The Stoneman Murders

The Stoneman Murders-S0E0

For me movies are all about art, acting & the quality of story. In earlier times there were plays, adaptions of epics on stage, adaptions of succcessful novels also which were all so artistic to watch live. With time & slowly stage plays giving way to movie halls then multiplexes & now even our drawing rooms. The essence of the stage where acting, art & story are still intact. Everybody be it the rich or poor, young or the old wants to spend time watching something good for his / her time. The very fact somebody wants to spend time & money on something it has to be worthy of the art. This is where Stoneman murders scores high, the movie has all the ingredients of a good urban mystrey thriller, it is not slow paced, it moves quickly & mostly shot in the dark streets of Bombay. The movie really transports you to the 1980s, I was in Bombay at that time so I could really feel the real portrayal of the city. Acting of all actors were good, none outclassing the other. Manish Gupta the director has few good movies to his credit, I watched this & Rahasya in both the movies I could see he has a very good editing ability. In many thrillers I have noticed the editing or story gives way & the movie looks a bit flat on the plot. Some of the things look unrealistic but in this everything looks real. It is time we value actors not stars like in stage shows where people used to value the actors. Stars are celebrities they hardly know how to portray realistically on screen. Stoneman murders is a must watch movie, hope I find few more thrillers like this to watch on free time.

Its always thrill to watch movies which are based on true events. It due to the events which plausible to us and which are even rationally possible. Frankly, I didn't know about this one until yesterday (october 2019) and it was directed in 2009 which is still great for that time. Flaws 1. Character representation is nil. Work should have been done on the representation of characters which would have connected audience to the them. 2. Execution of the good script was not upto the mark. It was tedious and would lag sometimes. Strength 1. As I said earlier this movie as it was based on true events its story was compelling to watch. 2. Cast was well picked and it suited thes story. Overall it should had done better if little care have been taken in screenplay department and character development. Thanks&BeHappy

This is what a badass Indian serial killer thriller should look like! I had the good fortune of studying Parikh's textbook of forensic medicine( the Indian forensics bible), and watching this movie felt like I was revisiting many of those morbidly gruesome and interesting cases. It is fast paced, no nonsense, dark and clinical in its dealing of the real-life Stoneman cases of Mumbai and Calcutta during the 80s. The director and producer did a fabulous job of meticulously sticking to the bare basics and facts of the story, as well as conjuring up the hauntingly creepy atmosphere of those 80s nights when fear and panic gripped the Indian population of Sion owing to the serial killings. Kay Kay Menon did an outstanding portrayal of a no nonsense, focused cop on the track of the notorious serial killer stalking the poor and the homeless of the Mumbai streets. Never for a moment was I bored with the movie. It was edge of your seat stuff, and I particularly enjoyed the tribal India folklore and motivations behind the killer's psychology and deeds. Really an innovative and captivating angle and take on the story! I highly recommend this little gem to all and sundry.

The writer of "Sarkar" holding directorial reigns and teaming up with Kay Kay Menon were the reasons my anticipation levels soared with "The Stoneman Murders". Even if the plot fails to measure up, as always its an absolute treat to watch Kay Kay Menon - pristine, undiluted performance, always! The plot is loosely based on the mysterious killings of the pavement dwellers by a psychopath in 1983. Novel idea but the subject matter turns out to be an past sell by date product turning out to be an overkill for big screen (a 2-episode track in C.I.D on Sony channel would have sufficed in my opinion). Rukhsar: Pairs up opposite Kay Kay once again after "Sarkar" and sadly the husband-wife track isn't fleshed out adequately. Vikram Gokhle: As usual reliable. Arbaaz Khan: Not enough meat in the role, a very-very normal character. Another fallacy in the writing is the hasty start of the core track whilst the sub-plot attempt to cave in the second half thereby leading to a trough in the narrative. Manish Gupta as a writer of "Sarkar" is a definite two thumbs up as a director he has a long way to go. Verdict: Not quite an edgy nail-biting suspense thriller as it potentially could have been

After Manorama-six feet under this one enthralling movie just took the breath out of me.The Stoneman Murders takes place in the Bombay of 1983.ya it's apna very old Bombay(not mumbai),a city ruled by haji mastan,the decade when mobile phones were unheard off and walls were dominated by film posters such as 'bagawat'. Manish gupta does a gr8 job in not only re-creating the era but also the horror that stalked the streets of the city during the time. Kay Kay Menon plays a suspended police officer, who has to prove himself to the department, who sets to unofficially solve the case all by himself.his only help a low rank constable and a samll home that he rents in some slum area(probably dharvi). The films gets to hold ur breath in each and every frame. the climax is superb. Performance wise Kay Kay Menon is top notch ,Ruksar complements the character of Kay Kay well.Vikram Gokhale as a AIG Satam is commendable. Arbaz Khan and Virendra Saxena also do their part quite well. Director Manish Gupta, however, is the real hero of the film. Not only he delves into a genre less explored in Bollywood,but also does not resort to any cheap gimmick that is so much evident everywhere. He creates horror not on surface but more on psychological level.he creates horror without resorting to any gruesomeness. on the flip side in think the film has one item number that in no way complements the film.( i guess it's for commercial reasons). ALL IN ALL DIRECTOR MANISH GUPTA ROCKS and hopefully he becomes the new face of Indian film noir. To conclude it's gr8 film. It's a film you don't wanna give a miss especially if u r a lover of noir genre.

The film depicts the real life killings by a stoneman which took place in Bombay in 1983. The film can be described as partly a work of fiction and partly reality. The film depicts the true story very well, Lot of research has been done to give the film an authentic look, The film is set in 1983, the art director deserves special mention for managing to recreate the 1980's, the posters on the walls, the roads, most of the scenes are shot in night time and appear authentic depicting the era well. The movie has a good story and manages to keep you involved minus a few hiccups throughout. The film follows one track and doesn't deviate. The viewer is made to sympathise with Kaykay's character Sanjay but I wish there had explored Arbaaz's character more and also his wife. The film keeps you on the edge throughout and works well. The scenes depicting KK's turmoil, The scenes depicting the murders are well handled, while the film has a few flaws like the forced item song, Ruksaar's bare back scene and a few more. The ending seems filmy after the villain is caught, the wrap up gives a hurried feel Direction is superb Music is okay, except the item song all are used as background Kaykay Menon excels as usual, he makes best use of his expressions, dial delivery to the fullest in living the character Every nuance is perfectly captured by the superb actor Arbaaz Khan gets lesser footage but does well Ruksaar is average, Virendra Saxena is awesome Vikram Gokhale is perfect while rest are adequate

The Stone Man Murders brings Sherlock Holmes into the Indian movie scene. It reminds me of a Bomkesh Bakshi TV series which use to be aired in Doordarshan. The plot is very simple, yet very well directed. It keeps its ambitions limited, but plays with the circumstances and characters very beautifully. It goes deep into the lives of the devotee cop who has his own means to make the city a safer place. Accidents, misunderstandings and the underneath mystery; which a suspended cop tries to solve at the peril of his own life. The ending is one to watch for! The actors - be it Kay Kay, or Veerendra Saxena do their jobs effortlessly. The recreation of the 1970s scene would have been a challenge, but where this movie shines is the way KayKay handles the character. The anger, the suspense and the others are emoted with just the amount of expression required to satisfy a movie buff. Not to be mindlessly geeking into computers or super gadgets or for that matter a research team, its just the neat work of detective Kay Kay, brought alive by the director ( full credits to him for that, cheers MAnish Gupta!) Its a movie worth spending your time. and unlike big banners, this would satisfy you like the road side cafe serving great food without the big decor. Enjoy! Nikhil

I'm impressed by the story, the fiction & the theme. But I am equally disappointed with the editing, cinematography & direction. Starting off with a grueling suspense, it stays till the end. But if you're clever enough, predicting the final revelation wouldn't be hard. Kay Kay Menon is superb as always, while Arbaaz Khan is wasted. Supporting cast is well supportive & as a whole give out good portrayals. The whole setup, on the other hand is shaky & immature. The makers had had to thoroughly look into it while taking a topic from the past. Huge amounts of anachronisms, makes me wanna rate it a humble 6.9 out of 10 because at the end, it does deliver what is proposes. BOTTOM LINE: A must watch for info-maniacs because it deals with one of the many unsolved mysteries. Recommended! Violence/Gore: Critical | Smoking/Drugs: Strong | Alcohol: Mild | Nudity: Strong | Sex/Mouth-Kiss: No | Porn: No

For a long time I thought The Stoneman Murders was a investigative documentary of some sort by NDTV – because I always saw the ads only on the news channels. And the ads only showed some guy shrouded in a blanket, about to smash someone with a big stone. It was only later that I saw Kay Kay Menon and Arbaaz Khan in the promos and realized it was a proper movie. But the big question about each movie - is it a proper/watchable movie ? Answer - Hell yeah !! It might be small budget and without any catchy item songs (there is one mandatory dance-bar song, but its eminently forgettable) – but it's a very involving and riveting thriller. Of course, it manages to trip itself up when it uncovers the mystery man – it's a time honored Hindi movie tradition (Raaz etc) after all !! But since it's the last 10 minutes of the movie, you can easily skip that part in your mind and remember its engrossing moments. As the movie title and the trailers announce – its about the gruesome Stoneman (or 'Pattharmaar') serial killings in Bombay in 1983 – whose identity remains a mystery till date. According to google, this is the only serial-killer case in India that was never solved – not even a definitive arrest !! Director Manish Gupta claims that there was no way a crime like this was unsolved – there must have been a massive cover-up afterwards. Now I am not in a position to verify if this is just a publicity gimmick or he actually believes that – but it definitely adds to the enjoyment of the movie. The Stoneman Murders has Kay Kay Menon playing inspector Sanjay - his now-regular characterization of a man with an inflated self-belief, aggression and a liking for violence (Sarkar, Mumbai Meri Jaan, Life in a Metro, Via Darjeeling and many more). I guess it goes without saying that he does that role pretty well. The movie begins with inspector Sanjay getting suspended from the police force for a accidental custodial death, right when the Stoneman kills his first victim. As the bodies pile up, he gets permission from a sympathetic senior Satam (Vikram Gokhale) to pursue a secret parallel investigation on his own. Sanjay latches on to the thin hope that cracking the case before the police department does, might be his only chance of getting back into the force ... and mobilizes his underground network of informers for clues. But the killer doesn't give himself up easily and that is what the story is all about. With a perfect accompanying background score that heightens the terse moments and shot mostly at nighttime Mumbai streets, The Stoneman Murders is a very intelligent cat-and-mouse game between the renegade cop and the mystery killer. The director/script-writer have come up with a very realistic & engrossing story – and I cant tell you more about the narrative without giving away some of the mystery. There are scary moments throughout the movie, and there were times I forgot to chew the popcorn in my mouth as I cringed inwardly about the gory death awaiting the pavement-dweller. However, the director cant match this suspense buildup with the final expose of the Stoneman – and the identity of the killer is rather underwhelming. That spoils what is otherwise a perfect suspense movie. But even with the stinky ending, The Stoneman Murders is entertaining as hell, especially at just 1 hour 40 min runtime and hence deserves a watch I regularly review movies at http://bombaycinephile.blogspot.com