Ittefaq - Doesn't Take a Poirot to Solve This One.

Ittefaq didn't run the risk of letting down its namesake - the 1969 thriller starring Rajesh Khanna, Nanda and Iftekhar, because it bravely tread into newer territory. While there are watery similarities between the two, the latter steered clear of its predecessor's plot line. 

Set against the glum rainy mis-en-scene of South Mumbai, the movie generously borrows its mystic. What sets the tone for this thriller is the rain stained car windows and the murky shot of the Asiatic Library - effortlessly bring about the sense of eerie; something not a lot of Hindi thrillers manage.  

The story has two perspectives, and one truth. Vikram Sethi (Sidharth Malhotra) is accused of two murders - one of his British wife, and the other of a lawyer. The plot thickens, when you realize that the murdered lawyer is Maya Sinha's (Sonakshi Sinha) husband. Solving this case is Inspector Dev Verma (Akshaye Khanna) - while marked with the quintessential eccentricities of a Bollywood Policeman, he lacks the usual (and sometimes unnecessary) aura of angst.

What follows is a trail of accusations, adultery, suspicion and some restrained acting. 

Director Abhay Chopra's thriller departs from the usual Hindi - thriller - narrative, because it actually has the audience sitting at the edge, nervously gnawing at their cuticles. While the plot isn't absolutely foolproof, it is a heroic effort - Should I give into Vikram's chiseled face crumbling in vulnerability or stick by the ethereal Maya - the cheating wife and the forlorn widow? Or do I follow Dev's shrewd eyes and trust no one? The struggle is delicious. 

Both Sinha and Malhotra have come a long way, from their Baar Baar Dekho and Dabangg days. Delivering credible performances, one can almost begin to hope for a better cinematic career for them. Khanna's astute portrayal of Dev Verma is treat to the eyes - crafted skillfully with just a hint of softness, Khanna leaves you craving for more. 

I find a good Hindi thriller, hard to come by. This is not to say that Ittefaq is the best whodunit this industry has produced - there are several irritants that puncture the narrative. Far from infallible, Ittefaq is still the closest we are to having an intelligent thriller.