Review: Murder 3

Director: Vishesh Bhatt

Star: * 1/2

Can a long telephoto lens be a phallic symbol? As far as Bollywood goes, and that’s not too far, that’s a rhetorical question. Randeep Hooda replaces Emran Hashmi, who played the male lead in the first two instalments, and emerges the single biggest attraction of ‘Murder 3’. Which isn’t saying much even if Hooda strips better than Hashmi. He is also given a long, long lens to wield, and surrounded by scantily-clad, swooning females. If the Bhatts had given Hooda more able leading ladies to riff off, ‘Murder 3’ might have been something to look at. What we get instead is two of the most impact-less female lead parts I’ve seen in a while, packaged in an overlong series of ill-written, ill-acted sequences.

The smitten Roshni ( Rao Hydari) wastes no time in chucking up a job in sunny South Africa, in order to move to Mumbai and live forever in domestic bliss with fashion photographer Vikram ( Hooda). All is hunky-dory till a long legged lass starts making up to the lensman. Jealousy strikes. Tempers flare. Roshni hits upon an innovative idea to ‘test’ her lover. And then things start to unravel, especially when a bar hostess ( Loren) shows up, with a shapely, sympathetic shoulder.

The Bhatts have always known how to do steam things up. And the `Murder’ franchise, like the more obviously-named `Jism’, has delivered the mix in strong doses : toned, gleaming bodies, full-blown adult

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