Private Detective: Two Plus Two Plus One (1997) User Reviews (3)

India's First Noir movie.

[moviestar26 · 7/10 · 2 February 2010]

In 1997 the Indian film industry were slowly awaking to the genre of art cinema. In fact this is the first noir movie made in the country of India. Theatre actor Rajat Kapoor makes an impressive debut in the field of writing and direction. As well as this the man is a talented actor and has acted and in and made many quality movies. Every movie of his has been based on different themes. 'Mithya' was one of his earlier best efforts. His association with Saurabh Shukla and Ranvir Shorey has encouraged good cinema. 'Private Detective' was Rajat's first movie. The movie itself is very much like a tribute to Hitchcock if keeping the theme in mind. But at the same time it contains the ingredients of a perfect noir movie. It is evident that in the initial phase much research was undergone prior to writing the script. This is clearly a movie aimed at those people who enjoy indulging in to the character's minds and interplays. The movie has a haunting atmosphere and many sequances have been captured imaginatively. All 4 actors in the movie have a depth of realism to their character. For some one may symphatise and for others hate. I state this because the movie itself is a performance orientated feature. Every character holds a secret in their minds and deceiving one another. This is a common element between them.

**************************SPOILERS AHEAD************************* The main synopsis revolves around two couples that are very close to each other. Aly Khan and Sambhavi Kaul and other being Kashmera Shah and Kenneth Desai. Kenny suspects that his wife (Kashmera) is being unfaithful. He has hired Naseerudin Shah (the detective) to watch and monitor her movements. The detective presents feedback to him in the form of photographs proving a illicit relationship between her and Aly, his best friend. Kenny is speechless and takes no action in response to this. He informs the detective to not be seen again and he is paid. Later at a nightclub Aly's wife (sambhavi) doubts Kashmera maybe involved with her husband. She notices her looking at her husband in an anxious manner. The next day Sambhavi shoots Kashmera at her residence and leaves. The detective stumbles upon the scene and decides to dispose the body at a far off location. Kenny is notified of this however the authorities discover the body and a murder investigation begins. The photos end up in the police's possession which give them the doubt to believe that Aly is the murderer. He is arrested and placed in custody. Meanwhile Sambhavi learns of this and is desperate to have him released as she knows he is innocent. Meanwhile the detective and Kenny are in a conflict themselves as they feel that each other are to blame for the murder. **********************END OF SPOILERS*****************************

I would however warn that this movie requires a vast amount of concentration, patience and attention to small detail. Despite a running time of two hours, the movie moves at a slow pace. However every scene is relevant to the story. But every scene is so carefully shot that it contributes to the experience well. For example the dream sequance gives a picture of guilt and despair from Sambhavi's character. It was also reused in 'mithya'. The first hour is the main highlight in the movie. But the second does disappoint to a small extent in terms of plot. It is probably the most unproductive phase of the movie. Naseerudin Shah's involvement is limited and he does not have much opportunity to display his acting talent neither. I would say though that his narrating segments are interesting. Rajat's direction is on the mark. Every camera angle and scene has been captured in beautifully and enhances the overall quality in the movie. I was dissatisfied with the choice of background score. It was unsuitable to the movie and the sounds used were lacking matureness. Every actor gave their best effort to the role. Sambhavi could have been replaced by someone else, but Aly performed well. Naseerudin and Kashmera too played their parts well.

This is highly recommended for those who like international noir movies. However it is advised that the use of subtitles is helpful.

Worst possible movie

[jnadig · 1/10 · 9 February 2004]

I actually took pains to get registered into a couple of websites just to let you all know how terrible a movie this is. The director has no clue about the movie and the dialogues are just terrible. A seasoned actor like Naseeruddin shah should not be in these kind of movies.

Great entry to Indian indie film

[kashmira · 9/10 · 10 March 2005]

This is not a Bollywood film but Indian Indipendant cinema done for a low budget by Mr Kapoor with a group of theater actors. Two of them, Kashmera Shah and Nasserudin Shah have now become well known actors and both have done Hollywood and Indian films.

Its has great art direction, excellent acting and a unique screenplay about murder and betrayal. It was, however, made for the Indian audience which prefers longer films. I would have liked to seen it cut down by at least 10 minutes to be tighter.

But if you would like to indulge in pure Indian independent cinema, this is a great film. It has all the elements of a murder thriller with lots of beautiful shots and solid acting performances sprinkled in. Plus you will see early works of Nasser or Kashmera before they became famous.

Enjoy!