If a movie bears the stamp of the Bhatt camp of Bollywood, you already know what to expect from it. Sex, adultery, murder, suspense, and all this interwoven with a drama of human emotions.
Twenty-four year old Mohit Suri, who has been groomed in the Bhatt camp, makes his directorial debut with Zeher, which is not a bad start, but just a clichéd one.
Why is it clichéd? Because the characters in the story written by Suri are so very similar to the ones we have seen in the past movies from the Bhatts. Only those characters are now put in a slightly different story.
The film tells the story of a couple on the verge of divorce. The female (a cop) aborts her child and the male (a cop too) can't forgive her for having done so.
One night, in a moment of weakness, the male indulges in adultery with another woman, a maiden in distress who is beaten by her husband and is on the brink of death because of cancer.
And then everything that can be expected happens until the fag end of the movie when the denouement strikes you like a bolt out of the blue.
Considering that it is Suri's first movie, it is a commendable effort, for he brings about the right execution of his story by unspooling it at a controlled pace and supporting it with visually appealing cinematography. Moreover, Suri has not made it a sex flick by keeping the portions of intimate scenes in limited (albeit no less titillating) dose.
The acting of an adulterer must now be coming very naturally to Emraan Hashmi, who has performed relatively well in this film, but it is Shamita Shetty who shows signs of a promising actress. She underplays herself at times and at other she brings the necessary intensity in her portrayal. Udita Goswami has a bland, expressionless face, but that doesn't bother much because she has a fine body.
All in all, Zeher is not bad for watching once if you have some time to kill. But if you are hard-pressed for time, and really want to see sensible stuff, 'My Brother Nikhil' is waiting next door.
Movie Review : Thrills and kills (1/10) If a movie bears the stamp of the Bhatt camp of Bollywood, you already know what to expect from it. Sex, adultery, murder, suspens...
Plan afoot for 'Raaz 3'!
'Jism 2' with new faces and hot bodies!
I have a life beyond a film career: Shamita Shetty
Shilpa Shetty to take younger sister under her wing