Review : Manorama six feet under

[amazon_link id=”B001KQFANU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link]Rating : Very good (4.0/5)
Genre : Suspense / thriller
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hours 15 minutes
Director : Navdeep Singh
Cast : Abhay Deol, Vinay Pathak, Gul Panag, Raima Sen, Sarika, Kulbhushan Kharbanda

MANORAMA SIX FEET UNDER : DESI DETECTIVE DELIVERS !

“Manorama, six feet under” is the perfect example of Desi noir – a term unheard of until now. And our very own desi detective. No Poirot this one, he’s Satyaveer Singh Randhawa (Abhay Deol), a junior PWD (Public Works Department) engineer in small town Rajasthan. Living his small-town life in Lakhot with sarcastic beauty-parlor-running wife Nimmi (Panag) and small son Raju, SV is also a writer, penning short stories after trying, and failing, in his big attempt to write a novel. That attempt, a novel “Manorama”, featuring a detective named Raghu, sold only 200 copies, and flopped miserably.

In his day job, SV is under suspension for accepting a bribe – a shiny new motor-cycle. His humdrum everyday life is interrupted when a regal woman lands up at his door, saying she needs to use his detective services. She’s a fan of his book, Manorama, and presumes that he will be able to help her, because he, the writer of a detective novel is the closest they have to a detective in this small, desert town. The woman is the wife of a powerful politician, wanting evidence against him, and is willing to pay handsomely to procure the required information. Satyaveer, twiddling his thumbs at home, suspended, accepts the commission, but what appears to be a simple case of a little spywork, turns into a much more dangerous and intriguing problem. . .

This is a wonderful, wonderful film. It is dark, at times startlingly violent, and unfolds very, very slowly. Each character is lovingly built-up. The taut script and screenplay provide numerous unexpected turns and twists, enough to keep one’s eyes glued to the screen. The characters are realistic, and meticulous attention is paid to the appearances – I suppress a smile watching Nimmi in a dressing gown, a bright yellow petticoat visible underneath, sitting out on the front porch peeling vegeatables. Middle-class India is out on display. SV’s nosy neighbor enquires about the new motor-bike, and his wife sitting out in the garden keeps an interested eye on the goings-on in the Singh household. The street-people are swathed in shawls, rustic goons go around in faded home-grown jeans, with bright blue pockets, and SV lolls at home in kurta-pyjamas. The dialogues suit the people; the graduate Nimmi very often lapses into English, while her rustic, mustachioed brother, rolls out his own version of proverbs like “Curiosity kill cat”, his accent very often dissolving into the vernacular. Wry humor and earthy ditties keep us grounded.

Our protagonist’s life, much like the desert, is dry and sterile, and crumbling. It’s slow, mired in heat and dust and travels at the speed of SV’s old scooter (which his wife calls a tin-box). It’s harried – the tap dries up when SV has a bath, there’s a fly in his chai (tea), and all’s rocky on the homefront. Abhay Deol (and man, can this guy pick films !) superbly underplays his role; SV is self-deprecating, a good family man, yet susceptible to temptation. His world’s going to pieces, and he has warnings galore. Everyone, it seems wants him off this case, but SV hangs onto it like a dog with a bone. Only this bone’s gonna stick in his craw.

Gul Panag is fantastic as SV’s sharp-tongued wife Nimmi. Vinay Pathak, as Nimmi’s Inspector brother plays his part to perfection; he is the epitome of a street-smart, small-time corrupt official on the take, kow-towing to the bigger fish and eating the smaller ones. Raima Sen proves her mettle once again, this time essaying a small but pivotal role. And that oft-forgotten veteran Kulbhashan Kharbanda appears appropriately odious as yet another slimy politician. Sarika has a very small role, but does manage it ably. Although these major actors anchor the film, MSFU is so effective because all the actors, even the minor ones are good, and effectively drawn.

This film is an absolute must-see. If there’s one film you choose to see this year, please let it be this one. I, for one, am mighty pleased that Hindi cinema has it’s very own filmi detective at last. And oh, joy, one with brains, gumption and character – could one ask for more ? With Navdeep Singh’s deft direction at work, I’m hoping we are treated to more fine products of the same quality. A sequel or a series, perhaps ?