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Starring: Jimmy Shergill, Kay Kay Menon, Nandana Sen,
Sonali Kulkarni
Story & Director: Aanand L. Rai
A truly slick
Murder Mystrey
Two men, complete strangers
to each other and absolutely opposite personalities, are
travelling in a train's first class compartment in a
train between Southampton and London. Sanjeev Rai (Kay
Kay Menon), a successful businessman and Rahul (Jimmy
Sheirgill), a struggling writer looking for a break in
his career.
Jimmy Shergill & Nandana Sen
Before
the journey ends the strangers agree on a plan to do
away with their respective wives. The men here agree to
swap the killing duties, since being strangers it gives
the duo an advantage of pulling off a crime which would
never be tracked back to their affiliation. Four lives
are put at stake and everything is about to change.
Director Aanand Rai narrates an absorbing story which
has been beautifully executed in this simple, yet
stylish unfolding. As the movie progresses, it slowly
unravels the mystery, layer by layer, taking the viewer
by surprise.
It has
an abrupt ending where its shown that Jimmy accomplishes
the task so very easily. Some situations are left
unexplained for the viewer to use his own imagination.
It is a very craftily produced movie unlike any other
hindi film yet seen by the viewer giving a Hollywood
style treatment. Unlike some desperate and unsuccessful
efforts lately by some of our new age directors who
think that just by using hand held camera, continuous
long shots and follow it with some blue tone in the
movie, where they end up nowhere.
Jimmy Shergill and Kay Kay
Menon
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The film opens with an
extremely dramatic event that in actuality is only an
incident, such as one of the protagonists of the film
being arrested for a murder of another of the
protagonists. Its opens with Rahul's arrest for -- in
all probability at this point for murder of Priety
(Nandana Sen). The film then kick-starts its proceedings
with Sanjiy Rai and Rahul sharing a first class coupe
and sharing stories.
They try to know each other
and there are visible efforts to entertain each other
throughout the journey. While Sanjiv's wife (Sonali
Kulkarni) is close to madness after losing her only son in
an accident, thus making life difficult for him, while
Rahul's wife Priety is the one blamed for the breakdown of
their marriage.
Now in a bit of detail: Jimmy
Shergill who is a struggling writer is married to Nandini
Sen, a girl he fell in love with, pursued, and has now
been married to for six years. And Kay Kay Menon is a
businessman who's been married to Sonali Kulkarni for over
15 years. Both marriages have been rendered defunct -- one
for disagreeing over having/affording a baby, while the
other, over the wife's obsession with her dead son.
Nandana Sen
Kay Kay Menon and Jimmy
Shergill have very aptly done their roles especially Jimmy
with his inherent awkwardness. Nandana Sen comes out with
a very impressive performance especially her smiles in
certain situations which speak more than words. Sonali
Kulkarni has very little to do much in the film.
This film is truly a class of its own. Infact, one one
wouldn't attempt to leave his seat even during interval
who knows a few seconds delay would make one miss an
important link in the movie. Strangers is a well-made
intelligent thriller, which unfortunately may impress only
a certain set of audience.
-
Amarjeet
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CREDITS:
Production House: Indorama Films
Producer Raj Kundra, Uday Tiwari
Story & Director: Aanand L. Rai
Script: Gaurav Sinha, Himanshu Sharma
Starring: Jimmy Shergill, Kay Kay Menon, Nandana Sen, Sonali
Kulkarni
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar |
Music Vinay Tiwari
Lyrics Javed Akhtar
Cinematographer: Manoj Shaw
Sound: Nihaar
Editor: Sanjay Sankla
Publicity Designing: Endeavour
Production Designers: Mitu Tiwari, Nilofer Amrohi |
