of the best second halfs to have come out of a Bollywood film. Of course the storyline is an official adaptation of a Spanish film but that doesn’t matter at all as Vishesh along with his team of technicians makes sure that the tension continues to build with every passing minute before a double twist in the tale during the penultimate moments make Murder 3 the kind of film that is unique indeed.

Aditi Rao Hydari stands tall in this show that actually belongs to her, regardless of her actual presence or absence on the scene. She gets the emotions right, whether in the vulnerable or romantic junctures of the film. Not just that as the kind of subtle humour that she brings on screen is a treat that makes one smile even in the moments that could have otherwise become too heavy. Randeep Hooda plays his part well though one wonders why his character had to sound so mystereious in the very first place. He gets it right though as an actor who can be entrusted for a lead role. Sara Loren is truly attractive and plays her part well in a role that requires her to bring different shades. In fact at places she also reminds one of the kind of characterisation that Bipasha Basu had in Raaz.

The film carries a polished look throughout though editing seems a little jerky in the first half. Music, though pleasant indeed, seems like a distraction and one wouldn’t have minded had this been a songless affair. Background music by Bhatt regular Raju Singh is fantastic though and aids the film’s narrative in a big way, especially the second half.

A big win for the franchise comes from the fact that it presents a cocktail of drama, emotions, horror and (of course) erotica really well, hence making Murder 3 yet another good film to be unleashed by Bollywood this year. Moreover, after one is through watching the film, even the first half starts sounding a lot more enjoyable as you connect the dots. In the times when there are films that claim to tell a story from ‘two different point of views’ and hardly end up making an imprssion, Murder 3 is a case study on how it is actually done while taking the audience in confidence and not taking their intelligence for granted.

At the box office the film has started on a slow note which is surprising since as a franchise, Murder holds a good recall value. However due to it’s inherent merits, it may pick up during the weekend. There is continued competition from Special 26 as well as ABCD but controlled costs should bring Murder 3 past the safety mark.

Go for it.