'SILENCE' IS DECENTLY THRILLING; DON'T KEEP EXPECTATIONS HIGH

Silence... Can you hear it? Movie Review

A murder mystery entails risks. You start predicting, you enjoy some bit of it, while some of them just pass through. Silence...Can You Hear It? also has all of this. Thanks to Manoj Bajpayi for saying a yes to this one, or else you wouldn't have watched this one with interest.

PLOTWhen Pooja (Barkha Singh), daughter of retired Justice Chaudhary (Shishir Sharma) is found murdered under mysterious circumstances, ACP Avinash Verma (Manoj Bajpayi) is roped in to investigate the high profile case.

STORY/SCREENPLAY/GENERALThe story, screenplay, and dialogues are all penned by Deohans. The idea is decent. But it is a one liner idea. A story that holds merit for a 45min episode of a web series or for that matter, holds true for Crime Patrol. To add to it, the film constantly reminds you of The Family Man, because Manoj Bajpayi is made to behave in a similar fashion. Kudos to Bajpayi and only Bajpayi for keeping you hooked, for the major portion of the film. It is his genius that despite his mannerisms remind you of his avatar in The Family Man, he offers something new.

Now since the story is of a simple one liner nature, it doesn't carry that rush. You feel as if the police is in no rush to solve the case, although the dates and days as the text in the film remind you that the case was solved in a matter of only few days. The screenplay is slow and more appropriately lethargic. Things happen at their own pace and you definitely want them to rush. The film currently stands at 136mins and a tighter version may be 20mins shorter would have created the better feel.

The officers are all shown logical and there is nothing off there. But the Sherlock type persona of the chief investigating officer (told through sudden recollections) does take you away from the thrill. A lot of the parallel tracks also serve no purpose. They have been added only to make the narrative layered. There is a mention of two officers involved in some other case also, and while you do assume something fishy, nothing of that sort comes across.

However, it's not a bad film at all. There is a fair share of twisted turns to the events and all the while you are scratching your brains to guess who the killer is. Chances are you may guess and it may happen that it comes as a surprise. So in both ways, you are hooked to the story part but the snail paced screenplay mostly loosens the drama. There are portions where you get the rush and sometimes you just sit staring at the screen.

PERFORMANCESManoj Bajpayi is very good. This role however is below his caliber. But him being him, he makes you believe in him and makes you wait for him again and again.

Prachi Desai looks good in such a role. A no-nonsense character, she tells other makers that she is fit for this kind of a role as well. Sahil Vaid has his moments, throwing some humourous punches but also acting serious when it is needed. Waqar Sheikh has a persona of a powerful police officer, which works in his favour. He has lent able support

Arjun Mathur is very very good. All throughout the film, right from his first scene he carries a sense of suspicion towards him. It has come only through his fine sense of acting abilities. He is brilliant. In fact he is the only character in the film to have maximum shades. A nice display of all emotions.

Barkha Singh has a smaller role but she suits the part. She has a bubbly aura working well for the part. Shishir Sharma lends depth and meaning to the plot. It's a job well done by him.

OTHER TECHNICALITIESThe film doesn't have any songs. The score by Gaurav Godkhindi is satisfactory, but could be better. There are scenes which could be lifted by the usage of more relatable instrumentation or tunes.

Cinematography by Arvind Singh is good. The spaces are captured well, indoor and outdoor. It's a simple work on the camera and well, it didn't require to go overboard. Good job there. Production design by Anjana Rai is also good. Sufficiently engrosses you into the drama.The scheme of things are not dramatic hence the sets are real.

Editing by Sandeep Kumar Sethy could be so much better. The writing should have been done in accordance with the editing process, so that the film is crisper. It gets too long because of lack of sharpness in writing and editing.It's not a bad film. A casual one time entertainer. It won't waste your time. But don't expect too much.