Macabre Noir: Discover the Darkness

Bollywood is one of the largest film industries in the world, routinely producing films of various genres. Although mostly dominated by cliche commercial films i.e.: those with intense action, romance and comedy, other parallel genres have also found a suitable place. On the occasion of Friday the 13^th, BollyCurry looks at one such particular niche titled Macabre Noir. These films are dark, sinister, and unpredictable, their base often surrounding themes of crime and revenge. Sit back while we take you through the eccentric feature.

Mahal (1969) is a tale of three men who attempt to steal a dying old man's fortune, especially his lavish mansion. However, since they are unable to go at it directly, they employ Rajesh (Dev Anand), a poor man who needs money to get his sister married. He accepts their money and agrees to pose as the nephew of the old man who is ill and bedridden. But as the days pass and Rajesh continues to act as his nephew, he gets more and more tangled in the web of lies. Unfortunately before he can know of anything, he gets framed for being a fraud and is sent to prison. As the climax nears, things get confusing and suddenly no one can be trusted. Full of mystery and suspense, it is the perfect start to your Friday the 13^th movie night.

There is nothing haseen about Ek Hasina Thi (2004), which tells the tale of a girl who gets framed and now wants revenge. Sarika (Urmila Matondkar) is the girlfriend of a rich and suave businessman, Karan (Saif Ali Khan). Sarika's possessive boyfriend involves and frames her of illegal possession of firearms. Despite tries and cries, Sarika is sentenced to 7 years in prison, where she finds out that her boyfriend is tied to the underworld, and how he used her to escape the police. The jail experience changes Sarika completely. With the help of an elderly inmate, the now hardened Sarika escapes prison, and seeks her ex-boyfriend. She eventually traces him down, and learns that he has stronger connections to the underworld. Sarika looks for and kills people around him, so that he can get the blame. One day, she manages to take him to a secluded place and kills him brutally. The movie starts on a light note, but as it progresses, it gets darker and darker. In addition, the climax sends chills down your spine. This tale of a wronged woman ought to catch your interest.

Ishqiya (2010) is a dark comedy of a local gang lord's wife. The wife Krishna played by Vidya Balan is tired of her husband's occupation, and asks him to quit. He reluctantly agrees, but before he can do so he dies in a gas explosion. Shortly after, Krishna is visited by two men, who come to seek refuge from a mafia. She lets them stay at her house, with a plan in her mind. The two visitors Khalujan (Naseeruddin Shah) and Babban (Arshad Warsi), both fall for the widowed Krishna. Taking advantage of this, Krishna seduces both men, trying to achieve her goal of tracing and killing her husband, who is supposedly alive. During the climax, it is revealed that Krishna's husband, Verma (Adil Hussein) is alive doing his business with his partner and only faked death to his wife. Krishna, along with the two criminals, trace Verma down and Krishna kills him using actual gas explosives. The film has two interesting elements; comedy and suspense. The dark underworld and all the suspense, manage to keep you on the edge of your seat. You ought to add it to your movie list.

Priyanka Chopra's critically acclaimed flick 7 Khoon Maaf (2011) is yet another classic in the macabre noir genre. It tells the story of Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes, who longs for love due to the early demise of her mother. Susanna first marries an army major named Edvin Rodriques (John Abraham), who is a possessive, jealous and a very overbearing husband. He dies on a panther-hunting trip; all thanks to Susanna, of course. Subsequently, she marries and kills one by one singer Jimmy Stetson, who starts fooling around after becoming famous; Wasiullah Khan (Irffan Khan), a loving poet by day and sadist by night; a Russian spy named Nicolai; a police officer who shielded her from murder charges; and a Bengali doctor (Nasseruddin Shah), who marries her to inherit her valuables. Once she finds out, she plays a game of Russian roulette and shoots him. Her seventh husband is someone who knows all her sins and thoughts, and she finds in him a loving, forgiving and honest man. She dies becoming a nun, finally finding the love she had been craving for since her childhood. This breathtaking film is dark and sinister, but it still manages to end on a relatively pleasant note. Be sure to catch this unique tale.

The most recent Macabre Noir addition is the latest release, Badlapur (2015). The film is about a loving family, Raghu (Varun Dhawan), his wife Misha (Yami Gautam) and their young child. Raghu's wife and son are out shopping one day and become unfortunate victims of a crime when two robbers, Liak (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and Harman (Vinay Pathak) take their car to escape after a bank robbery. In the process, Raghu's son falls out of the car trying to escape and Misha is shot. Broken, Raghu sets out to take revenge, but this has to wait 20 years for it since Liak is in prison after being caught stealing. Eventually Liak is released and Raghu returns to take revenge. Laik tells the police that he killed his own partner and his wife, taking the blame for Raghu. Alas Raghu is given a second chance to come clean and live his life, sans any kind of darkness. Complete with outstanding performances by the cast, this one is a must watch.

Writer: Fatima W.
Editors: Tanisha N. and Sonia R.
Graphics: Saraa K.