Murder (2004 film)

{{Short description|2004 Indian erotic thriller film directed by Anurag Basu}}

{{about| the 2004 Indian film|the Alfred Hitchcock film|Murder!|other uses|Murder (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Murder

| image = Murder (2004).jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Anurag Basu

| producer = Mukesh Bhatt
Mahesh Bhatt

| writer = Screenplay:
Anurag Basu
Dialogues:
Subodh Chopra

| story = Claude Chabrol

| based_on = Unfaithful
(a 2002 American film)
The Unfaithful Wife
(a 1969 French film)

| starring = Emraan Hashmi
Ashmit Patel
Mallika Sherawat

| music = Songs:
Anu Malik
Amir Jamal
Background Score:
Raju Rao

| cinematography = Fuwad Khan

| editing = Akiv Ali

| studio = Vishesh Films

| distributor = Shemaroo Entertainment

| released = {{Film date|df=y|2004|04|02}}

| runtime = 130 minutes

| country = India

| language = Hindi

| budget = {{INR}} 50 million

| gross = {{INR}} 225 million

}}

Murder is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language erotic thriller film, directed by Anurag Basu and produced by Mukesh Bhatt. It is the first installment in the Murder film series. Based on the 2002 American film Unfaithful, which was itself inspired by the 1969 French film The Unfaithful Wife, it stars Emraan Hashmi, Ashmit Patel and Mallika Sherawat and is set in Bangkok, Thailand.{{cite news|title=From 'Jai Ho' to 'Raaz': 21st Century Bollyood Remakes of Hollywood Films|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.in/jai-ho-raaz-21st-century-bollywood-remakes-hollywood-films-606332/|access-date=9 August 2017|website=IB Times|date=8 August 2014}}

Murder was released on 2 April 2004 and, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, managed to become a highly successful venture at the box office, earning a "super hit" status from Box Office India.90 crore{{cite web|url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=210&catName=MjAwNA== |title=Box Office 2004|access-date=2013-03-16|work=Box Office India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231221959/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=210&catName=MjAwNA==|archive-date=31 December 2010}} The film was a huge breakthrough for its lead actors, particularly Hashmi and Sherawat. It received an A certificate from the Indian Censor Board for its erotic subject and scenes. The film was remade in Kannada as Ganda Hendathi (2006).

It had a cult following upon release and began a film series, which continued with Murder 2 in 2011 and Murder 3 in 2013.

Plot

Simran Sehgal (Mallika Sherawat) is a young woman married to Sudhir Sehgal (Ashmit Patel), a workaholic who was previously married to Simran's late elder sister, Sonia. Simran only married Sudhir in order to give motherly love to Sudhir and Sonia's son. She leads an unhappy, lonely and passionless married life. After accidentally meeting her former flame, Sunny Deva (Emraan Hashmi), she decides to engage in an affair with him. The affair starts to consume her life and Simran finds herself constantly lying to her husband and neglecting her motherly duties. After some time, she decides to end the relationship, but to her surprise, she finds that Sunny has also been simultaneously seeing another woman named Radhika. She regrets her act and tries to cut all ties with Sunny.

Meanwhile, Sudhir has started to have doubts about Simran, and hires a detective to trace Simran's whereabouts. The detective is able to provide Sudhir with pictures of Sunny and Simran having sex and sleeping together. He tells Sudhir that Sunny is a serial womanizer with many former girlfriends.

The next day, Sunny suddenly goes missing. The police come to Sudhir and Simran's house and inquire about him, on a report registered by his girlfriend Radhika (Surabhi Vanzara). Simran comes across the photographs of her and Sunny amongst Sudhir's things, and realizes that he may have something to do with Sunny's disappearance. Sudhir reveals that he went to Sunny's apartment to confront him about the affair, and the two men began to argue. The situation escalated, and Sudhir fatally beat Sunny and buried him in a panic. Realizing her fault and role in the situation, Simran supports Sudhir and takes the blame for killing Sunny. This develops and strengthens their love and faith in each other. Simran is arrested by the police and pleads guilty, while at the same time, Sudhir claims that it is he who killed Sunny, which confuses the police. Moreover, the body is missing from the burial spot.

In a sudden change of events, Sunny is shown to be alive. It is revealed that the entire situation, from initiating the affair to goading Sudhir into a fight was planned in advance by Sunny, with the help of Radhika. Sunny hoped to have Sudhir imprisoned so that he could continue his affair with Simran. Sunny isolates Simran and chases her into a jungle, where Sudhir arrives and the two begin to fight. Sudhir manages to beat him, and Sunny leaves as he sees the couple together, seemingly realizing their love for each other. However, Sunny then runs up behind Sudhir with a rake but is then shot in the back by a police officer, who arrives just in time. Finally safe, Sudhir and Simran reunite and take care of their son together.

Cast

Emraan Hashmi as Sunny Deva
Mallika Sherawat as Simran Sehgal
Raj Zutshi as Inspector Rajvir Singh
Saurabhi Vanzara as Radhika
Ashmit Patel as Sudhir Sehgal
Sheeba Chaddha as Nargis Mehmood, Simran's friend
Kashmera Shah as a Lounge singer, special appearance in item song "Dil Ko Hazaar"
Krish Chawla as Kabir Sehgal
Prantik shah as pratik
Indra roy as Raj
Riya roy as durga
Piya as piya
Raj roy Rohit

Reception

Murder received mixed reviews from film critics in India. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama rated it 3 out of 5 and called it an "engrossing entertainer".{{Cite web| title = Murder Review | work = Bollywood Hungama| access-date = 2016-04-12 |date=1 April 2004|first=Taran|last=Adarsh| url = http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/criticreview/id/201574| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120720002203/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/criticreview/id/201574| url-status = dead| archive-date = 20 July 2012}} Anupama Chopra in her review for India Today called Sherawat "the hero of the film" but criticized the screenplay.{{cite web|last1=Chopra|first1=Anupama|title=Derailed plot|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/film-review-murder-starring-mallika-sherawat-emraan-hashmi-ashmit-patel/1/197210.html|website=India Today|access-date=24 April 2016|date=19 April 2004}} At the box office, it opened well and grossed over {{INR}} 247.5 million. The film was elevated to "super hit" verdict by Box Office India after its second weekend. It was also the ninth highest-grossing film of the year 2004.

Soundtrack

The music was composed by Anu Malik. Lyrics were penned by Sayeed Quadri and Rahat Indori. According to the Indian trade website Box Office India, with around 22,00,000 units sold, this film's soundtrack album was the year's fourth highest-selling.{{cite web|title=Music Hits 2000–2009 (Figures in Units)|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=286&catName=MjAwMC0yMDA5|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215081557/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=286&catName=MjAwMC0yMDA5&PHPSESSID=108b9056cd4ca14236f9c6119d34dcce|archive-date=15 February 2008|publisher=Box Office India}} The song 'Jana Tere Pyaar' is not portrayed in the film.

=Track listing=

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Singer(s)

| extra_column2 = composer

| title1 = Bheege Hont Tere

| extra1 = Kunal Ganjawala

| lyrics1 = Sayeed Quadri

| length1 = 4:32

| title2 = Bheege Hont Tere

| extra2 = Instrumental

| lyrics2 =

| length2 = 4:30

| title3 = Dil Ko Hazar Bar

| extra3 = Alisha Chinoy

| lyrics3 = Rahat Indori

| length3 = 4:34

| title4 = Jaana Tere Pyar

| lyrics4 = Sayeed Quadri

| extra4 = Amir Jamal

| length4 = 4:22

| title5 = Kaho Na Kaho

| extra5 = Amir Jamal

| lyrics5 = Sayeed Quadri

| length5 = 5:08

| title6 = Kaho Na Kaho

| extra6 = Instrumental

| lyrics6 =

| length6 = 5:08

| title7 = Zindagi Iss Tarah

| extra7 = Sonu Nigam

| lyrics7 = Sayeed Quadri

| length7 = 5:37

| title8 = Zindagi Iss Tarah

| extra8 = Anuradha Paudwal

| total_length = 39:28

| lyrics8 = Sayeed Quadri

| length8 = 5:37

}}

Awards

; 50th Filmfare Awards:

Won

Best Male Playback Singer – Kunal Ganjawala for "Bheege Hont Tere"

Nominated

Best Music Director – Anu Malik

Controversies

The song "Jaana Tere Pyaar" is a reported copy of the Bengali song "Firiye Dao" by Miles, a pop band from Bangladesh. Miles later sued the filmmakers, which resulted in the song being removed from the film's original soundtrack. The Bangladeshi band also sought compensation for 'hurting its business interests'. However, due to challenges in terms of uncertainty about the outcome, lack of information and lack of initiative from the relevant authorities on either side, compensation has not ({{as of|2005|lc=y}}) been yet awarded.{{cite book|author1=Abul Kalam Azad|title=Managing the Challenges of WTO Participation|date=15 December 2005|publisher=Cambridge University Press|page=53|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KWOGfYYI2BQC&q=murder+miles+firiye+dao+copy&pg=PA53|access-date=12 April 2016|isbn=9781139449007}}{{Cite web| title = Band cries Murder over tune lift| work = The Telegraph — Calcutta| date = 20 May 2004| access-date = 2016-04-12| url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040520/asp/calcutta/story_3268390.asp| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040616171815/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040520/asp/calcutta/story_3268390.asp| url-status = dead| archive-date = 16 June 2004}}{{failed verification|date= August 2017}}

Although the filmmakers denied all the accusations and said that they have bought the copyrights of the songs "Kaho Na Kaho" and "Jana Tere Pyaar" from Pakistani singer Amir Jamal whose album titled Kaho Na Kaho - A Fusion of Arabic and Urdu was released in 2002, Amir Jamal took permission from Egyptian singer Amr Diab, to use a section of his Arabic song "Tamally Maak"'s lyrics to be reused in the "Kaho Na Kaho" song.{{cite news|title=Jeddah's Amir Jamal makes waves in Bollywood|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/268966|access-date=10 August 2017|website=Arab News|date=24 June 2005}}

Remake and sequels

The film was remade into Kannada as Ganda Hendathi in 2006.

A sequel titled Murder 2 was released on 8 July 2011 with Emraan Hashmi and Jacqueline Fernandez in the lead roles, which was loosely based on

the 2008 Korean film The Chaser as well as the Nithari serial killings of 2006. Commercially, the sequel surpassed the collections of Murder, becoming a blockbuster.{{cite web|title=Huge July With Surprise MURDER 2 Topping|url=http://boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3279&nCat=box_office_news|work=Box Office India|access-date=2013-03-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020041216/http://boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3279&nCat=box_office_news|archive-date=20 October 2013|url-status=dead}} After the success of the first two installments, the producers released a third installment, Murder 3,{{cite web |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Murder-3-next-year/Article1-720518.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713230554/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Murder-3-next-year/Article1-720518.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 July 2011|title=Murder 3 next year|work=Hindustan Times|date=15 July 2011|access-date=12 August 2011}} on 15 February 2013. The film, which was an official remake of the Spanish film The Hidden Face,{{cite web|title=Murder 3 is a remake of Spanish film|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Murder-3-is-a-remake-of-Spanish-film/Article1-990140.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116054854/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Murder-3-is-a-remake-of-Spanish-film/Article1-990140.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 January 2013|work=Hindustan Times|access-date=2013-03-16}} starred Randeep Hooda, Aditi Rao Hydari and Sara Loren in the lead roles. However, unlike the earlier parts, it was an average performer at the box office.{{cite web|last=Adarsh|first=Taran|title=Top 5: 'Murder 3' recovers cost, in profit zone!|url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/box-office/top5-hindi-movies/id/941/date/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020094341/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/box-office/top5-hindi-movies/id/941/date/|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 October 2013|date=22 February 2013|website=Bollywood Hungama|access-date=19 October 2013}} A fourth film is in development with Hashmi returning, after not appearing in the third film.{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-murder-4-will-happen-for-sure-emraan-hashmi-2211988|title=Emraan Hashmi confirms that 'Murder 4' is in the pipeline|date=13 May 2016|work=Daily News and Analysis|agency=Press Trust of India|access-date=22 May 2016}}