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You won't be disappointed!

How sad is this?

Good concept, poorly executed.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

The plot had potential and could have been made into a better movie, had it been directed properly without apparent loopholes, and absurd scenes. In a way the movie is justified (sort-of)- given that it was made in the 80s and 'reality check' or 'logic' was as absurd concept. What really baffles me is the rating of 7.3. I think it needs to be mentioned someplace that movie is given a rating of 7.3 compared to all other movies of the decade. That would make sense. Overall an average 'whodunit' with a couple of twists,that can be watched one-time. Do not, I repeat, do not go by the rating of the movie. It only raises ones expectations, and one is to be thoroughly disillusioned while watching the movie.

I have watched this movie yesterday after reading comments on internet about this movie. Many people on different websites called this movie all time best suspense thriller of Hindi cinema. So I start watching it with lots of expectation and I must say It live up to my expectation to some extend.It has star cast and looks like VVC's first real effort in bollywood. All actors acted well specially Nasiruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi. Really liked Amol Palekar's style of dilevering dialougs in soft and sweet voice and in humble style.Location was perfect for this film. Cold and cloudy atmosphere added some extra effect to theme of this movie. I am sure anyone can enjoy this movie even in 2012.It positively has suspense and trill because I read some comment here that this movie has less suspense and more humor. If you like this movie then must watch "Death on river Nile (1978 film)", you will surely like it as well.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra is known today as a respected and high-profile filmmaker who has not only directed movies like Parinda (1989), 1942 - A Love Story (1994), Mission Kashmir (2000), Eklavya (2007) etc. but also made good quality movies giving chance to the other directors for their direction viz. Munnabhai MBBS (2003), Parineeta (2005), Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006), 3 Idiots (2009) etc. Recently I came across a movie directed by him much before his other high profile and better known movies. It's a murder mystery and belong to his initial years in Bollywood when he used to write his name as Vidhu Vinod only (without suffixing his surname - 'Chopra'). This movie is Khamosh (1985).Khamosh (silent) is a murder mystery which tells the story of a film-unit shooting in Pahalgaam (Kashmir). The movie is titled as Aakhri Khoon (the last murder). Amol Palekar who is also a politician (besides being an actor) is the hero, Shabana Aazmi is the heroine, Sadashiv Amrapurkar is the director, Ajit Vachchhani is the producer and several supporting actors alongwith the writers and technicians are also there on the shooting location. They are all staying in a hotel named as Hotel Pahalgaam. There is a fall and a lake nearby alongwith a boat-house. A supporting actress of the movie - Soni Raazdan goes to the boat-house at night to cram her dialogues for the scene which is scheduled to take place the next day. However her dead body is found as hanging from a tree the next morning. Now starts the suspense. A so-called CBI officer - Nasiruddin Shah arrives there and starts interrogating the crew members of the movie as well as examining their hotel rooms and investigating the other relevant things. Soon it is known that he is an imposter. He is actually the brother of the murder-victim and trying to unmask the murderer of his sister. Before the efforts of himself as well as the local cops made in this direction bear any fruit, another murder takes place which is of another character artist - Sushma Seth. Nasiruddin Shah feels that many crew members know something in this regard but they are silent (Khamosh) due to one reason or another. When a waiter of the hotel is first found missing and thereafter his dead body is also found from the flowing water of the fall, the mystery deepens like anything. And then the producer - Ajit Vachchhani and his abnormal younger brother - Pankaj Kapoor also lose their lives. The culprit is finally unmasked in the climax.Khamosh deals with the issue of casting couch prevalent in the film industry (of India) whereas the young girls who are aspiring to become film heroines are subjected to sexual exploitation by those (directors, producers, writers, heroes etc.) who claim to boost their career. It's a vice widespread in the show business and Vidhu Vinod Chopra being a part of this field, could portray it properly. How many people in this line satisfy their perverted desires under the subterfuge of filmmaking has also been shown realistically. It is an old-fashioned mystery though.The treatment of the murder-based plot is impressive and at place, quite spine-chilling for the viewer. I watched it on computer but those who might have watched it in theatre must have felt a chill running down their spine during a couple of scenes. The movie is slow in the beginning but once the first murder takes place, it picks up speed and proves to be thoroughly engrossing for the spectator.There are certain Bollywoodish potholes in the script but they cannot be easily noticed or felt upon first viewing of the movie because the viewer is hooked by the mystery. The climax is dragging and should have been shortened. The characters are mostly natural but at certain places over the top also, may be because of the director's will to show the theatrical impact emerging from involvement in a film-shooting, upon the actual behaviour of the people concerned.There was no need of any song in the movie and Vidhu Vinod Chopra has shown his better sense by not keeping any songs. The flow of the narrative, therefore, is nowhere blocked by songs. Though Mann Bhanwara is a song of this movie but I did not find it in the movie. The background score is perfect and add to the impact of the mysterious environment prevailing in the movie. Vanraj Bhatia is the music director.Technically, the movie is not superior. The film and the colours used in shooting and developing the shot stuff seem to be of not-so-good quality because the colours have faded in the print available now (used in the CDs as well as uploaded on the internet). Despite the complete shooting being shown in Pahalgaam, the eye-soothing scenes are quite less. Production value is not high. Editing is OK.Performances are good. Almost all the artistes have done well. Seasoned actors like Shabana Aazmi, Amol Palekar, Nasiruddin Shah etc. have rocked the screen with their admirable performances. Supporting ones viz. Soni Raazdaan, Sushma Seth, Ajit Vachchhani, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Nony Ganguly,Virendra Saxena, Deepak Qazir, Avtar Gill, Sudhir Mishra (who later became film director) etc. are all perfectly fit in their respective roles. I personally liked the performance of Pankaj Kapoor the most.Vidhu Vinod Chopra has taken the credit of writing the movie himself. He has christened Amol, Shabana and Soni by their real life names, perhaps to infuse a flare of reality in their imaginary characters involved in the fictional work shown on the screen. He has mocked his own profession (and the attitude of the people in this profession) at many places. This old-fashioned mystery is, in many ways, similar to Agatha Christie novels.I recommend this long-forgotten and underrated murder mystery to all the mystery fans.

Having heard comments from a few friends and users that this movie is the best thriller from Hindi movies, I was curious to watch it. Other reason was the plethora of star cast which had names like Pankaj Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Amol Palekar. But when I watched, sadly the thriller part was missing. Many of the suspects ham so much and have very clear objectives that you get a feeling that they are not the actual murderers and most likely the one not amongst them is the culprit. Mystery was not that good and I am saying that despite of not watching any other language movie from which this movie could have been inspired.What stands apart and as an appreciation is the performance of the investigating CBI officer by Naseeruddin Shah. Right from his entry the eyes, facial expressions and body language depict that he is not taking this murder just as any CBI officer's routine investigation. The way he tries to investigate the murder is shown very well and seems realistic. No wonder that Sir Naseer is the best actor ever to come from India.Rest of the cast(names I mentioned in my first para) do play their part with full honesty especially Pankaj Kapoor. Direction wise the movie is OK but some elements like the shooting of the rape scene really does not fit in the actual plot. At some places the comedy seems to be forced and puts a dilemma as whether viewers should chuckle or see the tragedy which goes on in a movie shooting.Overall, watch it once and get engrossed at the first time. Need not have a repeat view to enjoy the mystery part.