A stone-cold killer nicknamed Pathar Maar/Stoneman takes to the streets at night to murder footpath dwellers and homeless stoners alike. At the same time, S.I. Sanjay Shellar, a hot-headed, suspended police officer takes to the streets at night to apprehend this mysterious murderer who bludgeons his victims to death with a rock and leaves behind a trail of gulaal (red powder). This indicates that the killings may represent black magic rituals as well.
This neo-noir crime thriller, “The Stoneman Murders,” is based on true events that occurred in 1980s Mumbai, it is definitely not a documentary, nor a fateful account of the actual Stoneman murders (which to date remain unsolved). Instead it weaves a captivating and gripping fictional storyline around the same by incorporating some facts from the original murders. It also takes some creative liberties that further enhance the suspense quotient. None of the scenes are unnecessarily long, either, resulting in a tight and fast narrative with hardly a dull moment. Writer and Director Manish Gupta also cleverly leaves behind breadcrumbs; and if you’re sharp enough, you might even deduce who the culprit is via dialogues alone.
“The Stoneman Murders” also benefits from the rustic cinematography by Santosh Naroj, and I loved the painstaking effort of the art director to lend an authentic yet chilling ambience to the film (I highly recommend looking up the trivia section of this movie on IMDb as it includes some cool information. For instance, we learn how the crew recreated the old tar roads of ‘80s Mumbai using camera trickery and large amounts of rubbery black tarp for a more gritty, realistic feel).
The film also ditches the cool and suave stylishness of most crime capers set in the ‘80s; instead it ops for a more creepy, dark, gruesome, and gritty approach that roots the “Stoneman” in reality.
Kay Kay Menon does an impeccable job in the role of Sanjay Shellar; his morals may be suspect, but he leaves no stone unturned in working toward cracking the case. This is especially true as more innocent lives find themselves at stake from the ruthless hooded killer.
Arbaaz Khan has limited screen-time as S.I. Kedhar; but he too turns in a fine performance as Sanjay’s fellow inspector who begins to suspect that Sanjay himself might be behind the murders, mainly due to his long history of misdemeanor with prison inmates and since he has recently been linked to a custodial death as well. Lending them both ample support are Rukhsan Rehman as Manali Shellar, who resents her husband Sanjay for spending too much time on the case and Vikram Gokhale as AIG Satam who supports Sanjay’s independent efforts in bringing justice to the victims.
All-in-all, “The Stoneman Murders” is an engrossing, overlooked gem you’ll be impressed by, especially if you’re into true crime thrillers.
