A film which traverses two varied timelines, ‘The Merchant of Death’, tracks the search for ex-crime lord, Agasthya Rathore’s abducted wife, Maya in one period, while the other timeline has a frail Agasthya, in a desolate landscape haunted by music that he faintly recognizes. How these two timelines merge forms the crux of the story.
Language:
English
Running Time:
75 min
Rating:
–
Release date:
4 July 2014
Directed by:
Rishav Rastogi
Produced by:
Pulkit Gupta
Rishav Rastogi
Kulvinder Rastogi
Written by:
Rishav Rastogi
Starring:
Sourav Bangotra
Karan Kantoor
Subha Rajput
Rana Nayar
Music by:
Beethoven
Django
Barber
Shot by:
Prabhdeep Singh
Distributed by:
Cellar Door Productions

What’s Hot

  • Rishav Rastogi must be commended for having the guts to make an Indie film of this genre in the Indian context. The way he brings the two contrasting timelines together at the end & the dialogues uttered by the ‘Agent’ in the movie reveals the level of conviction he has in his craft.
  • Sourav Bangotra who plays the protagonist, Agasthya Rathore has been provided a canvas wide enough to portray contrasting emotions and he has delivered. His charming looks & fantastic body-language make the crime-lord all the more menacing.
  • Karan Kantoor plays the role of the Agent of Apple Merchants, a secretive organization. His performance is the prime reason for the film engagement quotient lifts up several notches towards the end. He effortlessly leaves the audience in awe through his explanation which touches various topics.
  • The Sound design & the songs in the background have been used brilliantly to create the mood for each & every scene. Similarly, the cinematographer Prabhdeep Singh, with his low-light camerawork, choice of colors and camera angles commands attention.

What’s Not

  • The film has wantedly been paced in such a way that is pretty slow to take off, through sustained, indulgent shots and transitions. While it does leave the audience baffled for a significant portion, the final act sort-of makes up for it.

Badges

Screened at

INDIEARTH

Connecting India’s Independent Artists to Worldwide Media: Creating a platform for the rich diversity of India’s traditional and contemporary music and film, IndiEarth is the only specifically designed meeting hub for India’s independent Artists and worldwide Media.

Event Info

Date of Screening : 5-Nov-2014
Venue and Time : Hotel Hablis, The Moon and Sixpence , 7.30 PM

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Verdict

Verdict Stamp

The Merchant of Death is a rare indie running on a highly complex plot, which captures the imagination through fantastic sound design, camera work and some remarkable acting in the climax.