Zeher Hindi Movie
The Bhatts are at it again, doing what they do best—making a small budget film with slick promos, a slick name, plenty of skin and sin. Zeher, written and directed by debutante Mohit Suri, is yet another venture from the house of Mahesh Bhatt, after Jism, Paap, Murder and Rog. One thing is for sure when you go to watch a film made by them—these films are technically good, the stories are fresh and lucid, screenplay is excellent, and though they may newer win an Oscar or the National award for that matter, their films are intelligent, and complete value for money.
Zeher—A Love Story is 14 reels of pure adrenaline, from the opening sequence of police officer Siddharth Mehra, (Emraan Hashmi) making a drug bust on one of Goa’s lovely beaches, right up to the very last shot. Siddharth, we’re told through a series of flashbacks, is estranged from his wife and fellow police officer, Sonia (Shamitha Shetty), as the two of them can’t see eye to eye, and their relationship is plagued with domestic squabbles and ego hassles. Enter Anna (Udita Goswami), who after an accidental meeting with Siddharth, invites him to her house, in the absence of her garrulous, tormenting, criminal, and wife- beating husband Shaun (Sameer Kocchar), and proceeds to seduce him. Siddharth succumbs, and is hooked. Anna has her own set of medical problems, and Siddharth is forced to pilfer money from the drug bust for her rather expensive medical treatment. Shaun and Anna’s house is burnt down, and both are presumed dead. Since the case is one of suspected terrorism, enter special officer Sonia, and Siddharth is in very deep trouble.
The film moves at a rapid phase, as crisis after crisis hits Siddharth, who has to keep one step ahead of his estranged wife, who is investigating the murder. The entire story is about Siddharth tries to keep his head above the water, barely managing to do so. His friend and co-worker James (Ninad Kamath), is an unwilling ally, in trying to save him. With edge of the seat suspense, and a nail biting pace, the film reminds you of some of the thrillers written by James Hadley Chase, where the moral of the stories is invariably that ‘Crime Never Pays”.
Performance wise, both Emraan Hashmi are Shamita Shetty are first rate. Udita is competent, and manages to look and act the seductress that she portrays. But one of best performances in the film belongs to Ninad Kamath, whose sense of humor and timing injects some fun and relief, into an otherwise tightly woven plot. The story, screenplay and editing are also superior to most other films that one sees nowadays. Music, credited to RoopKumar Rathod, is passable. All in all, a good intelligent, taut thriller, which will hold the connoisseur, and at the same time, has enough skin show to keep the frontbenchers happy, as well.
