A different kind of film that has some interesting twists and turns but the manner in which they are brought to the fore is very vague. The script is average as it deals with a storyline that delves into a realm of things however the screenplay acts as the downpour at times creating quite a bit of confusion with the manner in which the twists and turns are revealed. The film has a lot of ambiguity involved; moreover it caters to a definite niche small segment mostly the intelligentsia. The film’s pace is extremely slow and often the audience’s attention drops due to the snail like pace. Also to understand the twists and turns one has to watch for all the minute details in the film. Overall, no doubt it is a different kind of film that has some good moments but the pace and abstract nature makes it just about an average film.
Manorama Six Feet Under has a thriller like genre and its tag line says ‘In the desert, nothing is what it seems.’ The story and screenplay has been done a by Devika Bhagat and Navdeep Singh and directed by the latter. The film stars Abhay Deol as Satyaveer Singh, Gul Panag as Nimmi, Raima Sen as Sheetal, Vinay Pathak as Inspector Brijmohan, Kulbhushan Kharbandha as P R Rathod and Sarika as Mrs. Rathod.
Satyaveer and his wife Nimmi live in a little village in Rajasthan. He is a disgruntled civil engineer with a government run company, but he has a passion for writing detective novels. He even attempted one called Manorama which got a miserable response. He accepts a bribe one day as he feels that it is part of what a civil contractor does and this leads to his getting suspended from his job. Nimmi his wife is a nag who does not understand her husband but plays along. One day after he is sacked, he is visited by a politician’s wife who is one of the few rare ones who was impressed by his detective skills in his novel and wants him to investigate her husband and his clandestine affair.
Satyaveer is intrigued and sets out to play detective in order to give the wife evidence of her husband’s clandestine affair. But nothing seems to be what it is and along the way he stumbles upon several skeletons that come out of the closet. He realizes that no one is whom they seem to be, not the wife, nor the politician or the others he encounters along the way. His brother-in-law Inspector Brijmohan warns him several times not get in neck deep, but he pays no heed. He also meets Sheetal whom he is drawn towards. To add to his woes, Satyaveer is saddled with a dead corpse of the woman who had claimed to be the wife of the politician. He investigates and again is confronted with many unknown truths.
Director Navdeep Singh has incorporated several twists and turns in the film and though the suspense intrigues the audience, the slow pace with which the facts are revealed is unnerving. Also the vague and abstract nature of some of the facts that come to the fore, further serve to confuse the audience at several instances. Nonetheless what works is the interesting character sketches of all the characters in the film, they have distinct styles, looks and mannerisms. A bit of wit is also incorporated into the film. The director also seems to leave a lot of open ended scenes which don’t really clarify the happenings in the sequences. The climax is tame and again vaguely abstract. A screenplay that was more tightly bound could have taken the film higher.
The script is different and works as a thriller as it has the right amount of suspense in the forms of twists and turns revealed. However to understand much of the story, the audience needs to keep a firm eye on minute details, the revelations to some of the suspense is indeed good as they take you by surprise. However there seem to be quite a few unanswered theories which remain a mystery right till the end, whether this is a deliberate attempt by the director is not known.
The cinematography is apt for a small town in the interiors of Rajasthan; it captures the overtly lazy feel and calmness of the region. However some of the dark scenes could have been better handled. The dialogues are quite good as they come across as witty and smart. The background score is average. Performances are adept.
Abhay Deol as Satyaveer is able to depict his character quite well, quirky at times smart at others. He looks the part too and his mannerisms further strengthen his character. He gives a capable performance. Gul Panag does not have a large role but her performance too is realistic and adept. Raima Sen is the interesting character that is slowly unraveled, she delivers a natural performance. Vinay Pathak as the police officer is good and he is funny. Kulbhushan Karbandha is also first rate, but unfortunately Sarika has a teeny-weeny role that does not give her much scope.
On the whole Manorama Six Feet Under can be termed just about average due to its varied script and the umpteen twists and turns. But the pace is too slow and screenplay has a lot of vagueness. At the box-office it is will no doubt have a meager response due to its typical niche segment audience. However for those who enjoy suspense and don’t mind the pace, it is just about average viewing.
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| Reviewed By: Rachel Fernandes |
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