Manvat Murders Review: Desperation and Superstitions Lose Their Way

This Marathi crime-thriller series is based on the autobiographical account of Detective Officer Ramakant S. Kulkarni, titled Footprints on the Sand of Crime and follows Ramakant Kulkarni, who is tasked to investigate a series of brutal murders in rural Maharashtra during the 1970s. As time runs out, Kulkarni must do whatever it takes to wrap these cases up and give justice to the victims in order to bring the horror to an end.

Manvat Murders Review

In Manvat Murders, there’s an unmissable tension that will keep viewers hooked to the screen for most of its runtime. With several brutal murders consisting of women of all ages, one cannot help but want to figure out what exactly is happening in this quaint Maharashtrian village. Of course, the occult is involved but viewers will continue to wonder whether it’s just something kooky or if there’s a struggle for power in the mix that can easily be dismissed at first glance.

Director Ashutosh Gowariker plays a perceptive and relentless cop whose method of investigation is a little different considering that it is set in the 1970s. He uses his brain more than his brawn and navigates the complexities of the peculiar case that he suddenly finds himself handling. It’s nice to watch a show where the police don’t jump to physical violence at the drop of a hat. Gowariker is a believable Sherlock Holmes-esq cop and his method of investigation is interesting and admirable. It’s good to see how perceptive his character is and it leaves viewers to think about the different threads of mystery rather than jumping to the obvious conclusions.

Based on the real-life murders that shook the country in the early 1970s, the series’ story is quite shocking, drowning in dark rituals, human sacrifice and a hunt for treasure. The folklore in the village adds a spice to an already dreary tale making this Marathi series a thrilling endeavour. However, it’s the storytelling that can get on your nerves sometimes – with myriad characters joining every few minutes, the series’ runtime slows down to a snail’s pace sometimes with long stretches featuring nothing of significance. There’s a great lack of shocking and blood-pumping moments that might end up boring viewers.

Most of the interesting moments are also full of exposition, and they come up in the last two episodes. The case is cracked not really thanks to Ramakant but due to a character fearing for the life of their child and thus giving up information on their own accord. And sure, everything that comes out in episode 8 is nothing short of shocking and will leave most viewers with their mouths gaping but the path to that is fraught with long moments of nothing really happening. The series also feels kind of preachy something, with Ramakant telling you things as if you are a child who needs to be lectured. There’s not a lot of mystery either because it’s quite clear who the antagonist is from the get-go.

However, the series works because of the performances of the main cast, especially the two women – Sai Tamhankar and Sonali Kulkarni. In this tale of desperation and superstitions, both Tamhankar and Kulkarni shine bright, leaving us to hang on to their every word. While Kulkarni brings a desperate yet threatening antagonist to the floor, there’s a vulnerability in Tamhankar’s performance that brings forth her character’s plight really well. Gowariker is fine too, but doesn’t leave an impact on you with his performance. By the end, his character feels oddly without any rousing emotions and almost feels forgettable in spite of the series’ desperation to make sure you know that he is the star.

The series does a good job of bringing forth the devastating consequences of believing in superstitions to solve your problems. It’s saddening to see how a woman’s desperation to have a child pushes her to go to a false godman who doesn’t think twice before taking advantage of her. However, it does seriously miss out on creating a truly dark mystery that keeps us on the edge of our seats.

Final Thoughts

Manvat Murders is a satisfactory watch that doesn’t keep us on the edge of our seats for all of its runtime. The last episode is a winner but the series sort of loses us at different moments throughout its runtime and gets a bit repetitive at points. However, it’s the performances that one must look at for, especially from the female leads.

Also Read: Honeymoon Photographer Review: This Crime Thriller is Nothing but a Cringe Fest