Film: The Stoneman Murders

Director: Manish Gupta

Cast: Kay Kay Mennon, Arbaaz Khan, Rukhsaar

Rating: 2/5

A great story, told not so well is what the film is. It packs in the thrills but just when you reach the zenith you are met with blandness. What is greatly depressing about this film is that like many other thriller films this too takes the path and support of rites and rituals to justify and reach its conclusion.

Set in the early eighties the film solves the case of a serial murderer who kills his victims by smashing their head with a stone. Following the death of a local gangster in police custody, officer Sanjay (Kay Kay Mennon) is suspended indefinitely. But his reputation for being an earnest officer precedes him and regardless of him being suspended is secretly allowed to carry out the investigation with reference to the stone man murders.

Meanwhile ruling the roost in the police force is Inspector Kedar (Arbaaz Khan) who is also investigating the murders and is clueless of Sanjay's investigation. The two cross paths in the most unlikely of events and after series of misleading facts and assumption the killer is finally found. Who and how is what is meant to make this film interesting, sadly though neither of it is really interesting.

What is evident after watching this film is the fact that the director knows how best to work with the resources that are made available. The film packs in the thrills and the mood is certainly there. However what is saddening is the fact that the film does not seem cogent and instead seems like this logical placing of different scenes to try and make this film work.

Through the first half of the film you see a run up to the stone man, the chaos in Sanjay's life and the series of murders that happen. While this half works well the second half is a different story, it tries to rationalize and zero in on the killer.

Soon after a series of murders and going over facts, monotony in the film sets in. It's the same thing over and over with very little being discovered each time. The rather ordinary dialogues do nothing for the film either. The gusto the film needs in the second...