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.

The strangest film so far that I've seen in the Pune Festival is Nikhil Mahajan's PUNE 52 (52 refers to a lower class area of Pune. Beginning as an ordinary detective film set in 1992, the year of India's economic liberalization, it finally appears as if someone had shuffled the scripts of VERTIGO and FATAL ATTRACTION together and then ordered a hasty Susan Sontag re-write to achieve a further lack of clarity.

After the first half, when the hero wakes from a nightmare (as is typical in Hindi films) we release than some of the events we have witnessed never really happened. But did he kill or not kill the woman who pretends to be the wife of the construction magnate who he was originally working for?

There is one excellent moment, with the would be wife standing almost in silhouette against the white light coming through the open door of his home with the detective' wife in lighter tones against the dark door, but the differences (or similarities) are never again fully realized. To describe the twists and turns of the plot would be a disservice, if not impossible, but it is necessary to state that the growing affluence of the detective (concurrent with that of India's middle and upper classes) is handled in one fine special effects shot as walls seem to paint themselves and crude furniture morphs into chaise lounges, etc. The hero remains trapped in the end, but by what I am not sure -- either a political/economic nexus, his own weakness, or insanity. I will stop here, hoping to talk with the director in the next few days, who says at least that this is (although you might not know it) "not a murder mystery."

This is a bad movie, total waste of time, poor dialogues, unnecessary 5ex scenes.

There is no plot , no theme.

Looks like the director and writer banked on people's habit to put meaning to anything meaningless as long as they could show off the same to prove they are different (read woke).

The movie has good cinematography, but that's the only thing that holds you to continue watching. * The scenes where the main character tries to take pictures openly and no one notices makes no sense logically. The movie ends abruptly, and there is no repercussion of murders. Lack of connection between hallucinations and reality that keeps you confused throughout the movie. The movie also feels like a drag after interval, lot of unnecessary story- line that adds no value to the movie Overall at the end of the movie, you do not feel satisfied. The upside of the movie is that both Sai Tamhankar and Girish Kulkarni gave good performances. Sonali Kulkarni was good as always.

"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.