7 Khoon Maaf

Based on Ruskin Bond's short story "Susanna's Seven Husbands," 7 Khoon Maaf stands out as a brilliantly crafted Bollywood movie, setting itself apart from the typical light-hearted rom-coms that often grace the industry. It ventures into the realms of a dark crime-thriller, weaving in dark humor and featuring a formidable female protagonist.

Priyanka Chopra's portrayal of Susana is exceptional, as she undoubtedly takes center stage with her powerful performance. The well-executed cameos by John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, and Annu Kapoor further enhance the film's appeal.

The script is skillfully written and masterfully directed, maintaining a dark and engaging tone throughout the narrative. Susana, one of Bollywood's darkest female protagonists, possesses a depth that captivates the audience. Her relentless pursuit of a good life and an ideal life partner gradually transforming into a dark and intriguing character is a sight to behold. Susana's complexity lies in her potential to embrace darkness, making her a mesmerizing presence on screen.

While the majority of the film shines brilliantly, the performance of Arun Kumar (Vivaan Shah) emerges as one of the few weak links. Nevertheless, the movie remains a rare gem in Bollywood, showcasing one of its darkest and most enigmatic female characters with commendable success.

Firstly, I would like to applaud Vishal Bhardwaj for pulling off this caper. Adapting books into movies is hard enough but to adapt such literary dark comedy into Indian cinema is even harder. He has made everyone in this film act, and not just deliver their lines as seen in most Hindi movies these days.

I don't think the Indian audiences have seen something like this before. How many dark comedies are made here anyways? Coupled with concepts that most people would not relate to.

Priyanka Chopra has shown her acting prowess before. But in this movie she has really pushed herself. I think there are movies that show a person's acting talent and this movie really explores Priyanka's acting skills and does her justice. I think only she could have carried a role such as this. I would not like to pick apart her work, but the only thing in her acting that bothered me - was as she aged, even though the makeup did a great job of depicting her age, her mannerisms, speech showed no changed. She could get up easily even when she played a much older woman. But besides that Priyanka's work is definitely a 10/10.

Vivaan Shah who is a central character in the movie is fresh faced and fun to watch on screen. I really like the scene in which he laughs nervously at a funeral.

All the actors who played Susanna's husbands did a great job. The one that surprised me the most was Neil Nitin Mukesh. He outdid not only his contemporaries but also some of the senior actors in the movie. John Abraham has also played his role of a cocaine addicted, hedonistic, musician of a husband to his best. In an industry were most young established actors would consider such roles as career suicide, these two actors (John & Neil) have ventured out of their comfort zones to play such complex roles. So special kudos to them.

The other actors (Naseeruddin Shah, Annu Kapoor, Irfan Khan, Aleksandr Dyachenko) have all played their part well, some have more smaller parts than the others. Some of their exits not entirely justified by the plot. Among them one of the most challenging roles maybe the poet/pervert husband played by Irfan Khan, but then again few actors can do justice to a role like Irfan does.

I don't see this movie being a blockbuster but definitely a movie that will be talked about for a while. It may not bring in the big bucks but its definitely brought out the talent in this cast. The cinematography is superb especially the scenes captured in Kashmir, the ones through the carved wooden frames bringing in the right feel and atmosphere to the movie.

I think this movie will be for Vishal Bhardwaj what The Village was to M Night Shyamalan. Not everybody will get it but those who do will most certainly enjoy it!

Who says its difficult to find a good script these days!Direct those people to Vishal Bhardwaj who again shows us as he has done many times before that you just have to know where to look!

Agreed you know most of the story on the papers and TV, but is there anything else that could draw you attention to one of the most artistic yet satisfying movies of the year.

All the 6 husbands and the mysterious 7th one are played impressively and effectively by all the actors that you genuinely feel the difference in the characters. Everyone makes a lasting impression probably depicting various nuances of the male psyche and end up in the coffin just for doing so!

Having said that its far from a feminist movie, the director doesn't really want to elicit sympathy for Suzanna nor does he make a point that all the killings are justified.Therein lies the shrewd wickedness of the director who also manages to insert real life events of the past 2 decades into the script which are discreet yet unmissable.

Yes the narration is linear and simplistic, doesn't hold back any surprises, but after you sit down to watch the movie draws you in completely and gets satirical, black and comical at times as the story smoothly sails along.

Music and background score add to the artistry and Priyanka Chopra breaks new ground playing the difficult role of Suzzana with a daring elan.

Watch it for her and for the filmmakers who are taking Bollywood to a new level.

Nice movie, all around one woman. Want more movies like this

Saat Khoon Maaf is a daringly different film that falters under the weight of its own ambition. Bhardawaj has taken great care in crafting the aesthetics; every frame is splendid, from staging to cinematography and costume/sound design. From the panoramic vistas of Pondicherry, Kashmir, and Moscow, to the hushed, dark tones used for the grittier portions of the tale, the film is dripping with ambiance and style. In Bhardawaj style, this is a dark, brooding work in lieu of other genre favorites such as Sympathy for Lady Vengeance & Kill Bill. Though not as hyper-stylized as those films, 7 Khoon Maaf has a far more engaging, drawn out plot that is involving and emotionally fulfilling, yet ultimately disappointing due to a few of the stories being half-baked. At times, it seems that Susanna's (Priyanka Chopra) faults with each husband she eventually murders is of her own vocation, stemming from rushing into one affair after another. For the majority of the film, however, the outcome of these relationships is rightfully on the masquerading male, each with a fatal flaw that is hidden until the knot is tied. The ultimate problem with the narrative is not with the flaws, but the majority of her husbands are not fully developed, for the most part their personalities and actions seem archetypal and single-minded. To Bhardawaj's credit, the majority of the supporting characters are three-dimensional, especially Susanna's adopted son Arun & her servants. Moreover, Susanna's emotional plight resonates and the conclusion is affecting and satisfying. Priyanka Chopra owns every frame of the film. Susanna's character is one that is rarely seen in Hindi cinema, her ability to display the complexity and various shades of Susanna across a period of sixty-years cements her position as an actress of great depth. While this is by far her best role, this is not Bhardawaj's most accomplished film. As daring and innovative as the theme and treatment of the film are, the lack of depth afforded to Susanna's husbands ultimately affects the films narrative and emotional quotient. Even so, the screenplay is engaging, the film looks decadent, and Ms. Chopra's brilliant performance is worth a watch and a few accolades.