''Murder 2'' is a 2011 Indian
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
-language
psychological thriller
Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting.
In terms of context and co ...
film and the second installment in the ''
Murder film series
''Murder'' is a series of Indian thriller films produced by Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt under the banner of Vishesh Films. The first film directed by Anurag Basu was released in 2004, second film by Mohit Suri was released in 2011, and thi ...
''. A quasi-sequel to the 2004 film, ''
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
'', it stars
Emraan Hashmi,
Jacqueline Fernandez
Jacqueline Fernandez (born 11 August 1985) is a Sri Lankan actress and model. She has worked in Indian films, predominantly in Hindi, besides appearing in reality shows and music videos. Debuting with ''Aladin'' in 2009 she has since then es ...
and
Prashant Narayanan
Prashant Narayanan is an Indian actor, known for his roles in films like ''Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II'', '' Shadows of Time'', '' Bombil and Beatrice'', ''Via Darjeeling'' and '' Murder 2''. He also worked in the telefilm ''Ek Tamanna''. His br ...
, and features
Sulagna Panigrahi as a debutant. Directed by
Mohit Suri and produced by
Mukesh Bhatt
Mukesh Bhatt (born 5 June 1952) is an Indian people, Indian film producer and actor who has produced several Bollywood films. He is the younger brother of Mahesh Bhatt, and also the co-owner of the production company Vishesh Films, set up in 19 ...
, the film released on 8 July 2011. The theatrical trailer of the film was revealed on 1 June 2011 and also in cinemas with ''
Ready
Ready may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Ready'', a 2002 British short starring Imelda Staunton
* Ready (2008 film), ''Ready'' (2008 film), a Telugu film
* Ready (2011 film), ''Ready'' (2011 film), a Hindi remake of the Telugu film
* Ready ( ...
''. It is one of the highest grossing Bollywood films of 2011. The film is alleged to be based on the 2008 South Korean film ''
The Chaser
The Chaser are an Australian satirical comedy group, best known for their television programmes and satirical news masthead. The group take their name from their satirical newspaper, a publication known to challenge conventions of taste. Th ...
'', though Bhatt denied this and said that it was inspired from the
2006 Nithari killings in
Noida
Noida, short for New Okhla Industrial Development Authority, is a planned city located in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Noida is a satellite city of Delhi and is a part of the National Capital Region (NCR) o ...
.
The film is remembered for its
erotic
Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, scul ...
scenes.
Plot
Arjun Bhagwat is a money-hungry ex cop involved in committing crimes. An
atheist
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
, he regularly visits the church to donate money to orphans. He has a sexual relationship with a model, Priya who harbors romantic feelings for Arjun, however he can only have a no-strings-attached relationship and nothing else.
Arjun makes a deal with a gangster and pimp, Sameer (Shekhar Shukla), to solve the mystery of the unexplained disappearance of his
prostitutes
Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...
. While investigating, Arjun finds a phone number linked to the missing girls. He tells Sameer to send a prostitute to that number. Sameer decides to send Reshma, a college newcomer in the business, who has chosen this work to feed her family, but keeps this a secret from them. Reshma is sent to the house of Dheeraj Pandey who is actually a
psychopathic
Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been ...
murderer responsible for torturing and killing the missing hookers. He decides to do the same with Reshma and throws her in a dark well, with the intention of torturing her till she dies.
Arjun discovers that Dheeraj is the murderer and informs the police. While Dheeraj is held in jail, the commissioner calls a psychiatrist to extract his confession. Dheeraj tells the doctor that he kills women because he thinks they take advantage of men. Dheeraj is eventually released under Nirmala Pandit's influence. Meanwhile, Reshma escapes from the well and tries to find her way out through the forest.
Arjun meets Dheeraj's family, and the family reveals that Dheeraj used to beat his wife. Up next, he meets a private dancer, Sonia, who was also tortured by Dheeraj but managed to escape. Arjun then meets an idol-maker who used to work with Dheeraj. The maker tells him that Dheeraj used to make idols of
devils
A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in many and various cultures and religious traditions.
Devil or Devils may also refer to:
* Satan
* Devil in Christianity
* Demon
* Folk devil
Art, entertainment, and media
Film an ...
instead of
deities
A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...
and killed the factory owner who tried to stop him. Inspector Sadaa (Sudhanshu Pandey) informs Arjun that Dheeraj is free, and the police try to track him down as quickly as possible. Nirmala and Dheeraj enter the same temple where Reshma is hiding. Nirmala and the priest, who had both been unaware of Dheeraj's true nature, are killed by Dheeraj, but not before the priest reveals that Reshma is also there. Dheeraj finds the terrified Reshma who urinates (out of fear) on seeing him. Dheeraj then brutally murders her, escaping just before Arjun and the cops arrive. Arjun finds Reshma's body and breaks down, feeling guilty and responsible for her death.
Dheeraj targets Priya next, whom he calls for a photoshoot and tries to torture, but Arjun saves her, engaging Dheeraj in a fight as police officers show up. They request Arjun not to kill Dheeraj. Dheeraj then plays the tape he recorded when he was torturing Reshma. Hearing Reshma's pleading cries, Arjun, tormented by her death and blaming himself for it, furiously stabs Dheeraj multiple times until being stopped by inspector Sadaa, but after witnessing the bestiality of Dheeraj in the form of Reshma's cries, Sadaa ultimately shoots him, ending his reign of terror once and for all. As the film ends, Arjun visits a church with Priya, implying that he had faith in
God
In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
and Priya's near-death has made him realize his love for her.
Cast
Production and filming
The film was shot in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
and
Goa
Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
. Earlier,
Bipasha Basu
Bipasha Basu Singh Grover (born 7 January 1979) is an Indian actress and former model. Primarily known for her work in Hindi films, she has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and English films. Basu is the recipient of numerous accolade ...
was offered the part of the leading lady, but she refused. Then
Mohit Suri offered the leading role to
Asin Thottumkal
Asin Thottumkal (born 26 October 1985), known mononymously as Asin, is a former Indian actress who appeared predominantly in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. She has received three Filmfare Awards. She beg ...
, who deemed the role of the female lead 'not powerful enough' and also declined the role. The part was then offered to
Jacqueline Fernandez
Jacqueline Fernandez (born 11 August 1985) is a Sri Lankan actress and model. She has worked in Indian films, predominantly in Hindi, besides appearing in reality shows and music videos. Debuting with ''Aladin'' in 2009 she has since then es ...
, though actress
Sonal Chauhan
Sonal Chauhan (born 16 May 1987) is an Indian actress, singer and model who predominantly works in Telugu and Hindi language films.
She made her acting debut with Hindi film '' Jannat'' and her Telugu film debut with ''Rainbow'', both in 200 ...
was also considered.
After declining the lead role, Basu was offered the item number "Aa Zara". When she declined again, the role was offered to
Yana Gupta
Yana Gupta (born Jana Synková; 23 April 1979) is a Czech model and actress who lives and works in India.
Early life
Gupta was born as Jana Synková in 1979 in Brno, South Moravian Region, Czech SR, Czechoslovak SR (now Czech Republic). ...
, who accepted.
The scene featuring the song "Haal-E-Dil" had to be partly re-shot in order to make it more suitable for use in television promos.
Yana Gupta's item number "Aa Zara" was not shown during television promos as it was deemed too violent for audiences under 18. Instead, an alternative music video for the song was shot with Jacqueline Fernandez and
Emraan Hashmi, which was aired on television and was used to promote the song. The original scene with Yana was still used in the film.
The DVD of the film was released on 1 August 2011.
Critical reception
''Murder 2'' received mixed to positive reviews from various critics of India.
Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh (born 13 June 1965) is an Indian film critic and trade analyst. He is best known for giving trade figures and box office updates on social media.
Career
Taran Adarsh started his journalism career at the age of 15 with ''Trade Gui ...
of
Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama (lit. "Bollywood Madness" in Hindi), previously known as IndiaFM (or IndiaFM.com), is a Bollywood entertainment website, owned by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, which acquired the website in 2000.
The website provides ...
gave it 4/5 stars and stated,"''Murder 2'' is one of the finest crime stories to come out of the Hindi film industry. Also, as a film, it lives up to the expectations that you may associate from a sequel of a smash hit." Nikhat Kazmi of
The Times Of India
''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
gave it 3.5/5 stars commenting, 'Murder 2 has enough to give the masses a mast time'. IANS gave it 3/5 stars.
Komal Nahta
Komal Nahta (born 30 April 1964) is an Indian film trade analyst. Nahta is the publisher of "Film Information" and also a television show host. He is an anchor of the trade show ETC Bollywood Business on the Bollywood TV channels ETC and Zee Cinem ...
of Koimoi rated ''Murder 2'' with 3/5 stars and said – " It doesn't have too much to offer in terms of entertainment as it is a dark film but its plus points are the abundant sex scenes and the good music. Its reasonable budget on the one hand, and wonderful recovery from sale of its satellite, music and worldwide theatrical rights on the other have ensured that the producers have made a handsome profit before release." Pankaj Sabnani of Glamsham gave it 3/5 stars, while writing that 'An intriguing plot supported by superb performances, make MURDER 2 a 'killer' film'. Daily Bhaskar also gave it 3/5 stars, stating that 'If Emraan plus Jacqueline under the name 'Murder 2' don't arise your interest enough, then the story will surely do the trick'.
Saibal Chatterjee of
NDTV
New Delhi Television Ltd is an Indian news media company focusing on broadcast and digital news publication. The company is considered to be a legacy brand that pioneered independent news broadcasting in India, and is credited for launching t ...
gave the movie 2.5/5 stars.
Raja Sen
Raja Sen (born 10 November 1955) is an Indian film and television director and the winner of three National Film Awards from Kolkata, West Bengal, India. He is the father of actress Rimi Sen.
Career
Raja Sen first received recognition with ''S ...
of
Rediff
Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City.
, it had more than 300 e ...
gave it 1.5/5 stars and wrote in his review – "''Murder 2'' is flat, boring and not worth talking about. Even Emraan, sporting less stubble than usual, seems baby-faced as he goes through the motions. It might be inspired by some obscure film, but I don't even care enough to look for its name. By now, I've come to accept that the Bhatts have a bigger DVD collection than me. I do wish they'd stop flaunting it, though." Sudhish Kamath of
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
said, "At best, Murder 2 is a show reel for the talented Prashant Narayanan, a men's room glossy featuring the saucy Jacqueline Fernandez and just another day on the job for serial kisser Emraan Hashmi."
Box office
The film opened with full houses across India with occupancy ranging from 70 to 100%, earning . The film grossed in its opening weekend. After the weekend, the film grossed on Monday, on Tuesday and on Wednesday. The film went on to gross in its first week, although collections were affected on 13–14 July due to the bomb blasts in Mumbai on 11 July 2011. ,
Box Office India
Box Office India is an Indian film website. Its traffic ranking in India is 83,665 . A new Box Office India website went live on 20 January 2014.
About
Box Office India was launched on 10 June 2003. Its uses Whois privacy to anonymize its owne ...
claimed that it was the 28th biggest opening week of all time. The movie dominated the single screens despite new releases and grossed in the second week despite limited multiplex release. ''Murder 2'' grossed approximately at the Indian box office. The all India distributor share stood at . Overall the movie collected a gross of 115
crore
A crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes ten million (10,000,000 or 107 in scientific notation) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local 2,2,3 style of digit group separators (one lakh is e ...
with a budget of 50
crore
A crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes ten million (10,000,000 or 107 in scientific notation) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local 2,2,3 style of digit group separators (one lakh is e ...
worldwide.
Soundtrack
Track list
The film's score was composed by
Raju Singh
Raju Singh (Full name: Rajinder Singh Panesar) is an Indian film score composer, session musician, singer and a guitarist. His first collaboration was with Malkit Singh of Hai Jamalo fame. Together with Adesh Srivastav they released an album c ...
, while the songs were composed by
Mithoon
Mithun Sharma (born 11 January 1985), also known as Mithoon, is an Indian Hindi film music director, lyricist-composer and singer.
Mithoon composed the Hindi song "Tum Hi Ho" from the 2013 Bollywood romantic film ''Aashiqui 2''. Mithoon recei ...
, Harshit Saxena and Sangeet-Sidharath. All songs became popular in 2011. Lyrics are penned by Mithoon, Kumaar and Sayeed Quadri. "''Haal E Dil''" and "''Phir Mohabbat''" declared chartbusters. Songs are as follows :
Reception
The album received positive reviews from critics. Joginder Tuteja from Bollywood Hungama gave the album a 3/5 stars saying that "''Murder 2'' turns out to be a good deal overall." Musicaloud gave the album 3.5/5 stars.
Awards and nominations
Sequel
After the success of the first two installments, the producers released a third film ''
Murder 3
''Murder 3'' is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language psychological thriller film. It is the third instalment in the ''Murder film series'' and sequel to the 2011 film, '' Murder 2''. Directed by Vishesh Bhatt and produced by Mukesh Bhatt from Vishesh ...
'', on 15 February 2013. The film, which was an official remake of Spanish film ''
The Hidden Face'', starred
Randeep Hooda
Randeep Hooda (; born 20 August 1976) is an Indian actor and Equestrianism, equestrian known for his work predominantly in Hindi cinema. Hooda made his Hindi film debut with ''Monsoon Wedding''. He had a turning point in his career with the ga ...
,
Aditi Rao Hydari
Aditi Rao Hydari is an Indian actress who works mainly in Hindi and Tamil film industry. She made her film debut with the Malayalam film '' Prajapathi'' in 2006. She went on to have major to minor supporting roles in several Hindi films, includ ...
and
Sara Loren
Sara Hussain ( ur, ), better known as Sara Loren, is a Pakistani actress and model mostly known for working in Bollywood, Hindi as well as Lollywood, Urdu movies and television. She is best known for played role as Barkhaa in 2015.
Early lif ...
in lead roles. However, unlike the earlier parts, it was a flop at the box office.
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
{{Murder series
2011 films
2010s Hindi-language films
2011 psychological thriller films
Cross-dressing in Indian films
Films scored by Sangeet Haldipur
Films scored by Siddharth Haldipur
Films scored by Mithoon
Films scored by Harshit Saxena
Indian remakes of South Korean films
2010s erotic thriller films
Indian sequel films
Indian slasher films
2010s psychological horror films
2011 action thriller films
Indian serial killer films
Indian action thriller films
Indian erotic thriller films
Indian psychological thriller films
T-Series (company) films
Films directed by Mohit Suri