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Murder 2 backdrop

Murder 2

8 July 2011Hindi2h 7mPart 2 of the Murder series
out of 10
Mixedlukewarm or divided
Monk Score · 12 critic reviews

Narayanan impresses, but derivative plotting and weak writing divide audiences.

Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.

  • Praised: Prashant Narayanan's standout performance
  • Criticised: Derivative plot and shoddy writing

Audience

User score 5.7 out of 10 from 3 ratings, not enough ratings for a verdict yet
Read 1 audience review ↓

Not streaming in India

Critic consensus

What 12 critics are saying

Critical reception for Murder 2 is mixed, with scores ranging from strongly negative to enthusiastic. The most consistent point of praise across reviews is Prashant Narayanan's performance, cited by multiple critics as a standout element. Common criticisms include weak writing, derivative plotting lifted from other films, and an overly graphic tone that some found gratuitous rather than effective. A handful of critics found it a solid commercial entertainer, while several others considered it too flawed or tedious to recommend.

How the 12 scores spread

Positive / mixed / negative reviews

Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10

AI-generated summary of 12 critic reviews · may contain errors

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From the papers

Critic reviews (12)

Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated

  1. Top critic

    Times Of India

    Film review ·

    There may be nothing original about the story, yet Murder 2 has enough to give the masses a mast time.
  2. Top critic

    NDTV

    Film review ·

    Even if Murder 2 fails to tide over the bad reviews and gets bogged down at the box office, it seems pretty certain that this is the film that could well be the turning point of Prashant Narayanan's career.
  3. Top critic

    Rediff

    Film review ·

    Murder 2 is flat, boring and not worth talking about. Even Emraan, sporting less stubble than usual, seems babyfaced as he goes through the motions. It might be inspired by some obscure film, but I don't even care enough to look for its name. By now, I've come to accept that the Bhatts have a bigger DVD collection than me. I do wish they'd stop flaunting it, though.
  4. Bollywood Hungama

    Film review ·

    On the whole, MURDER 2 is one of the finest crime stories to come out of the Hindi film industry. Also, as a film, it lives up to the expectations that you may associate from a sequel of a smash hit. This one's bolder, more erotic and has a story that will astound and astonish you. The Bhatts have a winner on hand!
  5. Bollyspice

    Film review ·

    Overall the movie is extremely violent and gruesome – if you thought Ghajini was violent then this one is ten notches higher. But Mohit, who has already dealt with the subject of human trafficking in Kalyug, manages to bring a new and different product for the viewers. Watch it if you have the guts. Stay away if you expect another Murder
  6. Glamsham

    Film review ·

    An intriguing plot supported by a superb performance by Prashant Narayan, make MURDER 2 a 'killer' film.
  7. IBNLive

    Film review ·

    Murder 2 is not a pleasant film to view. The psychopath's killings are done in graphic detail. The storytelling offers no respite from the brutality. Most of the time we are looking at happenings that we would rather not see. But see, we must.
  8. KoiMoi

    Film review ·

    On the whole, Murder 2 will definitely do above-average business, thanks to the popularity of brand 'Murder' and, therefore, the bumper initial value. It doesn't have too much to offer in terms of entertainment as it is a dark film but its plus points are the abundant sex scenes and the good music. Its reasonable budget on the one hand, and wonderful recovery from sale of its satellite, music and worldwide theatrical rights on the other have ensured that the producers have made a handsome profit before release. The all-world distributor (Ponty Chadha) and the distributors to whom they've sold the individual territorial rights will also make good profits.
  9. DNA India

    Film review ·

    A good plot (lifted from another film) and a lovely performance by Prashant Narayanan could have made Murder 2 watchable, but shoddy writing ruins it. A shorter, slicker thriller would have been more enjoyable than the masala mash that is Murder 2.
  10. Hindustan Times

    Film review ·

    Besides, Murder (based on Adrian Lyne's Unfaithful) was an aesthetically lit, coherently structured, semi-erotic flick about a bored, married Bangkok mom, in an adulterous affair with her ex (Emraan Hashmi). Sure enough, there was a murder in it.

From our readers

Audience reviews (1)

3 ratings · user score 5.7

  1. sophia ajazAug 2013
    7/10

    Now, don't read that as Unique Serial Killer. But that may also ring true. The tone of the movie is set right from the first frame – Yana Gupta, a sex worker dancing seductively. She is ignorant that a eunuch serial killer Prashant Narayanan (Dheeraj Pandey) is waiting to butcher her to pieces and tape her shrieks begging for mercy. He does exactly this and more (gore) and enjoys himself in his loneliness. He is a drag queen. He dresses up for the occasion too all decked up in red, jewellery, makeup, lipstick, nail polish and wig and is almost effeminate. He butchers like someone slices bread. How can he share his misery with anyone? Even his parents are unaware of his mental state and force him to marry. He turns a sadist and burns his wife with cigarette butts. His torture turns her into a wreck. The parents instead of getting him see a shrink, show him the door. He goes to the hijras and gets himself turned into a proper eunuch. His co-worker says that working in a sculptor's shop, he would make demon (chudail, rakshasi) statues instead of a devi. He worships devil. And when the shop owner objects, he kills him. A sex worker, whom he calls for services narrates that he was a sadist and was unable to 'perform'. A psychiatrist (Shweta Kawatra) who delves deeper into his abnormal psyche almost gets killed. And when Emraan Hashmi (Arjun Bhagwat, ex-cop) and Pandey accidentally meet, the cell phone connects them. The game is almost over and both guys land in the jail. Here Pandey plays mind games. He fakes amnesia and displays a devious mind – he truly is living the role. Under questioning, he accepts his crime but soon he denies it all. And to save him arrives an influential eunuch Nirmala Pandit, who too is unaware of his (d)evilish self. Taking him away from the police station, they go to the temple where Reshma (Pandey's previous victim) is seeking refuge with the pujari. At one go, he kills all the three and returns to his den. He invites Priya (Jacqueline Fernandez) on a modeling assignment. But Arjun arrives before Priya. A fight ensues and the bad guy breathes his last. And the movie ends on a 'happy' note. Poetic justice has been done. But has justice been done really? The villain walks away with our sympathy. Narayanan is not only a eunuch, he is psychotic misogynist. As a helpless person, Pandey tugs at our heart strings. He didn't deserve to die. He deserved to be treated. But he had degenerated to such a state where death alone was his cure. But Narayanan's Dheeraj Pandey has given Bollywood a new villain, who will always be uneasily remembered. For deviant characters leave this indelible stamp, which will not be easily erased just like their on-screen crimes. M2 has Narayanan written all over it. Terror has a new name. This villain is not menacing but his devil-may-care killings curdle our blood. And his victims' shrieks will forever ring loud. If Narayanan likes sounds in real life, his cell phone will not stop ringing for a long

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