Saat Khoon Maaf
Encyclopedia
7 Khoon Maaf is a 2011 Hindi black comedy
drama
thriller film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj
, starring Priyanka Chopra
in the lead role. The film, based on Ruskin Bond
's short story, Susanna's Seven Husbands, features seven male leads with Naseeruddin Shah
who plays the oldest husband, Neil Nitin Mukesh as the youngest husband, as well as John Abraham
, Irrfan Khan, Annu Kapoor
and Russian actor Aleksandr Dyachenko. The seventh husband is a mystery that the viewer will find at the end of the film. Priyanka Chopra
plays a femme fatale
in the film, who goes on to kill all her husbands. 7 Khoon Maaf was first scheduled for release on 21 January 2011, but was later postponed to 18 February 2011. The film had its premiere at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival
.
woman Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes (Priyanka Chopra
) who goes on to kill all her husbands. Susanna tries to find love but six of her seven husbands have a fatal flaw so she kills them. These killings and her yearning for love is explained by the fact that she had lost her mother at very young age. The story is narrated by a young forensic doctor Arun (Vivaan Shah
) to his wife (Konkona Sen Sharma
). Arun has observed Susanna since his childhood and has nurtured a secret crush on her. The boy owes his whole life to Susanna as she funded his education and made him what he is today. He starts off by declaring to his wife that Susanna has committed suicide leaving him a note congratulating him for his marriage. The doctor is now in charge of confirming whether the body found is Susanna's. Unable to overcome the grief of her death he lets out his feelings to his wife who listens to him patiently.
Susanna's first husband Edwin Rodriques (Neil Nitin Mukesh), an Army Major, whose fatal flaw is that he is overbearing, jealous and possessive. He is crippled and unable to digest the fact that a beautiful woman such as Susanna would actually be faithful to him and would be able to love him. There comes a point when he even starts to doubt his ability to father a child and takes out his anger on his wife. Though she bears the mental torture he subjects her to day after day, she could not forgive him for blinding her faithful, mute horse keeper (Shashi Malviya) in a whip fight. He is disposed of during a panther hunting trip with the help of her faithful maid (Usha Uthup
), her butler (Harish Khanna) and the mute horse keeper. Susanna's second husband, Jamshed Singh Rathod (John Abraham
), who rechristens himself as Jimmy Stetson after their marriage, is a singer whose flaw is pride. The marriage starts off well but Jimmy starts gaining success and misusing his new found fame. He starts stealing songs and spending time with other women and becomes dependent on drugs. Susanna wants to be lucky in love the second time and tries her best to get him out of his addiction but in vain as he gets hooked on his addiction again secretly. At last she gives up on him and disposes of him through a Heroin overdose. The police find foot prints near his body which indicate that someone with six toes has committed the murder.
Susanna's third husband Wasiullah Khan (a.k.a Musafir) (Irrfan Khan) is a soft and thoughtful poet by day, a sado-masochist by night. Susanna tries to cover the bruises he gives at night with make-up. Her faithful servants cannot bear to see her depressed and beaten up and advises her to get rid of him which she eventually agrees to. He is buried in a snowy grave in Kashmir. Her fourth husband, Nicolai Vronsky (Aleksandr Dyachenko) is a Russian Spy leading a double life. When Susanna finds out that he has another wife who has borne him kids, her anger knows no bounds. He meets his end courtesy Susanna's pet snakes. Susanna transits into partial madness and no longer needs to ponder before disposing of anyone she disapproves. Her fifth husband Keemat Lal (Annu Kapoor
) is a police inspector, who has shielded his 'Madame' from prosecution in two murders and lures her into marriage. With a voracious appetite for sex, his need for Viagra proves to be his undoing as one fateful night, she makes him overdose on his Viagra by mixing it in his drink.
Dr. Modhusudhon Tarafdar (Naseeruddin Shah
) a Bengali doctor saves her from a suicidal act she had due to loneliness and guilt after hearing of Arun's marriage and puts her on a mushroom only diet. While she does not wish to marry he convinces her into marriage saying that she will be the sole inheritor of his property. He tries to kill Susanna a few years after their marriage in order to inherit her money as he is actually bankrupt. He tries to poison her with mushroom soup, however the butler drinks it by accident and dies instead. In a state of shock, she shoots Modhuda during a session of Russian roulette
.
The same night, Susanna lights her house on fire in an attempt to kill herself. Seeing the house on fire, her faithful maid with six toes comes to rescue her instead dies in the flame. In the forensic lab Arun finds out that the body is not Susanna's, yet he declares her dead in his reports. He goes in search of Susanna and finds her where she tells him she finally is getting married the next day to someone who accepts her, knowing all of her sins.
Finally in spirituality, She imagines her seventh husband to be Jesus one who is full of love, and already 'dead' as she becomes a nun at the end.
Susanna finally found the love she kept seeking all through her life and this person who is her ultimate real eternal husband, God who would never hurt her. Arun and his wife go back home, after he tells her that Susanna is dead forever.
was initially approached by Vishal Bhardwaj
for the role of Inspector Keemat Lal, but the southern superstar backed out from the film for unspecified reasons. Then he was at last moment replaced by Annu Kapoor
.
In this film, Priyanka Chopra
's character ages from 20-65 and will be seen going through seven marriages at different stages of her life, for which prosthetics
had been used. For that, director Vishal Bhardwaj
hired Hollywood special make-up effects artist, Todd Tucker who was a part of the make-up effects team of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(2008), to create those seven different looks for Priyanka Chopra
's character in the film. The most challenging one out of those was that of the 65-year-old woman, for which the make-up team has used Priyanka's grandmother’s photo to try to make her look as close to her as possible. During the process, Priyanka did not eat or drink anything for hours for the shoots that involved prosthetics. Vishal also wanted Priyanka to put on 5 Kilograms to fit the bill of the character.
, before moving on to Delhi
, followed by a 2 month schedule in Coorg and some portions were also shot in Mysore, Pondicherry, Mumbai
and Moscow
.
Berlin International Film Festival
as part of its world premiere in the Panorama section of the festival. At the Friedrichstadt Palace, a Berlin theatre, some 2,500 people watched the screening on the last night of the festival, and later gave the director and the nine-member cast and crew a standing ovation as they came on the stage at the end of its screening.
7 Khoon Maaf received generally positive remarks. Nikhat Kazmi
of the Times of India gave the film four stars out of five describing the film as "serious, sensitive and stirring" and "a whole new cinematic experience." Taran Adarsh
of Bollywood Hungama
gave the film three stars saying that "7 Khoon Maaf is a dark film that has its share of positives and negatives. However, the film will meet with diverse reactions - some will fancy it, while some will abhor it. The film will appeal more to the critics/columnists and the festival circuit." Swati Bhattacharyya of Dainik Bhaskar
rated the film 4/5. Aniruddha Guha of the Daily News and Analysis gave the film a review of 4/5 calling it a "bloody good film." The Indo-Asian News Service
described the film as a "winner" by Vishal Bhardwaj
and gave it a rating of 4/5. Zee News
rated the film as "dark, engaging and unapologetic" and also gave it 4/5. Notable film critic Subhash K. Jha rated the film 4/5 and said "Chalk up an absolute winner for the Vishal Bhardwaj-Priyanka Chopra team. They make a coherent vision out of an inconceivable marital crises." Mayank Shekhar of the Hindustan Times
gave it 3/5 saying "The movie is clearly crafted around strong, effective scenes alone: a lot of it, cleanly cut and clinical, a whole lot immediately compelling." Swati Deogire of The ILIKE Times gave it a 4/5 saying "Resting her body on the thick rope of an old bell tower, Susanna’s blank face tells a story of betrayal."
The film also met with some negative reviews. Rachel Saltz of the New York Times called it, "a meandering black widow tale, (that) has plenty of art, too. But it floats around, ungrounded in anything like emotional reality." The Telegraph
s Pratim D. Gupta called 7 Khoon Maaf "adventurous but over-indulgent" and criticised Vishal Bhardwaj "to have traded economy for mainstream acceptance". Film critic Khalid Mohamed gave it 2/5 stars saying "Bharadwaj’s Seven-up-‘n’-down is as weird as an airplane without wings. It just doesn’t take off, as if it was caught in congestion on the tarmac." Anupama Chopra
of NDTV Movies
gave the movie two and a half stars out of five terming it a "Disappointment" and saying that "the film stumbles and fumbles. The episodic nature of the narrative makes the plot predictable." Rajeev Masand
of CNN-IBN gave the movie a 2/5 saying "I'm going with two out of five for 'Saat Khoon Maaf'." He also said "It tests your patience" and that "Vishal Bhardwaj delivers his oddest film yet, that is also sadly his weakest." Raja Sen of Rediff.com gave it 2/5 saying "film that doesn't connect either emotionally or sensually."
by Reliance Big Home Entertainment and by UTV
internationally. It has one disc, and no special features.
and the lyrics were penned by Gulzar. The official soundtrack contains seven songs and two reprise versions. The soundtrack was digitally released on Ovi (Nokia)
on 21 January 2011. It was physically released on 24 January 2011. The soundtrack received overall positive reviews. The song "Darling" is based on the Russian folk song Kalinka
, and has been given credit for it on the album cover. The song "Tere Liye" performed by Suresh Wadkar
, was not used in the film.
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
drama
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
thriller film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj is an Indian film director, writer, screenwriter, music composer and playback singer.-Early life:Bhardwaj was born in Bijnor but raised in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh to Satya Bhardwaj, a homemaker, and Ram Bhardwaj, a popular poet and lyricist. His father was a government employee and...
, starring Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000. She is often referred to by the nickname "Piggy Chops", which was given to her by co-stars on the set of the film...
in the lead role. The film, based on Ruskin Bond
Ruskin Bond
Ruskin Bond, born 19 May 1934, is an Indian author of British descent. He is considered to be an icon among Indian writers and children's authors and a top novelist....
's short story, Susanna's Seven Husbands, features seven male leads with Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
who plays the oldest husband, Neil Nitin Mukesh as the youngest husband, as well as John Abraham
John Abraham (actor)
John Abraham is an Indian film actor and former model. After modeling for numerous advertisements and companies, Abraham made his film debut with Jism , which earned him a Filmfare Best Debut Award nomination. This was followed by his first commercial success, Dhoom...
, Irrfan Khan, Annu Kapoor
Annu Kapoor
Annu Kapoor is an Indian film actor and television presenter, best remembered for hosting the singing reality show Antakshari.-Career:Annu Kapoor made his debut in the film Mandi directed by Shyam Benegal in 1979. His career has spanned nearly 31 years including a distinctive presence in...
and Russian actor Aleksandr Dyachenko. The seventh husband is a mystery that the viewer will find at the end of the film. Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000. She is often referred to by the nickname "Piggy Chops", which was given to her by co-stars on the set of the film...
plays a femme fatale
Femme fatale
A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...
in the film, who goes on to kill all her husbands. 7 Khoon Maaf was first scheduled for release on 21 January 2011, but was later postponed to 18 February 2011. The film had its premiere at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival
61st Berlin International Film Festival
The 61st annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 10 to February 20, 2011, with actress Isabella Rossellini as the President of the Jury. The Coen Brothers film True Grit opened the festival. 300,000 tickets were sold in total during the event, to 20,000 attendees from 116...
.
Plot
The film tells the story of a beautiful Anglo-IndianAnglo-Indian
Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent...
woman Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes (Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000. She is often referred to by the nickname "Piggy Chops", which was given to her by co-stars on the set of the film...
) who goes on to kill all her husbands. Susanna tries to find love but six of her seven husbands have a fatal flaw so she kills them. These killings and her yearning for love is explained by the fact that she had lost her mother at very young age. The story is narrated by a young forensic doctor Arun (Vivaan Shah
Vivaan Shah
Vivaan Shah is an Indian actor working in the Hindi film industry, who made his film debut with Saat Khoon Maaf to critical acclaim...
) to his wife (Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her...
). Arun has observed Susanna since his childhood and has nurtured a secret crush on her. The boy owes his whole life to Susanna as she funded his education and made him what he is today. He starts off by declaring to his wife that Susanna has committed suicide leaving him a note congratulating him for his marriage. The doctor is now in charge of confirming whether the body found is Susanna's. Unable to overcome the grief of her death he lets out his feelings to his wife who listens to him patiently.
Susanna's first husband Edwin Rodriques (Neil Nitin Mukesh), an Army Major, whose fatal flaw is that he is overbearing, jealous and possessive. He is crippled and unable to digest the fact that a beautiful woman such as Susanna would actually be faithful to him and would be able to love him. There comes a point when he even starts to doubt his ability to father a child and takes out his anger on his wife. Though she bears the mental torture he subjects her to day after day, she could not forgive him for blinding her faithful, mute horse keeper (Shashi Malviya) in a whip fight. He is disposed of during a panther hunting trip with the help of her faithful maid (Usha Uthup
Usha Uthup
Usha Uthup is a popular Indian pop, jazz and playback singer. She is well known for popular hits in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.She started her Bollywood playback career, when she sang an English verse in hit song, "Dum maro dum"" in Hare Rama Hare Krishna, and went on work with music...
), her butler (Harish Khanna) and the mute horse keeper. Susanna's second husband, Jamshed Singh Rathod (John Abraham
John Abraham (actor)
John Abraham is an Indian film actor and former model. After modeling for numerous advertisements and companies, Abraham made his film debut with Jism , which earned him a Filmfare Best Debut Award nomination. This was followed by his first commercial success, Dhoom...
), who rechristens himself as Jimmy Stetson after their marriage, is a singer whose flaw is pride. The marriage starts off well but Jimmy starts gaining success and misusing his new found fame. He starts stealing songs and spending time with other women and becomes dependent on drugs. Susanna wants to be lucky in love the second time and tries her best to get him out of his addiction but in vain as he gets hooked on his addiction again secretly. At last she gives up on him and disposes of him through a Heroin overdose. The police find foot prints near his body which indicate that someone with six toes has committed the murder.
Susanna's third husband Wasiullah Khan (a.k.a Musafir) (Irrfan Khan) is a soft and thoughtful poet by day, a sado-masochist by night. Susanna tries to cover the bruises he gives at night with make-up. Her faithful servants cannot bear to see her depressed and beaten up and advises her to get rid of him which she eventually agrees to. He is buried in a snowy grave in Kashmir. Her fourth husband, Nicolai Vronsky (Aleksandr Dyachenko) is a Russian Spy leading a double life. When Susanna finds out that he has another wife who has borne him kids, her anger knows no bounds. He meets his end courtesy Susanna's pet snakes. Susanna transits into partial madness and no longer needs to ponder before disposing of anyone she disapproves. Her fifth husband Keemat Lal (Annu Kapoor
Annu Kapoor
Annu Kapoor is an Indian film actor and television presenter, best remembered for hosting the singing reality show Antakshari.-Career:Annu Kapoor made his debut in the film Mandi directed by Shyam Benegal in 1979. His career has spanned nearly 31 years including a distinctive presence in...
) is a police inspector, who has shielded his 'Madame' from prosecution in two murders and lures her into marriage. With a voracious appetite for sex, his need for Viagra proves to be his undoing as one fateful night, she makes him overdose on his Viagra by mixing it in his drink.
Dr. Modhusudhon Tarafdar (Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
) a Bengali doctor saves her from a suicidal act she had due to loneliness and guilt after hearing of Arun's marriage and puts her on a mushroom only diet. While she does not wish to marry he convinces her into marriage saying that she will be the sole inheritor of his property. He tries to kill Susanna a few years after their marriage in order to inherit her money as he is actually bankrupt. He tries to poison her with mushroom soup, however the butler drinks it by accident and dies instead. In a state of shock, she shoots Modhuda during a session of Russian roulette
Russian roulette
Russian roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which participants place a single round in a revolver, spin the cylinder, place the muzzle against their head and pull the trigger...
.
The same night, Susanna lights her house on fire in an attempt to kill herself. Seeing the house on fire, her faithful maid with six toes comes to rescue her instead dies in the flame. In the forensic lab Arun finds out that the body is not Susanna's, yet he declares her dead in his reports. He goes in search of Susanna and finds her where she tells him she finally is getting married the next day to someone who accepts her, knowing all of her sins.
Finally in spirituality, She imagines her seventh husband to be Jesus one who is full of love, and already 'dead' as she becomes a nun at the end.
Susanna finally found the love she kept seeking all through her life and this person who is her ultimate real eternal husband, God who would never hurt her. Arun and his wife go back home, after he tells her that Susanna is dead forever.
Cast
- Priyanka ChopraPriyanka ChopraPriyanka Chopra is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000. She is often referred to by the nickname "Piggy Chops", which was given to her by co-stars on the set of the film...
as Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes (a.k.a. Saheb / Suzi / Sultana / Anna / Sunaina) - Neil Nitin Mukesh as Major Edwin Rodriques
- John AbrahamJohn Abraham (actor)John Abraham is an Indian film actor and former model. After modeling for numerous advertisements and companies, Abraham made his film debut with Jism , which earned him a Filmfare Best Debut Award nomination. This was followed by his first commercial success, Dhoom...
as Jamshed Singh Rathod / Jimmy Stetson - Irrfan Khan as Wasiullah Khan (a.k.a Musafir)
- Aleksandr Dyachenko as Nicolai Vronsky
- Annu KapoorAnnu KapoorAnnu Kapoor is an Indian film actor and television presenter, best remembered for hosting the singing reality show Antakshari.-Career:Annu Kapoor made his debut in the film Mandi directed by Shyam Benegal in 1979. His career has spanned nearly 31 years including a distinctive presence in...
as Inspector Keemat Lal - Naseeruddin ShahNaseeruddin ShahNaseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
as Dr. Modhusudhon Tarafdar (a.k.a. Modhu Daa) - Vivaan ShahVivaan ShahVivaan Shah is an Indian actor working in the Hindi film industry, who made his film debut with Saat Khoon Maaf to critical acclaim...
as Arun Kumar - Usha UthupUsha UthupUsha Uthup is a popular Indian pop, jazz and playback singer. She is well known for popular hits in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.She started her Bollywood playback career, when she sang an English verse in hit song, "Dum maro dum"" in Hare Rama Hare Krishna, and went on work with music...
as Maggie Aunty (Maid) - Harish Khanna as Galib Khan
- Shashi Malviya as Goonga Chacha
- Konkona Sen SharmaKonkona Sen SharmaKonkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her...
as Nandini, Arun's wife (Cameo) - Ruskin BondRuskin BondRuskin Bond, born 19 May 1934, is an Indian author of British descent. He is considered to be an icon among Indian writers and children's authors and a top novelist....
as Church Father (Cameo) - Radhika Arora as Nandini's friend (Cameo)
Development
During production, the film underwent two name changes. Initially, the project was titled Seven which was then replaced by Ek Bataa Saat and finally 7 Khoon Maaf. MohanlalMohanlal
Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
was initially approached by Vishal Bhardwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj is an Indian film director, writer, screenwriter, music composer and playback singer.-Early life:Bhardwaj was born in Bijnor but raised in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh to Satya Bhardwaj, a homemaker, and Ram Bhardwaj, a popular poet and lyricist. His father was a government employee and...
for the role of Inspector Keemat Lal, but the southern superstar backed out from the film for unspecified reasons. Then he was at last moment replaced by Annu Kapoor
Annu Kapoor
Annu Kapoor is an Indian film actor and television presenter, best remembered for hosting the singing reality show Antakshari.-Career:Annu Kapoor made his debut in the film Mandi directed by Shyam Benegal in 1979. His career has spanned nearly 31 years including a distinctive presence in...
.
In this film, Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000. She is often referred to by the nickname "Piggy Chops", which was given to her by co-stars on the set of the film...
's character ages from 20-65 and will be seen going through seven marriages at different stages of her life, for which prosthetics
Prosthetic makeup
Prosthetic makeup is the process of using prosthetic sculpting, molding and casting techniques to create advanced cosmetic effects...
had been used. For that, director Vishal Bhardwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj is an Indian film director, writer, screenwriter, music composer and playback singer.-Early life:Bhardwaj was born in Bijnor but raised in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh to Satya Bhardwaj, a homemaker, and Ram Bhardwaj, a popular poet and lyricist. His father was a government employee and...
hired Hollywood special make-up effects artist, Todd Tucker who was a part of the make-up effects team of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a 2008 American fantasy-drama film directed by David Fincher. The screenplay by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord is loosely based on the 1922 short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald...
(2008), to create those seven different looks for Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000. She is often referred to by the nickname "Piggy Chops", which was given to her by co-stars on the set of the film...
's character in the film. The most challenging one out of those was that of the 65-year-old woman, for which the make-up team has used Priyanka's grandmother’s photo to try to make her look as close to her as possible. During the process, Priyanka did not eat or drink anything for hours for the shoots that involved prosthetics. Vishal also wanted Priyanka to put on 5 Kilograms to fit the bill of the character.
Filming
Filming began on March 24, 2010 at the Shalimar Bagh in SrinagarSrinagar
Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
, before moving on to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, followed by a 2 month schedule in Coorg and some portions were also shot in Mysore, Pondicherry, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
Critical reception
The film was screened at the 61st61st Berlin International Film Festival
The 61st annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 10 to February 20, 2011, with actress Isabella Rossellini as the President of the Jury. The Coen Brothers film True Grit opened the festival. 300,000 tickets were sold in total during the event, to 20,000 attendees from 116...
Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
as part of its world premiere in the Panorama section of the festival. At the Friedrichstadt Palace, a Berlin theatre, some 2,500 people watched the screening on the last night of the festival, and later gave the director and the nine-member cast and crew a standing ovation as they came on the stage at the end of its screening.
7 Khoon Maaf received generally positive remarks. Nikhat Kazmi
Nikhat Kazmi
Nikhat Kazmi is a senior correspondent and well-known film critic from India, who has been writing for The Times of India, since 1987.-Books:* If Shakespeare was a gun: a play. Writers Workshop, 1984....
of the Times of India gave the film four stars out of five describing the film as "serious, sensitive and stirring" and "a whole new cinematic experience." Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh is an Indian film critic, journalist, editor and film trade analyst. He is also a former producer and screenwriter. He is the son of film director and producer, B.K. Adarsh....
of Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama is a leading Bollywood entertainment website, owned by hungama.com....
gave the film three stars saying that "7 Khoon Maaf is a dark film that has its share of positives and negatives. However, the film will meet with diverse reactions - some will fancy it, while some will abhor it. The film will appeal more to the critics/columnists and the festival circuit." Swati Bhattacharyya of Dainik Bhaskar
Dainik Bhaskar
Dainik Bhaskar is an Indian Hindi-language daily newspaper published by D B Corp Ltd.. It was started in year 1958 from Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh...
rated the film 4/5. Aniruddha Guha of the Daily News and Analysis gave the film a review of 4/5 calling it a "bloody good film." The Indo-Asian News Service
Indo-Asian News Service
Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is India's largest private news agency. The IANS is run by a group of professional journalists.The IANS was founded by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the India Abroad News Service. It was later renamed the Indo-Asian News Service...
described the film as a "winner" by Vishal Bhardwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj is an Indian film director, writer, screenwriter, music composer and playback singer.-Early life:Bhardwaj was born in Bijnor but raised in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh to Satya Bhardwaj, a homemaker, and Ram Bhardwaj, a popular poet and lyricist. His father was a government employee and...
and gave it a rating of 4/5. Zee News
Zee News
Zee News, the news and current affairs channel, is the oldest channel of Zee News Ltd, founded in 1992. It was the first 24-hour Hindi current affairs and news channel in India. In spite of being the only pay channel in its genre, it maintains its position among the top three Hindi news channels in...
rated the film as "dark, engaging and unapologetic" and also gave it 4/5. Notable film critic Subhash K. Jha rated the film 4/5 and said "Chalk up an absolute winner for the Vishal Bhardwaj-Priyanka Chopra team. They make a coherent vision out of an inconceivable marital crises." Mayank Shekhar of the Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
gave it 3/5 saying "The movie is clearly crafted around strong, effective scenes alone: a lot of it, cleanly cut and clinical, a whole lot immediately compelling." Swati Deogire of The ILIKE Times gave it a 4/5 saying "Resting her body on the thick rope of an old bell tower, Susanna’s blank face tells a story of betrayal."
The film also met with some negative reviews. Rachel Saltz of the New York Times called it, "a meandering black widow tale, (that) has plenty of art, too. But it floats around, ungrounded in anything like emotional reality." The Telegraph
The Telegraph (Kolkata)
The Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...
s Pratim D. Gupta called 7 Khoon Maaf "adventurous but over-indulgent" and criticised Vishal Bhardwaj "to have traded economy for mainstream acceptance". Film critic Khalid Mohamed gave it 2/5 stars saying "Bharadwaj’s Seven-up-‘n’-down is as weird as an airplane without wings. It just doesn’t take off, as if it was caught in congestion on the tarmac." Anupama Chopra
Anupama Chopra
Anupama Chopra is a noted author, journalist and film critic. She has written several books on Indian cinema and has been a movie reviewer with NDTV and India Today.-Career:...
of NDTV Movies
NDTV
NDTV is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network founded in 1988. It was founded by Prannoy Roy, an eminent journalist and current chairman and director of NDTV Group. NDTV currently has more than 1,000 employees producing news from over twenty locations in India...
gave the movie two and a half stars out of five terming it a "Disappointment" and saying that "the film stumbles and fumbles. The episodic nature of the narrative makes the plot predictable." Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand is an Indian film critic and entertainment reporter for CNN-IBN. Masand started his career as an entertainment correspondent at the young age of 16...
of CNN-IBN gave the movie a 2/5 saying "I'm going with two out of five for 'Saat Khoon Maaf'." He also said "It tests your patience" and that "Vishal Bhardwaj delivers his oddest film yet, that is also sadly his weakest." Raja Sen of Rediff.com gave it 2/5 saying "film that doesn't connect either emotionally or sensually."
Box office
At the box office, the film opened to a weak response across India. The business was low at single screens (8% to 10%), but slightly better at multiplexes (15% to 20%). Released with 786 prints, the film collected 13 crore in its opening weekend, and 14.25 crore by the end of its first week. However the film managed to surpass its cost within its first week at the box office, through non-theatrical revenues. After the end of its run, Box Office India declared it as a flop.Home media
The DVD of 7 Khoon Maaf has been released in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
by Reliance Big Home Entertainment and by UTV
UTV
UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
internationally. It has one disc, and no special features.
Soundtrack
The film's score and songs were composed by Vishal BhardwajVishal Bhardwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj is an Indian film director, writer, screenwriter, music composer and playback singer.-Early life:Bhardwaj was born in Bijnor but raised in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh to Satya Bhardwaj, a homemaker, and Ram Bhardwaj, a popular poet and lyricist. His father was a government employee and...
and the lyrics were penned by Gulzar. The official soundtrack contains seven songs and two reprise versions. The soundtrack was digitally released on Ovi (Nokia)
Ovi (Nokia)
Ovi by Nokia is the brand for Nokia's Internet services. The Ovi services can be used from a mobile device, computer or via the web. Nokia focuses on five key service areas: Games, Maps, Media, Messaging and Music. Nokia's aim with Ovi is to include third party developers, such as operators and...
on 21 January 2011. It was physically released on 24 January 2011. The soundtrack received overall positive reviews. The song "Darling" is based on the Russian folk song Kalinka
Kalinka
"Kalinka" is a Russian song written in 1860 by the composer and folklorist Ivan Larionov and first performed in Saratov as part of a theatrical entertainment that he had composed. Soon it was added to the repertory of a folk choral group....
, and has been given credit for it on the album cover. The song "Tere Liye" performed by Suresh Wadkar
Suresh Wadkar
Suresh Ishwar Wadkar is an Indian playback singer. He performs in both Hindi and Marathi films.He has sung songs in some Bhojpuri films and in Konkani.- Early life :...
, was not used in the film.
External links
- 7 Khoon Maaf Film At Videos2Movies.com