Manorama Six Feet Under is a thriller/mystery film in which an author puts on his detective hat to solve a local crime. The premise, at first glance, might seem pretty normal, but the script itself is actually pretty great. The ending is a doozy as well. However, the major issue I had with this film was its pacing, and here’s why.
A “TL;DR” Review of Manorama Six Feet Under
- Story — 4/5
- Acting — 3.5/5
- Direction — 4/5
Must Watch: Not exactly…
One-Time Watch: Yes
Manorama Six Feet Under Review — A Deep Dive
Manorama Six Feet Under is a film that had been on my list for a long time since I had heard such great things about it. But by the time the credits rolled, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed at the pacing of the story, which, in and of itself, is actually pretty great.
Obviously, the film’s title gives away its basic plot — a woman named Manorama is dead, and the protagonist will need to figure out how it happened. As the story goes on, the mystery and intrigue also escalate, with Satyaveer realising how little he truly knows about the case he has now become passionately involved with.
However, Manorama Six Feet Under’s inconsistent pacing is what will cause the interest of viewers to wane from scene to scene. There are some moments in this neo-noir venture where you will be on the edge of your seat, but there are also some clues that the audience will be able to figure out relatively quickly, maybe even before Deol’s character.
Having said that, what really stands out about Manorama Six Feet Under is Satyaveer’s character development. While he initially starts out with a certain nonchalance, Satyaveer develops a close connection to the case and wants to see it through in a manner that almost consumes his entire existence by the time the film ends.
While most movies in the mystery genre usually have a professional detective working to solve a case — think Agatha Christie adaptations — the fact that Satyaveer is just another normal guy who gets involved in a larger plot is actually rather refreshing. Seeing his attitude change as the film goes on is simply a pleasure.
Deol acted pretty well in the movie, and his pairing with Raima Sen was also quite interesting and much appreciated since this is a casting choice we don’t really see in Bollywood. Sen’s performance in Manorama Six Feet Under is also much better than in some of her other works, and most of the characters have been cast well in this film.
Manorama Six Feet Under Plot Overview
Set in a small town in Rajasthan, India, the story follows Satyaveer Randhawa (Abhay Deol), a writer turned engineer whose life takes a dramatic turn when he is approached by a mysterious woman named Manorama (Sarika), who asks him to spy on her husband, the powerful and corrupt local politician P.P. Rathore (Kulbhushan Kharbanda). As Satyaveer delves deeper into the case, he uncovers a web of deceit, corruption, and murder that threatens to consume him.
