Gin Ke Dus, Review: I’ll count till ten

There was a film titled Ab Tak Chhappan (So Far, 56), about a specialist cop who had killed 56 criminals in what are known as ‘encounters’. These are often incidents where the victim is lulled into believing that he has been let off, only to be shot dead by the policeman who set this up. A giveaway, the tile told you that there would be 56 killings, though cinematically, all might not be shown in detail, due to time constraints. Now comes one which calls itself Gin Ke Dus (A Count of Ten). This is a more manageable figure than 56, and sure enough, the killer counts till ten. Highly stylised, the film grabs your attention right from the beginning, and except for an unconvincing second half, where it leaves ten questions unanswered, is worth a watch.

In a remote location, a killer attacks and kills all the inhabitants of an old-style mansion. He is helped by a nitwit, and the corpses are buried in deep holes. It starts with one, then he kills the man who witnessed it, then the woman who arrives in an auto-rickshaw, appearing to be drunk, and so on. Out of the blue, a group of three girls and one boy arrive on the scene, having been called by their office colleague, Shyali, who lives there. Is he going to kill them too? What is his motive? And who is he?

Not a familiar name to me, Sareesh Sudhakaran has written the story and the screenplay. He is also the producer, director and…hold on, cinematographer, editor, colour grader and sound designer. Whew! So, this film is his baby, entirely. He is influenced by the Giallo and slasher genres. For more than half the film, the killer’s face is hidden, sometimes using simple techniques, sometimes cleverly. Saying any more will be a spoiler.

Gin Ke Dus is not an ordinary corpse gallery fest. But you do begin to question the ease with which he bumps off victim after victim. Not sporting a six-pack physique, and rarely using a weapon, he makes killing look cakewalk. The visiting group is ill-defined and their wandering is more meandering than searching, which is what it is meant to be. Dialogue, by Amjad Ali, is often crisp, to the extent of sounding unnatural or rude. The character of a woman hiding in a deserted building for no apparent reason is unnecessary and redundant to the plot. The idea of twins swapping places is too clichéd and is taken too far. It tests the suspension of disbelief among audiences. An Adults Only Censor Certificate is quite in order.

As the brother/husband, Avinash Gupta is passable. Sanjana Deshmukh plays Hottie, with very short shorts, but a mature face. Himanshu Shekhar is the nerd, addresses as Petit Fou (wonder how many would know that these words mean Small Madman, i.e., a fool) and he has to work hard to sound silly or drunk. Anika Arya is credited as the girl-friend. Whose? Is she the one who is called Chou? Chou means cabbage in French. Could not identify. Trishana Goswami is at the centre of the plot, playing the twins, Shyali and Attika. Zahid Ahmed Khan has a poorly etched character as the Caretaker, but impresses, nevertheless. As the Mystery Woman, Muskan Khurana puts in a cameo, to no purpose. The one actor who impresses is the man who plays Raju, and, sadly, he is not credited. It is very difficult to play a demented person convincingly, and he manages to do justice.

The car number plate reads Gin Ke Dus and the auto-rickshaw has the letter Lu met. Is this a tribute to Sidney Lumet, one of America's most prolific film-makers, including Serpico, who dies in 2011, aged 86. Dragging a bit in the second half, Gin Ke Dus ends abruptly, leaving ten questions unanswered. A lot of the camera work is lingering and indulgent, which is okay when Sareesh is making a point. But he sticks to his style even when nothing of consequence is happening. Freshness of style and narration make the film rise above the rut.

Rating: ** ½

Trailer: https://youtu.be/t3KFuibOOqg