7 Khoon Maaf

Incidentally, this happens to be Vishal Bhardwaj's 7th directorial effort. And, he makes a great beginning: First shot, a revolver, second, a haggard Priyanka Chopra holding it to her head; third, shots heard and blood on the wall. Ergo, no time wasted in getting his audience warmed up! But if you thought that the title itself is amply clear on what it offers, i.e. 7 murders, wait; there is a bit of it that is left hanging in the end.

Adapted from Ruskin Bond's short story "Susanna's seven husbands", it moves along the narrative by Arun (Vivaan Shah), who secretly admires his benefactor, Susanna Anna Marie Johannes (Priyanka Chopra) as she goes though a series of weddings. It is a tale of Susanna's tryst with love and disappointment with each of her husbands who meet their doom when they don't match up!

The men are introduced; there is romance, then repulsion followed by death. The first is a cruel, suspicious and impotent army man 'Adamkhor Major' (Neil Nitin Mukesh) followed by plagiarizing rocker addicted to drugs 'Ek Duje Ke Liye' (John Abraham). She finds her third in Kashmir, a sadomasochistic poet 'Musafir' (Irfan Khan). Three down, she is tired of marriage and just wants to be in love.

Fourth of them is a two-timing Russian spy 'Amar Prem' marrying her to be able to stay in India but having a wife back home (Aleksandr Dyachenko). Fifth, a lustful and corrupt cop 'Pyaar ki Keemat' who is hell-bent on marrying her (Annu Kapoor). Most lethal of them all is a doctor who plots to kill her 'Mushroom da' (Naseeruddin Shah).

The seventh which is supposed to be a suspense (not revealed here) was possibly the only way the story could have ended. Bhardwaj calls him 'Prem Pujari'.

The problem here is that the movie doesn't go deep enough into Susanna's mind. Barring the sixth guy, there wasn't enough reason to kill them when she could have simply parted ways. But as the anecdote in the story goes about Susanna killing a menacing dog on her way to school, murder was the only problem solver she knew.

Set in Panchgani, the setting is a large farm-house where horses are bred and has its own chapel. Since the locale is rather secluded, it offers the right scenery for a period flick. The mansion is stuck in stuck in a time-warp as is its narrative forcing the film-makers to voice-over or show news-clips of events to mark the time-line

Clearly, 7 Khoon Maaf is not a thriller. There is not much of suspense either! She isn't a femme fatale either. When wronged by all wrong men she falls for, she embodies the quote 'hell hath no fury as a woman scorned'. But she was strong enough not to give up hope in her hunt for love or to turn herself in for murder. The men too found her charms irresistible ignorant of the fate that awaited them!

The leading lady deserves applause for portraying a complex character driven by passion. Aging from twenties to sixties, Priyanka Chopra looks her part, but her expressions hardly change; probably because her quest for love remained a mirage. Her best is when she laughs menacingly saying 'this time I will drink his blood'.

Her men had to crunch in as much as they could in the few minutes they had. Annu Kapoor is showcased well as Irrfan Khan and Naseeruddin Shah emerge second best. Neil Nitin Mukesh and John Abraham were just about okay. The Russian was forgettable. Vivaan Shah delivers a fine debut performance.

Supporting cast had meatier roles. Usha Uthup as her maid, Shashi Malviya as jockey, Gunga and Harish Khanna as the butler make their presence felt. Ruskin Bond has a cameo and Konkona Sen Sharma is seen in a guest appearance.

Priyanka Chopra has established herself as a serious and multi-faceted actress. But what doesn't clinch the deal for this flick is that it lacks flow. Also, it hesitates to show murder brutally and relies on flash-backs, slow motions, et al. A bit of editing could have saved it. Nevertheless, for what it is worth and with songs like 'darling', 'bekaraan' and 'awaara', '7 Khoon Maaf' makes for a decent watch.

Who says its difficult to find a good script these days!Direct those people to Vishal Bhardwaj who again shows us as he has done many times before that you just have to know where to look!

Agreed you know most of the story on the papers and TV, but is there anything else that could draw you attention to one of the most artistic yet satisfying movies of the year.

All the 6 husbands and the mysterious 7th one are played impressively and effectively by all the actors that you genuinely feel the difference in the characters. Everyone makes a lasting impression probably depicting various nuances of the male psyche and end up in the coffin just for doing so!

Having said that its far from a feminist movie, the director doesn't really want to elicit sympathy for Suzanna nor does he make a point that all the killings are justified.Therein lies the shrewd wickedness of the director who also manages to insert real life events of the past 2 decades into the script which are discreet yet unmissable.

Yes the narration is linear and simplistic, doesn't hold back any surprises, but after you sit down to watch the movie draws you in completely and gets satirical, black and comical at times as the story smoothly sails along.

Music and background score add to the artistry and Priyanka Chopra breaks new ground playing the difficult role of Suzzana with a daring elan.

Watch it for her and for the filmmakers who are taking Bollywood to a new level.

The negative reviews this movie was given upon release did not discourage me from watching it, and I'm very happy for that, because I really enjoyed it. Okay, 7 Khoon Maaf is not the best movie of the year, nor is it Vishal Bhardwaj's best, but it is just good enough to make for an interesting watch. I was fascinated by the concept of a black widow who kills all the many of her husbands. The fact that it was directed by Bhardwaj, one of the finest directors in the Indian film industry made it more promising for me. This is the story of Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes and her constant search for happiness. She is beautiful, attractive, and she badly wants to be a wife to the ideal husband, but alas, in each of her husbands she finds major flaws which make them quite impossible to live with. The first is possessive, crippled, insecure and jealous; the second is a singer whose growing fame makes him start cheating on her and using drugs; the third is a sadomasochist; the fourth is a Russian spy who turns out to be leading a double life, having another family abroad; the fourth is a police inspector who Susanna reluctantly marries because he knows her secrets; and the sixth is a doctor who saves her life at first, but later tries to kill her in order to inherit her property. Well, six husbands there are and one may wonder who the seventh husband is... well, this is a secret that will be uncovered when you see the film.

With every husband, Susanna tried hard to handle the situation and believed she could change something, but when she realised she could not, she chose the easiest option of killing them. Each time, she was assisted by her faithful servants who loved her unconditionally. 7 Khoon Maaf is one very ironic and entertaining story which is very well executed. Bhardwaj's direction is excellent, and the film is dark and humorous. The cinematography is fantastic and the music also fits the film's mood to the max. I did not find the pace problematic at all, and according to me the movie flowed well. Of course, everything in the film depends on the character of Susanna, and it is a great, nuanced role which is written and presented very well. I badly tried not to sympathise with Susanna's character, but I failed. It's simply because despite everything, she is not presented as a villain but more as a victim. Of course nothing can justify what she did, but the thing is that she herself is actually portrayed as a caring, dedicated person who is just not ready to live in pain and wants to be happy. Additionally, each one of her husbands is a negative character and a semi-monster of sorts, more or less, so it was easy to dislike them. Not even once did I feel for any of them. More than anything, however, it is the film's darkly comic tone which makes the audience take everything easily and never worry too much.

Priyanka Chopra plays the film's main protagonist, and this modern femme-fatale is probably the best role of her career. Chopra really tries her best, but while she does well enough within the parameters of the film and is quite effective throughout, one thing is sure: she is not the best choice for the part and one can easily imagine this role played with much more conviction by a more competent actress. In all fairness to her, at times she is so good that she manages to outdo herself, but in most parts you just want more, or actually less. Chopra is a very sexy young lady, but something is missing there, and maybe it's just because she is not a mature enough actress and does not know when she has to push the right button. She does not really register the complexity of Susanna and her mysterious nature. It's a role that requires an actress who has the correct mix of beauty, sensuality and talent. Someone like Rekha in her younger days would have been a perfect choice for this part, because she had the ability to create a deeply troubled and at the same time cryptic and enigmatic persona. Having said that, it is Chopra's film and the guys are there only to support her. All of them do very well, but those who impressed me the most are Annu Kapoor as her fifth husband, and Vivaan Shah, who is the film's narrator. I recommend you to watch 7 Khoon Maaf, it's an impressive picture and an altogether worthy effort.

Nice movie, all around one woman. Want more movies like this

Saat Khoon Maaf is a daringly different film that falters under the weight of its own ambition. Bhardawaj has taken great care in crafting the aesthetics; every frame is splendid, from staging to cinematography and costume/sound design. From the panoramic vistas of Pondicherry, Kashmir, and Moscow, to the hushed, dark tones used for the grittier portions of the tale, the film is dripping with ambiance and style. In Bhardawaj style, this is a dark, brooding work in lieu of other genre favorites such as Sympathy for Lady Vengeance & Kill Bill. Though not as hyper-stylized as those films, 7 Khoon Maaf has a far more engaging, drawn out plot that is involving and emotionally fulfilling, yet ultimately disappointing due to a few of the stories being half-baked. At times, it seems that Susanna's (Priyanka Chopra) faults with each husband she eventually murders is of her own vocation, stemming from rushing into one affair after another. For the majority of the film, however, the outcome of these relationships is rightfully on the masquerading male, each with a fatal flaw that is hidden until the knot is tied. The ultimate problem with the narrative is not with the flaws, but the majority of her husbands are not fully developed, for the most part their personalities and actions seem archetypal and single-minded. To Bhardawaj's credit, the majority of the supporting characters are three-dimensional, especially Susanna's adopted son Arun & her servants. Moreover, Susanna's emotional plight resonates and the conclusion is affecting and satisfying. Priyanka Chopra owns every frame of the film. Susanna's character is one that is rarely seen in Hindi cinema, her ability to display the complexity and various shades of Susanna across a period of sixty-years cements her position as an actress of great depth. While this is by far her best role, this is not Bhardawaj's most accomplished film. As daring and innovative as the theme and treatment of the film are, the lack of depth afforded to Susanna's husbands ultimately affects the films narrative and emotional quotient. Even so, the screenplay is engaging, the film looks decadent, and Ms. Chopra's brilliant performance is worth a watch and a few accolades.