Pune-52

Being a fan of the genre, sometimes makes it tougher form some one to make you feel for something new in it. I'm a die hard fan of Raymond Chandler, Andrew Vasch, Andrea Camilleri, Henning Mankell, Ian Rankin and so many more crime writers. And i'm a fan of women centric films and drama. And this film took both to a beautiful level. To make you feel for each individual character, their frustrations, their predicaments, their choices and yet leave you pondering whether they chose their fate or it was handed down to them through blind luck, is something a noir film ideally is meant to do. Akin to 'August Heat' or 'Farewell my lovely' or 'The Big Sleep' this story does the same. It ends up being a story of three people, the woman as seductress, the woman as life companion, the man trying to understand himself and be what society considers a man. It plays with archetypes and does a spin on them, yet then landing them firmly in their archetypal foundation again.

Even small touches like the wife and her mother's relationship, she's also a half product of her lineage and half product of who she wants to be, battling her own demons, quietly and then vociferously. She's the one i felt for the most. Great casting. Sonali Kulkarni earned a fan yet again, so did Sai and Girish. And the mother in law. Small nuances or each character. And big bold strokes for the story.

You would be forced to consider each one's choices, each one's luck, and whether they are or were a product of their choices or luck or which one in what degree.

Filmically the choice of hand-held camera-work, showing the woman as seductress backed by light, but with shadows on her face, the woman as creator backed by darkness but with light on her face and yet them being shades of each other and one and the same, some small but striking metaphors came through.

Great edit. Cuts on sound, cuts on music, cuts that evoke emotion, push it up where needed and cut it down where needed. Artistic job done by the makers, director, writer, cinematographer and Editor.

A gem of a marathi film. A gem of a film.

Curious to see what Mahajan does next, in a similar drama genre.

"Pune 52" is a critically acclaimed Indian thriller movie directed by Nikhil Mahajan. The movie is set in the city of Pune, Maharashtra, and follows the story of a private investigator, Amar Apte, who is tasked with investigating the case of a missing woman. The movie explores the dark and gritty underbelly of the city, while also delving into the personal life of Amar Apte and his struggles with love and relationships.

The performances in "Pune 52" are excellent, with lead actor Girish Kulkarni delivering a standout performance as Amar Apte. Kulkarni's portrayal of the complex and conflicted private investigator is nuanced and captivating, making it easy for the audience to connect with his character. The supporting cast, including Sonali Kulkarni and Sai Tamhankar, also deliver strong performances, adding depth and texture to the film's storyline.

The movie's pacing is well-crafted, with just the right amount of suspense and tension to keep the audience engaged throughout. The director has done an excellent job of creating a moody and atmospheric feel to the film, which complements the dark and gritty nature of the storyline.

In terms of the cinematography and visual design, "Pune 52" is visually stunning, with the camera work and lighting creating a haunting and evocative atmosphere. The use of the city's locations and landmarks also adds to the film's authenticity, providing a rich and realistic backdrop for the story to unfold.

The story of a detective goes haywire in the first half hour and never grips the audience. Acting of Sai and Sonali is the only better part of the movie. The story is definitely not original but a mixture of classic western movies stories scrambled in together. Hence it cannot fit in the middleclass setup of a city like Pune. The contunity, editing and sequencing is simply baffling and confusing to the audience. Do not waste your time for such a jerky movie. A typical Hindi masala movie may entertain you better. The so called detective works clumsily and never like a pro. No private detective takes the snaps of the targets so obviously, coming just in front of them. Naturally, he gets caught and pays the penalty.

Movie started on a good note. A private detective who does not receive the respect he deserves neither at home nor outside. But gradually the movie started losing its plot, focus and goes haywire. Not sure what the director wanted to focus on, is it the interpersonal relationships and their nuances, the murder, the private detectives' hallucinations. And what is the metaphor about Indian middle class, why is that required? Maybe the director wanted to communicate too many things and totally missed communicating even one point.

Pace of the movie started slowing down and with great difficulty I finished watching the movie.

End was a big disappointment and extremely abrupt.

If one has lot of time on one's hands he/she can watch else can be easily skipped.

Great dialogue, different concept and great actors. The flow of the movies is great. 90s aesthetics is perfect. We need such stories.

We are still stuck with cheap comedies and cheesy love stories. Anything different confuses us and that's what other reviewers are also point to for this movie.

Protagonist is flowed and he unreliably narrates the story. Takes you on a ride.