Maharathi - Tightly Held Thriller
Rating: 3.5/5
Cast: Om Puri, Naseerudin Shah, Paresh Rawal, Boman Irani, Neha Dhupia, Tara Sharma
Director: Shivam Nair
Subhash (Paresh Rawal) is a small time con artist who makes ends meet through petty thefts. But that’s till he comes face to face with Mr. Adenwalla (Naseruddin Shah). Subhash saves Adenwalla’s life when his car meets with an accident. He drops him back home but then strikes it rich as he realizes how affluent Adenwalla is. Soon enough Subhash is hired by the grateful Adenwalla as his driver. The wife Mallika Adenwalla (Neha Dhupia ) resents Subhash for his proximity to her husband and senses this man taking advantage of her husband.
Subhash now firmly ensconced in Adenwallas house and heart discovers his wife’s evil designs. On the other hand, Adenwalla, driven to the point of insanity by his money hungry wife decides to take the ultimate revenge. He puts his wife in a catch 22 situation by throwing down a challenge - prove the suicide I am about to commit into a murder and you can get the 24 crores due from my life insurance.
Subhash recognizes this as an opportunity to rid him-self of a life time of middle class mediocrity and poverty. He collaborates with Mallika to acquire all the money and property. The two of them help devise a plan that will make Adenwalla’s suicide look like a murder.
Subsequently several thrilling situations arise in their plan, ranging from false alibis, double-crossing, phony kidnappings to hidden agendas which wreck havoc all around. In comes ACP Gokhale (Om Puri) to help solve the murder and find the person behind Adenwalla’s death.
Will Subhash survive or will he take the fall for Adenwalla’s suicide? And who will take home the 24 crore rupees?
Naseruddin Shah has done a marvelous job in his small role. Paresh Rawal is simply brilliant as is Om Puri. You would expect nothing short of that from these three legends. But what’s nice to see is that Boman Irani stands up to all of them and makes his own space. Neha Dhupia on the other hand is just about tolerable. They could have taken someone else to play the money grabbing young wife. Tara Sharma takes her plain jane role a bit too far and her voice sounds like she’s been playing with helium balloons before each shot!
But having said that the film is face paced and director Shivam Nair deserves credit for it. He has turned a very popular play into what can become an equally popular movie. The script is tightly held and things move fast enough so that you don’t get bored. Just under two hours the film grabs all your attention and is therefore a must watch this weekend!
