The plot of âDurgamati,â as we come to know by the end, is quite good. The layers that unfold in the last 30 minutes of the long (for the contents) marathon of 150 minutes-plus yearned for a decent execution that precedes the revelations, twists and counter-twists. We could mention a passing but vital resemblance to two classic films, one from the pre-1960s and one from the millennium, but doing that may mean part spoilers.
Durgamati, by the way, is a wronged queen who seeks revenge on her chief of army, who betrayed her, leading to her suicide. She is said to haunt a decrepit âhaveliâ (mansion) in which no one now lives. For reasons best known to those who wrote and directed the film, everyone in the vicinity is scared of going near (or in), and yet there is electric supply, a watchman sans hands and his wife as some kind of caretakers. And the venue is selected by the CBI (!!!!) as a place to shift murder-accused IAS officer Chanchal Chauhan (Bhumi Pednekar) temporarily for interrogation.