Rating: ****
There are serials about serial killers. Then there is Mrs Deshpande, so gripping and revealing, you have to keep reminding yourself that you are being hurled from one possibility to another, until the killer’s identity becomes of less consequence than the killer’s motive.
Co-writers Rohit G. Banawlikar and Nagesh Kukunoor keep the proceedings on high-alert right till the end . It would be no exaggeration to say that the remake aces the original French source La Mante by a wide margin, ironing out the rough edges in the original , smoothening out the illogicalities and adding a layer of filial ardour which gives the indomitable Madhuri Dixit that killing edge which separates the Mom from the boys.
The series opens with the first murder: of a wealthy philanderer Virat Malhotra who gets more fun one night than he had bargained for. Director Nagesh Kukunoor trails the killer with controlled curiosity,not letting himself being overwhelmed by the red herrings.
Almost every episode throws forward a new potential killer. Two of the suspects, played by Vishwas Kini and Kavin Dave are rendered interesting and enigmatic by the actors; both know their jobs and how to milk the suspense without spilling it.
At the centre of the serial killing spree is Zeenat/ Seema(Dixit) a calm restrained serial killer whose back story, when revealed, will blow your mind and melt your heart. Madhuri Dixit’s killer instincts are in full view. When the character does her job, she doesn’t hold back.When attacking her victims , the lady becomes a tigress.
I am surprised at how much at ease Ms Dixit is with the violence. She plays a woman deeply troubled by her past pulled out of her prison term to help the law catch a copycat killer. Before we can exclaim, ‘Ek do teen’ Madhuri is on the hero-worshipping killer’s trail,wily,gentle and ferocious all at once. Her face mirrors her inner rage without going into explanations.
Siddharth Chandekar plays Tejas Phadke the cop assigned to crack the killer’s case with Mrs D’s able assistance. Chandekar is the weakest link in the character study of the anatomy of crime. His role requires him to go through many layers of psychological wrestling. Chandekar seems unaffected by the upheavals around him, smudgy in etching the emotions. The kindest thing we can say about the protagonist is , he doesn’t allow himself to feel the heat of his predicament.
There is not a dull moment in the six episodes.Mrs Deshpande is yet another applause-worthy endeavour from Applause Entertainment. Unlike other serials about serial killers, this one stresses on the environment that breeds murderous contempt.
In the recent Tamil film Stephen the serial killer opted to transmit his psychological confusions to the audience.In Mrs Deshpande we are allowed to get into the killer’s mind without losing our bedrock of dispassion which defines our level of participation in the crime without pushing us into the gore.
