Review: MARATHI PLAY, A PERFECT MURDER Is An Adaptation Of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece

If thriller as a genre even mildly interests you, it is unlikely that you may have not seen any of Sir Alfred Hitchcock's works. Even though the legendary director created a stir in Hollywood with his suspense thrillers back in the 50's, his work is till today revered and recognized world over. Now, there seems to be a double whammy of sorts for the lovers of vernacular theatre and thriller in India, as one of the most popular of Hitchcock's work gets a Marathi adaptation on an Indian stage.

A Perfect Murder, that will be showcased in Mumbai between Jan 4-9, is a clever adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock's cult classic -- Dial M for Murder. While the major story line remains the same, there are minor readjustments made to the script and character, keeping in mind the interests of the local audiences. So, in the Marathi version of the play, the protagonist is an ex-cricketer instead of an ex-professional tennis player. Pushkar Shrotri plays the lead role of Niranjan who is married to a glamorous socialite, Meera played by Shweta Pendse. The plot thickens as the audience find out that Meera is having an extra marital affair with a crime writer played by Abhijit Kelkar. The affair is discovered by the husband, who plans a cold revenge on his wife. He plots to murder the wife and claim her property.

While the Marathi adaptation manages to engage the audiences soon as the play begins there are times when the presentation demands quicker movement. The story progresses and keep the audiences engaged as the protagonist begins his convoluted journey of misleading the investigations. Satish Rajwade who plays the police officer in command of the investigation holds the plot tight. Director Vijay Kenkre has been able to get the right pulse of Marathi audiences who are impressed with a plot full of thrills and turns. The play despite some lose knots here and there is worth checking out, given its good adaptation of a cult classic.

Begin the new year with some thrill and suspense and book yourself