7 KHOON MAAF (2011)

I’m ending up watching the first worst film of the year made by none other than the man who made two finest children films loved and admired by grown up audience and two finest Indian screen adaptations of Shakespeare’s famous tragedies. Vishal Bhardwaj’s last film ‘Kaminey’ didn’t appeal me much compared to the standards set by his own earlier films but let me tell you honestly with this film, he made a film which I love to hate. The only thing worth watching in the film is the beginning and the murder of Suzanne’s hateful hubby number one, the rest is all improbable, dragging, nonsense gimmicks that ended with a ridiculous redemption.

From the title and promos we already know about Suzanne and her victim husbands but in Ruskin Bond’s short story adaptation made by Bhardwaj, the victims are not murdered hubbies but the poor honey. Both Bhardwaj-Priyanka tried to get sympathy for poor soul Suzanne who didn’t get true love from a single husband! And yet we see her confess her true love not made for hubbies but her godson who grows up from a kid to young married man as she grows old! The film is absolutely improbable one especially in the case of Suzanne. Does she marry and remarry just to kill her hubbies or vice versa? Forget her seven hubbies as they have very limited screentime but Priyanka is all there and I must say it’s so poorly portrayed discreet character that till ending of the film we don’t care damn about her.

Watching promos and reading rave reviews about her performance, I’m expecting Priyanka as modern femme fatale here but she’s big letdown here. She’s got one or two bitchy sparks in entire film and rest of the time trying to seek our futile sympathy. It's not her fault but poorly written and portrayed ambiguous character more made to serenade the men on her charm. Among all hubbies, the only one who looks quite probable and worth to notice is the one played by promising Neil Nitin Mukesh as lame army man suspicious about her wife. The rest of the players don’t have much time to develop their white or black sides and ended up on screen much before we notice them! In my opinion, Bhardwaj tries to sell gimmick which won’t work out well. This time even music isn’t as soothing except that Russian song inspired ‘Darlingg’ number. Its better watching free fun of Ekta Kapoor vamps or ICC world cup drama on TV rather than wasting your money and weekend fun on something like this.

I kept scratching my head till interval wondering am I watching the film of director who gave us ‘Makdee’, ‘Maqbool’ and ‘Omkaara’ but post interval I just keep remembering the victim toll so that I can see the end. Will Bhardwaj back with one more disappointing gimmick or back with another striking film that keep pushing the Indian New wave cinema?
I keep my fingers crossed for the second option.

Ratings-5/10