Specials @ 10

A new series has started on Sony Entertainment Television. Four acclaimed directors Anuarag Kashyap, Mahesh Manjrekar, Madhur Bhandarkar and Vikram Bhatt have directed four short films long enough to be telecasted for 12 weeks. Yesterday I happened to watch one of Mahesh Manjrekar's titled "Har Kadam par Shaque".

This guy impressed me a lot with his first film "Vastav". Terrific dialogues, superb acting and perfect casting. I watched this 3 times. Just loved it. But then I think he lost direction and came up with blunders. Absolute blunders. Its very difficult for me to understand how a guy who made Vastav can also make a film "Laloo Prasad Padamshree". He also made another good film "Astitiva" but apart from this, everything was bad. I mean really bad.

So yesterday when the episode started, on one side I had huge expectation from the director of "Vastav" and on the other hand I thought this one might add into his list of ever growing blunders. But I was in for a surprise.

The episode started with a new married couple running in a secluded beautiful forest area. running around trees.The gal leading as usual and the poor guy running behind her. Finally when the young gal got tired and lied down on a bed of green leaves, the husband caught up with her and when he lied down next to her. He saw. Pretty unnerving for a guy on his honeymoon. A body of a young gal lying just a few feet away from them. He is shocked, paralysed by this view. Wife follows his line of view turns her head sees the body, starts screaming and running.

Terrific start. Next scene police arrive at the scene. The Inspector knows the gal, expresses concern not for the gal but how will he communicate this to somebody. Next a guy starts walking towards a ringing phone. Picks its up asks "Where did you find her, What has she done now?". Its the Inspector on the other line says "Sir. aaaaaaaa. Sir. We have found her body". The guys collapses on a nearby chair.

Its a small town where this has happened. New spreads like fire. In the scheme of events we get to know that the name of the dead gal is Mallika. She is the Mayor's daughter. His other daughter Anjali arrives at the scene and can't believe her sister has died. The Post Mortem report concludes the cause of death as "Overdose of drug". New characters are introduced in the plot. Taneja, a wealthy guy who wants to set up a 2,000 crore project there. He has been having some problems with the Mayor. Anjali wants a CBI investigation as she believes he sister wasn't into drugs at all.

Mallika's ex-boyfriend had returned and met her just a few days before her death. Suddenly a guy enters the picture. He is walking towards the police station, finds it closed. Checks into a hotel, leaves his profession "blank" when signing into the hotel, goes to the pub. Starts a conversation with the bar tender. And in due course identifies himself as a photographer who has come to cover the Death of the Mayor's daughter. Bribes the bartender and learns that 2 guys were fighting with each other over Mallika just a day before her death in the pub and one of them even fired a gun.

Next morning when he again walks into the police station, scares the hell out of all the guys by showing his ID card as a CBI Officer. He has come to solve the mystery of Mallika's death.

Interesting start. this story is going to unfold in a span of 12 weeks. I am hoping the ending would be as good as the start. So Mr. Manjrekar might again get into my personal list of good directors. I am eagerly waiting for next Wednesday.