Maharathi

The VCD story, when read, may appear to be telling about several conmen trying to outwit each other. However, it is the catchline (tagline) that takes the cake and paves the way for the story to unfold.

The first half was a bit stretched although it was good for character development of some of the lead characters.

Paresh goes a little over the top several times in this movie, perhaps as a result of bringing a theatre piece to the screen. Boman, Paresh, Om and Naseer are great in the other scenes, especially in the second half when the pace catches up.

I did find a couple of plot points predictable but it still manages to get the attention of the viewers due to clever atmosphere-building.

This is not a great film or a masterpiece but I still give it 9 for its plot and entertainment value.

Shivam Nair's film Maharathi is a suspense thriller that keeps many questions unanswered till the end. The film comes with some of the finest performance of lead actors but that doesn't make up for the flaws in the script. The film is about how a common man gets the property money of his employer and the legal aspect of making a will is not convincingly clarified..

Adapted from a very popular Gujarati play by the same name, Maharathi makes for an interesting watch solely for the performance of almost all its lead actors. But what keeps on striking the viewer constantly are the limitations of a play being adapted to the big screen. Firstly, for a thriller, the plot appears far too stretched, especially in the first half. Then once the first major twist in the plot takes place, what follows is at times, a matter of convenience. OK even if you are willing to forgive some cinematic liberties, what really comes out is not only predictable but also raises many questions..

If you want a taste of a desi version of Sleuth, Peter Shaffer's spellbinding play-turned-film, go watch Maharathi. The story may be different, the edge of danger is almost similar.

For starters the title is not apt. it gives an impression of a mythological drama (Ramayana/ Mahabharata). Well, it is clearly inspired by the success of Johnny Gaddar a la James Hadley Chase. Perhaps as a novel, it does ensure edge-of-seat excitement with twists and turns at every turn of page but sadly it failed to translate on screen. Again Johnny Gaddar should be a good reference point.

Performances::

§ Naseer:: Lesser mortals like us are in no position to comment on his work.

§ Paresh Rawal:: He was good if not excellent. The smart one-liners seemed stuffed into is mouth. His act of putting on the loyalty mask, seemed OTT. His frequent dispute with Neha Dhupia and Boman Irani were kind of show-stoppers to the narration.

§ Om Puri - Very short role and hence didn't get an opportunity to display histrionics.

§ Boman Irani - Very confident performance.

§ Neha Dhupia - Passable.

§ Tara Sharma - The "Little Red Riding Hood" act does raise the suspicion bar. Plus her choice of donning the same role every time is getting monotonously boring.

One gets a feel of watching a two-part episode from the Karamchand series, if you know what I mean. Shivam Nair won critical accolades for his work Ahista-Ahista, however seems this time putting shoulders to the wheel wasn't quite sufficient.

Seldom are movies made from a play... & this one goes the right way! The last theater i can remember off hand was AANKHEN... A Bachan & Paresh Rawal.. The movie wasn't quite catchy, but one could imagine the kind of theatrical performances it must have delivered..

Today, i saw an actual performance, only difference being, I saw it on the screen.. The way the movie was done, one felt the characters were alive on a stage in front of me!!!

The plot of the movie is very good. But the performances are mind blowing! One couldn't have set a better cast, & while the ladies need to do much better, the quartet of Boman, Paresh, Naseer & Om Puri swept me off my feet!

While Paresh Raval dominates the movie completely, it is Boman's sharp performance that draws the curtain! I couldn't have spent my Friday night better.

It is a movie worth treasuring... Please have a look!

I watched this movie last night and had not read any reviews at all. My brother watched this movie before me and told me that I will enjoy it. Initially I thought to be a bit slow and i was starting to lose any interest, but once the major twist in the film occurs I was drawn back into the movie until the credits. Its did give me a sense of it being inspired from an old Hollywood movie called 'Slueth' (I think thats how you spell it) staring Micheal Caine. Over all it was a good movie for all to enjoy.

This movie shows you can make a good movie without having Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar in the lead roles.

Paresh Rawal brings back memories of Johnny Walker (50's & 60's Comedian). There are some good performances from all the actors (male & female), Especially Om Puri and Boman Irani. IF you have not seen this movie, i shall recommend you do watch this. And the Plus point, In the 2 or so hours there are no songs, so the story is flowing, so no toilet or tea breaks :-).