An Indian erotic thriller, Murder was released in 2004 and was both written and directed by Anurag Basu and produced by Mahesh Bhatt through Vishesh Films. Emraan Hashmi, Mallika Sherawat, and Ashmit Patel starred in the film, which drew inspiration from the Hollywood film Unfaithful produced in 2002. With its daring themes, sensuous music, and suspenseful storytelling, not only did Murder became an immense success, but also marked the launch of Emraan’s career as a highly renowned actor making him a “serial kisser” in Bollywood.
Murder, other than its enthralling plotline, also received significant fame due to the bold scnes and its wonderful music, which contributed it triumph. Exploring themes such as infidelity, guilt, passion, and crime, the movie stands as one of the most controversial and popular Bollywood films of its time.
Plot Summary
Simran (Mallika Sherawat) is a lonely housewife whose husband, Sudhir (Ashmit Patel), works a lot and is emotionally distant. She gets emotionally neglected. While living in Bangkok, Simran feels stangled and one day, she runs into her college boyfriend, Sunny (Emraan Hashmi).
These old feelings stir back and lead to Simran rekindling her romance with Sunny, transforming the relationship into a passionate affair. Feeling guilty in the beginning, Simran finds herself missing the attention she was deprived in her marriage, and continues meeting him in secret.
Matter proceed to get deeper when Sudhir suspects that his wife might be unfaithful. Seeking answers, he hires a private investigator who verifies all of his fears. Resulting from being faced by reality, Sudhir’s emotions transform from sadness to fury, resulting in a violent clash between him and Sunny. In his rage, Sudhir ends up taking Sunny’s life and conceals his body in a sand pit at a construction site.
While the police look into the matter regarding Sunny’s disappearance, Simran is left feeling regretful which results in a more dramatic tension as the plot progresses. The climax of the film ends with the audiences learning whether or not Sudhir’s crime gets uncovered.
Performances And Characters
Best Known as Madame Tussauds’ first Indian wax figure, The Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat, in an interview mentioned that she is determined to give a hardworking strategy in all her character portrayals, and does so in, as Simran, who is grappling with her responsibilities as a wife and her own personal life.
Emraan Hashmi, as Sunny
Even with Emraan Hashmi only having a few films under his belt, he is best remembered for his appearance in this film. Immediately after this role, he acquired a lot of fans. Followers would rave over how he managed to effortlessly make his character sunny stylish yet reckless at the same time. His character’s ability to shift from romantic to abusive is what makes him so captivating.
Ashmit Patel as Sudhir
A man sorts out his personal turmoil which forces him to transition from being a husband to a vengeful murderer, and Ashmit Patel gives an effortless performance. His character shows the sibling’s restlessness during the betrayal of deep emotions, and as the film progresses, he slowly grows more sympathetic yet dangerous.
Direction and Cinematography
Anurag Basu, the film’s director, skillfully mixes the blaze of rage to ferment in and a maelstrom of romance and ensures that his viewers feel the deepest emotions within them; capturing the audience’s attention at the same time. The viewer’s emotions encounter the stories themselves through gentle warmth of passion and glimpses of sorrow encapsulated in a beautifully crafted pacing of the movie.
Sheer emptiness encasing Simran’s world, and the loneliness it holds is captured through the dim lighting and close-up shots. The romance embodied during the soppy memories further supplemented through the rain sets together with lighted apartments enhances the love for beauty in the film.
Music and Soundtrack
Anu Malik’s mastery of the art of fusion is one of the strongest points of the film ‘Murder’. The film’s songs became massive hits and continue to be popular even today.
💧 Bheege Honth Tere – The song, which was delivered by Kunal Ganjawala has sen henceforth become a majorly lifted romantic track as it really serves as a testament of undying and heartfelt passion.
💧 Kaho Na Kaho – The upbeat song sung by Amir Jamal has become anthemic as the children of today love the modern spin he added to the film.
🎵 Janaabe Ali – A lively and thrilling song that elevates the spirit of an otherwise serious film.
The music builds up the emotional tension, thus amplifying the overalls feeling within the film.
Underlying Meanings And Interpretation
Affair and Avarice
At its core, the film seeks to unveil the concept of extramarital affair and the profound void which triggers such actions. Simran is deprived of love and constantly feels the urge to be in someone’s arms which ultimately results in her dreadful decisions.
Judiciary and Justifiable Homicide
It’s a study on how one step beyond jealousy and rage makes a person capable of committing heinous crimes. Sudhir is a victim, or better said, the first half of a violent act’s victim, but midway through becomes a violent act’s perpetrator.
Remorse and Justification For One’s Actions
Post Sunny’s murder, Simran as well as Sudhir in their own way feel the guilt and their personal consequences of this act. Simran has to confront her actions, while Sudhir is burdened with the act of violence that he succumbed to.
Overall Critical Evaluation And Reviews
The film Murder aroused sharply contrasting perspectives from critics. The viewers received it appreciatively. With a successful commercial outcome, this film emerged as one of the most profitable films in India during 2004 and placed Emraan Hashmi as the infamous face of the Bollywood industry for thriller and romance dramas.
Rating: 5.5/10
Collection Revenue: Approx. ₹25 crores
The film has received some accolades for its unorthodox approach to music and storytelling along with its performances. However, some critics feel the clash could have been more creative. Either way, the general audience adored the movie, making it famous among the thriller genre fans.
Watch Free Movies on Fmovies