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.

The movie Zooms from 1984 era to current day, from sepia to Eastman color to the current times, the viewers are spell bounded and with pin drop silence, waiting for the fate of Susanna's husband.

Like Sin City and other movies in related dark noir genre, 7KM will definitely stand out from all other contemporary Bollywood offerings. Kudos to Vishal Bharadwaj for marvelous cinematography and the equally apt music score which have kept the flow intact. Roles are also executed in perfection with great acting by all the Husbands,. From Neil Nitin Mukesh as general with a Dark side, John with a 80's hippie cum Rock star avatar, Irrfan in his usual best with eyes speaking more than his words, Aleksandr (Russian TV actor) with accented Hindi statements ( "MAIN TUMSE AMAR PREM KARTA HOON" usage in three different situations and moods shows the writer's situational understanding ), Anu Kapoor with all his 32 teeth intact and generously displayed, Naseer as Bangali Doctor (very less screen space) have all shown that the roles were thoroughly crafted for them. Usha Utthup and Vivaan Shah (Naseer's Son) were surprise packages and the later acted well throughout the movie (Though his makeup for the age of 40 plus was not very impressive). Now the Actor deserving a Standing ovation, after 12 different roles ( In Wats your Raashi), Priyanka has proved that she indeed is one of the most matured actors present in current bollywood era. Her character is shown with multifaceted shades, one moment you feel pit for her and the next you will hate her for what she just did. From bubbly 20 plus, enchantress at 30s, composite at 40, desperate at 50 and finally in salvation, she have swayed across the roles as a seasoned actress. Watch 7KM if you need to see and enjoy movies with a substance and the rating "A" given in the movie really means it.

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.

Firstly, I would like to applaud Vishal Bhardwaj for pulling off this caper. Adapting books into movies is hard enough but to adapt such literary dark comedy into Indian cinema is even harder. He has made everyone in this film act, and not just deliver their lines as seen in most Hindi movies these days.

I don't think the Indian audiences have seen something like this before. How many dark comedies are made here anyways? Coupled with concepts that most people would not relate to.

Priyanka Chopra has shown her acting prowess before. But in this movie she has really pushed herself. I think there are movies that show a person's acting talent and this movie really explores Priyanka's acting skills and does her justice. I think only she could have carried a role such as this. I would not like to pick apart her work, but the only thing in her acting that bothered me - was as she aged, even though the makeup did a great job of depicting her age, her mannerisms, speech showed no changed. She could get up easily even when she played a much older woman. But besides that Priyanka's work is definitely a 10/10.

Vivaan Shah who is a central character in the movie is fresh faced and fun to watch on screen. I really like the scene in which he laughs nervously at a funeral.

All the actors who played Susanna's husbands did a great job. The one that surprised me the most was Neil Nitin Mukesh. He outdid not only his contemporaries but also some of the senior actors in the movie. John Abraham has also played his role of a cocaine addicted, hedonistic, musician of a husband to his best. In an industry were most young established actors would consider such roles as career suicide, these two actors (John & Neil) have ventured out of their comfort zones to play such complex roles. So special kudos to them.

The other actors (Naseeruddin Shah, Annu Kapoor, Irfan Khan, Aleksandr Dyachenko) have all played their part well, some have more smaller parts than the others. Some of their exits not entirely justified by the plot. Among them one of the most challenging roles maybe the poet/pervert husband played by Irfan Khan, but then again few actors can do justice to a role like Irfan does.

I don't see this movie being a blockbuster but definitely a movie that will be talked about for a while. It may not bring in the big bucks but its definitely brought out the talent in this cast. The cinematography is superb especially the scenes captured in Kashmir, the ones through the carved wooden frames bringing in the right feel and atmosphere to the movie.

I think this movie will be for Vishal Bhardwaj what The Village was to M Night Shyamalan. Not everybody will get it but those who do will most certainly enjoy it!