THE MYSTERY OF THREE QUARTERS

World’s most beloved detective is back. After the success of her first two Poirot novels The Monogram Murders (2014) & Closed Casket (2016) Sophie Hannah is back with her third novel in the series, The Mystery of Three Quarters.

Returning home after lunch Hercule Poirot is accosted outside his home by an angry middle aged woman Sylvia Rule. She accuses Poirot of writing a letter to her accusing her of the murder of Barnabas Pandy, of whom she has never even heard of. Soon he is confronted by three other persons John McCrodden, Miss Annabel Treadway & Hugo Dockerill each claiming to have received a letter from Poirot accusing them of the murder of Barnabas Pandy.

Barnabas Pandy turns out to be the 96 year old grandfather of Miss Annabel Treadway who had accidentally drowned in his bath three months ago. Poirot compares the case to the Church Window Cake prepared by Euphemia Spring, the young waitress at Pleasant’s Coffee House. Each slice of the cake is comprised of four sqaures. Likewise the case seem to have four suspects. When, Poirot starts investigating he is able to establish the connection of only three of the accused to the late Mr Pandy. John McCrodden seems to the only one who has apparently no connection with the case. Hence the name of the novel The Mystery of Three Quarters.

 Was the death of Barnabas Pandy a accident or was it deliberate murder? Who has sent those letters impersonating Poirot and what is his/her motive? Is a murderer on the loose? Will Poirot be able to answer the questions before someone else is hurt? The mystery deepens and family secrets start tumbling out of the closet as Poirot starts digging deeper.

       Here we find the Poirot we have come to know and love from Agatha Christie’s books. His mannerisms, his obsession for neatness, order & method, his love for his mustaches, his use of foreign words and expressions are all there. His eyes turn green when he has hit upon the solution. But instead of Arthur Hastings here we have Inspector Edward Catchpool of the Scotland Yard as Poirot’s sidekick. The story is presented through the eyes of Inspector Catchpool. Sophie weaves a web which is worthy of Agatha Christie in its scope, conception and execution. The Mystery of Three Quarters, is a delight for Poirot fans.  Thanks to Sophie Hannah we are able to enjoy the exploits of the Belgian detective after four decades of his final exit in Curtain which came out in 1975. Eagerly waiting for the next instalment of the series to come up.

SOPHIE HANNAH

22 SHEY SHRABAN

22 Shey Shraban is a 2011 Bengali psychological thriller written & directed by Srijit Mukherjee starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Parambrata Chatterjee, Raima Sen, Abir Chatterjee and actor/director Gautam Ghosh who makes a comeback after a hiatus of 29 years. The movie is based on the Stoneman murders which took place from 1985 to 1989 in Bombay and subsequently in Calcutta in 1989. It is suspected that the murders were the handiwork of a single serial killer who used to crush the skull of the homeless people with a single piece of heavy stone. More than 20 murders have been attributed to the Stoneman. These cases still remain unsolved.

The story is set in modern day Kolkata of 2010. 4 murders have been committed by a serial killer over the past 8 months. All the victims belong to the lowest strata of society, a madman, a prostitute, a gravedigger and a goon. The only thing connecting these crimes is that beside the bodies are found a piece of paper quoting verses from various bengali poets from Sukumar Ray to Jibananada Das. The Kolkata police are all at sea. The investigating officer Abhijit Pakrashi (Parambrata) is directed to rope in the services of Prabir Roy Chowdhury (Prosenjit) an ex IPS officer who in the past has worked on four such cases of serial killings. Prabir is a disturbed soul who is tormented by a tortured past. He has been dishonourably discharged form duty due to his extreme hatred for criminals resulting in encounters and custodial deaths. He is now a drunkard, extremely ill tempered and foul mouthed who can hardly complete a sentence without the profound use of expletives. Meanwhile a fifth murder takes place and thus begins a cat and mouse game between the serial killer on one hand and the two sleuths Abhijit and Prabir Roy Chowdhury on the other.

There is another parallel track involving the love triangle between Abhijit, his girlfriend Amrita Mukherjee (Raima Sen), and her best friend Surjo Sinha (Abir Chaterjee). Abhijit and Amrita have broken up many times during the past year. Amrita’s best friend Surjo who is in love with her is always beside her when needed. They are both professional journalists and work for the same news channel. The news channel is planning a 13 part series on serial killers with the 13th episode being a live interview with a serial kiiller. Amrita and Surjo’s investigation leads them to Nibaron Chakraborty (Goutam Ghose) who  has spent jail time with a notorious serial killer Rafiq Ahmed. Nibaron is a would be poet who claims to be the last surviving relic of the anti  establishment Hungry Movement in literature which rocked Bengal during the  1960s. He is desperate to publish his poetry and claims that there will be consequences if the establishment tries to silence his pen. He is a frenzied madman who roams the streets during night carrying his bag of poetry. For Abhijit and Prabir he seems to perfectly fit the profile of the serial killer and they start tracking him. But there is more than meets the eye.

What elevates the movie is the performance of its lead actors. Prosenjit (Bumba da, as he is being affectionately called by his fans) delivers a stellar performance. He is one of the finest actors of his generation not only in Bengal but the whole of India. Though he has played some minor roles like the one in Shanghai, its time that Bollywood wakes up and utilises his potentential to the full. Parambrata is a very underrated actor. Goutam Ghose excels as the anti establishment eccentric poet. Raima and Abir play their parts well.

The lead pair of Prosenjit and Parambrata share a terrific chemistry. Sparks fly every time they meet. Much of the finest dialogues of the movie occurs when they interact. Abhijit (Parambrata) arrives twelve minutes late when he meets Prabir (Prosenjit) for the first time:

Prabir : You’re late.

Abhijit : I just missed the lane.

Prabir : You’re late by 12 minutes.. In the last 12 minutes light has travelled the earth one and a half times, the little hummingbird has flapped it’s wings 72,000 times, according to reports there have been eight rape cases in India in the last 12 minutes, and you just missed the lane Abhijit.

Then again,

Prabir : Do you drink whiskey?

Abhijit : No.

Prabir : Bournvita ???

When Abhijit addresses Prabir as Prabir Babu, he retorts

Prabir : Sir

Abhijit : Sorry

Prabir : Address me as Sir. I don’t run grocery store here.

Dialogues like these abound, and the dark humour adds to the overall gloomy atmosphere of the movie .

The music of the movie is composed by Anupam Roy and it is one of his finest till date. The track “Je kota din “ brings out the intimacy, the physical aspect of the relationship between the two lovers Abhijit and Amrita.  “Ekbar Bol “ brings out the loneliness and pain in the lives of Abhijit and Prabir.The tracks “Ei Srabon“ and “Gobhire Jao“ brings out the central theme of the movie. Though the love triangle and the songs slow down the pace of the movie and adds to its length (run time of 140 minutes), but they are organically integrated into the scheme of the movie and do not look out of place.

Director Srijit Mukherjee has drawn inspiration from a number of sources. Influence of movies like 2008 thriller Righteous Kill and Agatha Christie’s novel The ABC Murders can be discerned. But like Shakespeare the director has turned the borrowed materials into pure gold dust. As a psychologial thriller 22 Shey Shraban is unparalled in Indian cinema. Only other movie which comes to mind is Sujoy Ghosh’s 2012 thriller Kahaani. If you can overcome the language barrier then 22 Shey Shraban is worth your every penny. It is the best that Indian cinema has to offer.

P.S.- 22 Shey Shraban means the 22^nd day of the bengali month of Shraban. It marks the death anniversary of Kabi Guru Rabindranath Tagore, the greatest poet of the land. The movie pays a tribute to the rich literary culture of Bengal and like the verses the killer leaves beside the bodies the movie feels like poetry in motion.

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW - A.J. FINN

“The Woman in the Window is one of those rare books that really is unputdownable. “ - Stephen King

There is a lot of buzz around A.J.Finn’s (pseudonym for Daniel Mallory) debut novel The Woman in the Window. So I ordered my copy from Amazon. It arrived promptly and I began reading. With the turning of each page I got immersed deeper and deeper into the world of Anna, the principal character of the novel. The pages kept turning themselves. Everything else, my family, my job took a backseat until I reached the chilling climax of the book.

The book starts slowly by building the picture of a middle aged woman Anna Fox tormented by her past memories. Anna  is living alone in her home in New York. Her husband and daughter has left her. She suffers from agoraphobia. She is seeking psychiatric help and is on medication. She has also developed a drinking problem due to her loneliness. It has been ten months since she last stepped out of her home. Her principal pastime is sitting by her window, watching and capturing her neighbours through her Nikon camera.

One day she notices the Russells, a family of three moving into the house opposite her. She sees a reflection of her own family in the Russells and becomes obsessed with them. She keeps peeking into their lives through her window. She develops a friendship with the Russell boy and his mother. Everything seems to working out fine when one night Anna sees a murder being committed in the Russell household through her window. The Police arrive but find everything in order. So what did Anna witness? Was it real or a hallucination? A result of her medicines and her alcoholism? In this world nothing is what it seems.

The novel feels like a Hitchcockian drama unfurling itself on the big screen. The writer starts slowly, building up the character and the world of its central character, investing it with a dreamlike quality. Gradually the writer builds up a claustrophobic atmosphere against which the drama of deceit and illusion is to be played out. Through flashbacks the writer brings out the nature of the extreme pain felt by Anna. The narrative picks up momentum once the Russells arrive. From this point onwards the narrative races on until it reaches its shocking final revelation. The story is full of twists and turns which keeps the reader transfixed till the end.

A.J. FINN

The Woman in the Window is one of the best mystery/thriller novels to come out in 2018. No wonder Fox Studios have bought the rights to the novel. Grab your copy of the novel before it hits the big screen.

GHOUL - NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES

Ghoul is a Netflix Original mini series directed by Patrick Graham. It is the first horror venture of Netflix in India after its successful Sacred Games & Lust stories. It consists of three episodes of around 45 mins each and is available in Hindi (original language), English, Tamil and Telugu.

The series is set in a future dystopian world reeling under military rule. Sectarian violence is rampant. Minorities are looked down upon. Free thinking is curbed. Books, even nursery rhymes and children literature are banned. Everything is taught according to the ‘syllabus’ prescribed by the government. Anyone who does not conform is branded as anti-nationalist and terrorist. They are captured and reconditioned to be ideal citizens and are killed if they do not conform to the system.

Nadia Rahim (Radhika Apte), a trainee at the National Protection Squad Academy specializing in advanced interrogation, is a product of the system. She aides in the capture of her father, a professor and one of the intellectuals who opposes the atrocities of the state. He is promptly branded a terrorist and sent for reconditioning. The ensuing investigation leads to surfacing of some secrets essential to national security and Nadia is stepped out of her training and sent to Advanced Interrogation Centre Meghdoot 31 under the command of Lt Col Sunil Dacunha (Manav Kaul) to aid in the investigation. There she is looked at with suspicion by fellow officers. Meanwhile a prisoner Ali Saeed (Mahesh Balraj) arrives at the centre. Saeed is the leader of the ‘terrorists ‘and hence a high priority subject. The officers start the interrogation of Saeed unaware that what they have brought with them is much more than human. Slowly it starts feeding on their fears and insecurities. In the final act there is much gore and blood fest as secrets come tumbling one after the other out of the closet.

Ghoul works at more than one level. It is powered by the terrific performance of its cast and crew. After her performances in the Sacred Games and Lust Stories Radhika Apte once again delivers a brilliant performance as the multi layered Nadia Rahim. The cinematography and the background score adds to the bleakness, the claustrophobia, the horror of the scene. There are enough jump scares to keep the audience on tenterhooks. But what works most is its multi layered narrative. It is much more than a ‘Ghost Story ‘. It is commentary on the insecurities, the fear of the minorities, the lies told, the atrocities committed under a Fascist regime and the eventual reaction, the revolution. The Ghoul is the Fascist regime preying on the minds of the people, devouring them and leaving a trail of destruction and bloodshed in its wake.

For the millennials who have been raised with a liberal dose of Aahat and Zee Horror Show, Ghoul is a refreshing change. Kudos to Netflix for bringing horror television in India up to the international standards.

MORIARTY - BY ANTHONY HOROWITZ

Moriarty is second book in the series of pastiches written by Anthony Horowitz who has been authorized by Conan Doyle’s estate to carry forward the legacy of the phenomenon that is Sherlock Holmes. The first book The House of Silk which came out in 2011 brilliantly captures the essence of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s works and presents to us a sombre, dark and gloomy picture of the Victorian London. Moriarty the second book in the series is bolder in its scope and treatment.

Moriarty is essentially a Holmes novel but lacks its two central characters - Sherlock Holmes and John H. Watson. Their places have been taken by Inspector Athelney Jones of Scotland Yard (who is first intoduced in Doyle’s The Sign of Four), and Frederick Chase, an agent of American detective agency Pinkerton. The story fills the void between 1891 after Holmes’s disappearance in The Final Problem and his reappearance in 1894 in The Adventure of the Empty House, the period commonly known as the Great Hiatus.

The events of the novel takes place in 1891 after the episode of the Reichenbach Falls as described in The Final Problem. Both Holmes and his arch enemy Moriarty are supposedly dead after falling from the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland while fighting each other. A dead corpse resembling Moriarty is fished out of the Reichenbach Brook. Inspector Athelney Jones who is investigating the matter meets Frederick Chase and together they start investigating.  From Chase Jones learns of the existence of a master criminal from America named Clarence Devereux who is ready to take over the underworld of London after Moriarty’s death. What follows is a series of gruesome murders and much blood is spilled on the streets of London.

Moriarty has all the elements of a Holmes novel. Macabre scenes of murder, disguises, honest thieves and red herrings are there in abundance. Athelney Jones is an admirer of Holmes. He has studied Holmes’s works and has modelled his investigating techniques on the techniques employed by the great detective. But he is no Sherlock Holmes. Frederick Chase here plays the part of Dr. Watson. Much of the interest in Holmes’s stories is generated by the relation between Holmes and Watson. The chemistry between Jones and Chase does not quite match up to that between Holmes and Watson. Like The House of Silk Horowitz here exposes the dark underbelly of the Victorian London. The atmosphere here is darker and the murders more gory but the story never quite reaches the heights attained by the The House Of Silk which is a more polished work of art. The final twist which though unexpected has no novelty about it. Overall it is a good novel and is recommended for the Holmes aficionados.

P.S - The short story The Three Monarchs which is attached to the end of the novel is more in the Sherlockian mould and is a delight for the fans of the Holmes.

DEEP RED (PROFONDO ROSSO)

Deep Red (Profondo Rosso) is a 1975 Italian film directed by Dario Argento. The movie is a perfect specimen of the thriller/horror genre which developed in the mid 60s and 70s Italy known as the ‘Giallo’. Argento is one of the best exponents of this genre and here we find the Italian master craftsman at the height of his powers.

                The tone of the movie is set in the opening credits itself when we witness a horrific murder scene in silhouette with a lullaby playing in the background. Years later a psychic Helga Ulmann holds a lecture in an auditorium where she senses that a murderer is present in the audience. But before she could identify the murderer, the killer slips away. Later that night the killer returns to her flat and attacks her with a butcher knife. The murder is witnessed by a pianist Marcus Daly (David Hemmings). He rushes to the rescue of Ulmann but the killer has already left after butchering her.  Later while recording his statement to the police Marcus finds something missing from the hallway of the deceased which is decorated with various paintings. He could not quite put his finger to what is amiss and asks the police inspector if they have removed some painting from the hallway. The policeman denies any such act but still some uneasiness remains in the mind of Marcus. Later when he discusses the case with his drunkard friend Carlo, the latter suggests that it may be something important. Meanwhile a journalist Gianna Brezzi (Daria Nicolodi) snaps a picture of Marcus and publishes it in the newspaper describing Marcus as eyewitness to the murder. Bodies pile up as the killer comes back for Marcus. Marcus and Gianna form a partnership and start investigating the murders. Their investigations leads them to a haunted house with a dark past. The final solution and the way it is arrived at is brilliant and reminds one of the ingenious endings of the Agatha Christie novels.

               

From the first scene itself the director captures the attention of the audience and he maintains that grip till the last scene is enacted. The body count is substantial and the murder scenes are bloody and horrific. The puppet scene, the drowning in hot water, the final death of the murderer are horrific. What adds to the horror is the haunting background music by Italian band Goblin and Giorgio Gaslini. The track ‘School at Night’ with which the movie opens is in the form of a child’s lullaby which is both soothing and chilling at the same time. It gives us the goosebumps each time the murderer plays it before killing someone. Some relief is provided by the light hearted banter between Marcus (Hemmings) and Gianna (Nicolodi). (The original Italian version of the film is about two hours, but the US version is about twenty minutes short as most of the scenes between Hemmings and Nicolodi were removed at the time of US release.)

                The movie  has withstood the test of time. Even after forty years of its release it still enthralls the audiences. It keeps them guessing about the identity of the murderer and when the final piece to the puzzle is provided it leaves them dumbfounded. This is a must watch for the lovers of murder mystery.

PARI :NOT A FAIRYTALE - MOVIE REVIEW

Release Date :        02 Mar 2018 (India)

Run Time       :        134 minutes

Language      :         Hindi

Directed by    :         Prosit Roy

Cast               :        Anushka Sharma

                                Parambrata Chaterjee

                                Rajat Kapoor
                                         Ritabhari Chakraborty   

Budget          :         18 crore

Box Office     :        40 crore

                 There is a dearth of good horror movies in Bollywood. The last really scary movie I can remember is the 1992 horror flick Raat by Ram Gopal Verma. True, there have been a few good ones here & there like Bhoot & Vaastu Shastra but nothing else much worth remembering. So, when Pari came out in 2018 with Anushka Sharma as its leading lady, we had high hopes for the film. But does the movie live up to its hype? Let’s find out.

                The plot of the movie is set into motion when the car in which Arnab (Parambrata) is travelling accidently hits a woman killing her. This leads to the discovery of  Rukshana (Anushka), a woman who is chained in a cottage in the woods & who evidently has had little contact with civilization. With nowhere to go & people lead by the mysterious Professor Quasim Ali (Rajat Kapoor) chasing her she takes refuge in the house of Arnab. What follows is a beautiful love story between the shy Arnab & the naïve Rukshana. But all is not what it seems to be. Slowly but surely the mystery surrounding Rukshana begins to unfold & we are taken to the world of Djinns & mysterious cults  & learn about Ifrit & the satanic  cult in Bangladesh called Auladchakra & of the deadly secret involving Rukshana.

                The problem with the movie is it’s length. With a run time of 2hr15min the movie feels at least half an hour too long. A lot of time is taken in setting up the story & unravelling the plot. There are enough gut wrenching & stomach churning scenes in the movie like the scenes involving forced childbirth & killing of the new borns, the killing of the dog, the morgue scene, & the director employs such classic techniques such as killing a man by rotating his head 180 degrees. But such scenes are scattered far apart in the movie & as a result the plot loses it’s grip on the audience.

                The movie is set in Kolkata. The suspense in the movie is mainly atmospheric, and what adds to this is its setting.  We have seen the joyous side of the city in movies like Piku, but here we are also shown the dark side of the city. The city with it’s narrow lanes & by-lanes, with it’s decrepit buildings not only adds to the atmosphere but here it becomes a central character. On the one hand we see love blooming in the open spaces of Maidan, on the other we see the horror in it’s claustrophobic lanes. DOP Jishnu Bhattacharjee has beautifully captured both sides of the city.

                Another saving grace of the movie is the performance of it’s lead actors. After NH 10  Anushka delivers another chilling performance. She is magnificent both as the vulnerable & frightened girl Rukshana and as her horrific counterpart. Parambrata delivers a subdued performance as the shy & introvert Arnab. Ritabhari who plays the part of Arnab’s fiancée also looks charming enough. Rajat Kapoor looks menacing as the Professor with one glass eye.

                The movie falls short of our expectations and does not quite fill the void in the horror genre in Bollywood. But it has a beautiful and unusual love story between it’s main protagonists. You can enjoy it as a supernatural love story. The movie asks the question – who is the real Monster and the answer is quite unsettling.