Manorama: Six Feet Under

Manorama Six Feet Under is a neo-noir gem that stands out in the landscape of Indian cinema. Film directed by Navdeep Singh, which is an adaptation of Roman Polanski's classic film "Chinatown." Set against the backdrop of the dusty, desolate town of Rajasthan, the film offers an intricate narrative filled with intrigue, betrayal, and an exploration of human frailty.

The story revolves around Satyaveer (Abhay Deol), an unambitious and disillusioned irrigation officer who finds himself embroiled in a web of deceit when he is approached by a beautiful woman, Manorama (Gul Panag), the wife of a powerful politician. Manorama seeks his help to find evidence of her husband's infidelity. As Satyaveer delves deeper into the investigation, he uncovers a web of lies, corruption, and murder.

One of the film's strongest assets is its screenplay, which is sharp and layered. With a running time of around 120 minutes, the film deftly balances pacing and exposition, allowing viewers to slowly piece together the mystery alongside Satyaveer. The dialogues are well-crafted, often laced with dark humor and irony, which adds a unique flavor to the narrative.

The film's cinematography is exceptional. The dusty landscapes of Rajasthan are captured with a stark beauty that perfectly complements the film's noirish tone. The background score, with its haunting melodies, adds to the suspenseful atmosphere.

Abhay Deol delivers a remarkable performance as Satyaveer; he embodies the character's cynicism and vulnerability with ease, making him relatable and compelling. Gul Panag shines in her role as Manorama, bringing an enigmatic charm that engages the audience. The supporting cast, including the likes of Raima Sen and Vinay Pathak, adds depth to the film, each character contributing intricately to the unfolding mystery.

One of the film's strengths is its deliberate pacing. It's a film that requires patience, as it slowly unravels its complex plot. While this may not appeal to everyone, it contributes to the overall atmosphere of suspense and intrigue.

The film's ending is open to interpretation, leaving viewers to ponder the true nature of the characters and their motivations. This ambiguity adds depth to the narrative and encourages repeated viewings.

In the End, Manorama Six Feet Under is a film that rewards patient viewers. Its compelling story, strong performances, and atmospheric visuals make it a standout in Indian cinema. It's a film that lingers in your mind long after the fiml end's.

Manorama Six Feet Under is akin to reading a novel. Viewers who are not fond of reading might judge the pace of the movie to be slow. It takes a while to build the atmosphere, characters gets established, suspense builds up and races ahead to a grand finale.

Screenplay and cinematography is commendable, you can almost feel the heat of the desert and sand on your face. A few places you can see the shades of Tarantino style of movie-making.

MSFU is the story of Satyaveer who stumbles upon a mystery and the (failed!) writer in him itches to seek the truth – redemption or quest?

Abhay Deol apparently is focusing on building his competency in the "new-age cinema" genre (there is too much competition in the mainstream anyway). As Satyaveer he puts on a convincing get-up coupled with a restrained performance.

Gul Panag uses the usual sarcastic house-wife lines to portrays a convincing character.

Vinay Pathak goes to shows that he is good at everything and not just comedy. Minor hitch here: why does he carry a strong accent while her sister doesn't? Convent studies maybe?

Raima Sen character staunchly believes "Men and coffee are good rich" and the tension which prevails between Abhay and Raima over the game of snake and ladders is truly amazing, especially the come-hither passes.

Sarika has a small but effective role. Its goes to show that acting is akin to ride a bicycle.

Khulbhushan Kharbanda is as usual dependable.

The two henchmen have portrayed their parts well (apologies for not knowing their names).

Finally I must add that gone are the days where Bollywood used to paint the perfect world. Its emotionally gratifying to see just like true-to-life, the movie also depicts shades of grey.

First I would like to tell who would surely like this movie, so if you are one of them then go and grab the movie right now - 1. People who have lived major part of their lives in a small town of India and know the slow and uneventful life. 2. People who have had great ambitions in life but some how could not achieve success in the magnitude of expectations. 3. People who are mystery aficionado not just in movies but in life also. 4. People who form their own opinion about the movies rather than just following the herd mentality.

If you fall into any 2 categories out of the 4 mentioned above then its a movie for you.

Review -

This is one movie created by a very intelligent director who is absolutely comfortable with his intelligence and skill of movie making and does not go over board to show the intelligence. The plot of the movie is defined in a sleepy small town of Rajasthan. The beauty about the plot is that it shows a lot about a small town of Rajasthan without spending too much time in creating the backdrop. This is not just true for Plot but for characters also. The characters of this movie unfold with the course of movie and no extra effort is done by director to over simplify or over explain it. By the end of the movie you would be absolutely ready to answer any question asked about the character. Not because director told you all about the characters but because you would know these character so well. In terms of story its little slow in the first hour but if you fall into any of the above categories you would not mind waiting for next eventful hour. Once the story picks up the pace then you have to sit tight to assimilate all the details or you would get into the trap of post processing. Its not like a conventional suspense movie where you get to know the bad man at the end. Some where during the movie you would realize who is the bad man but why and how are the questions which will be answered later. In the initial part of the movie you would question why the protagonist of the movie is so confident and sure about his ability but you would get the proof of that by the end of the movie. At the end protagonist does not get fame or revenge or pleasure of killing the villain of the movie but you would have a subtle smile when at the end protagonist gives all the answer and takes sweet unconventional revenge. Acting wise it 10/10. Abhay Deol is a class actor, who knows his character in and out. Gul Panag has done full justice to her role. Vinay Pathak is as usual his best. But I think the credit goes to director who has carved out his characters so well that even you would feel that "I can also do this role, I know this person so well." At the end, its a must watch movie. Its a disappointment that this movie could not get commercial success but I guess that the fate of all great movies made in India.

First things First, if I need to describe Path Breaking Cinema, I will use Manorma Six Feet Under as an example. And this film is not a Direct lift of Roman Polanski's famous hit Chinatown, Manorma hold on its own. The first word that comes to my mind while I intend to describe this movie is Efficiency.

There have been few thrillers that so effortlessly thrill you, keep you right on the edge of your seat, get you acquainted with such rich characters yet manage to knock you with killer twists and pull a fast one on you. Endlessly inventive, this is not one of those films that are just that. It explores the psychology of being a wannabe spy like no other film.

Abhay Deol is in a role thats tailor made for him, he's such a natural actor, he brings life to Satyaveer Singh and you feel that Satyaveer is a small town Rajasthani and you never feel that the character actually is played by a Punjabi Jat living in Bombay.

This is Navdeep Singh's first film as a director, and it is apparent he has the heart and soul of a storyteller. He never imposes himself upon the film; he just lets the narration flow effortlessly. He seems to be an actor's director, and the finesse with which he handles them, in close ups, dealing with each other reminds me of Steven Soderbergh.

Gul Panag is one of the Finest Actresses in India today (Lot more talented than a Rani, Priety & Aishwaria). She already proved it with Dor and now in Manorma in a not so significant role, she still proves why she's the most underrated actress in the Hindi Film Industry.

Vinay Pathak, Kulbushan Kharbanda & Sarika are competent too.

Only Raima Sen hams here.

Anyways a 9.7 out of 10 from me for this Masterpiece.

Too bad for most of my friends who had to settle tor Over The top Nonsense movies like Partner, Hey Baby & Welcome while I loved every bit of Manorama.

After 'Johnny Gaddaar' here's another amazing thriller. 'Manorama 6 Feet Under' is clearly an inspiration of 'Chinatown'. Note inspiration, not ripoff nor remake. In one scene you even see Chinatown playing on TV. The writing is clever, the visuals are impressive and the performances are very good. Director Navdeep Singh stays with his sub-heading 'In the desert nothing is as it seems'. So in 'Manorama 6 Feet Under' nothing is indeed as it seems. Singh smartly unfolds the mystery and springs a lot of surprises. The film is set in sandy Rajasthan which is portrayed as mysterious, dry, isolated, illusive and frightening. Thus, it's a perfect set-up for the film.

Coming to the performances, Abhay Deol scores again in yet another different role, not just different from what he's done but also from what other actors of today are doing. The actor is certainly here to stay and hope he continues the good work. Gul Panag has a simple role but she does her part very well. Raima Sen shows tremendous versatility. Sarika is stunning in the title role and Kulbushan Kharbanda and Vinay Pathak are very good.

The songs are minimal. But the few that we have are pleasant and adequate for the screenplay.

'Manorama 6 Feet Under' is one exciting puzzle and a treat to watch. It's bizarre. It's dark. It's funny. It's thrilling.