Whodunnit mysteries can be tricky to make. And if it is a remake of sorts of an already known film, it becomes even harder to generate curiosity around the film. First time director Abhay Chopra&#39;s Ittefaq, starring Sonakshi Sinha, Sidharth Malhotra and Akshaye Khanna keeps the basic structure of the original film intact; yet changes the film to make it suitable for the modern times. Does it work? Mostly, yes.&nbsp;

Having found his wife Catherine&#39;s dead body in the hotel room and subsequently being accused of murdering her, writer Vikram (Sidharth Malhotra) is on the run. The film opens with a car chase sequence across Mumbai roads. As his car turns turtle, Vikram manages to escape the police and lands up taking refuge at Maya&#39;s (Sonakshi Sinha) apartment. As police follow Vikram to Maya&#39;s apartment, they find him standing next to Maya&#39;s husband Shekhar&#39;s body and arrest him.&nbsp; 
 
The story is then taken forward with two very different versions of the same murder. One where Vikram states he was wrongly framed by Maya in Shekhar&#39;s murder and then the other version by Maya - where she states Vikram forced entry into her apartment and while trying to save her, Shekhar got killed by Vikram. &nbsp;It is then up to Dev (Akshaye Khanna),&nbsp;the investigative officer of the case, to find out the truth and arrest the murderer.&nbsp; 
 
The film&#39;s taut screenplay helps in keeping the viewers engaged throughout its runtime. The narrative keeps going back and forth, each time with a different version of the same story- one of Vikram&#39;s and the other of Maya&#39;s. The non-linear narrative helps to keep one guessing on who is speaking the truth.

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A still from the film featuring Sonakshi Sinha and Sidharth Malhotra (Others)
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Shot by Michal Luka, the frames play an integral part in keeping the mystery alive. Most of the scenes have overall hue of grey, indicating that none of the characters on screen are plain black or white. One barely gets to see the faces of the leads properly in most part of the film and their actual faces are only visible fully near the climax as slowly the mystery is unraveled.&nbsp; 
 
Among the actors, Akshaye Khanna is in top form as the wry yet self-assured cop. Khanna&#39;s character gets to deliver some of the best lines in the film and his cool-as-cucumber act does not appear out of place. It is quite refreshing to see Khanna playing an author-backed role after ages, in fact. The lead pair, Sidharth Malhotra and Sonakshi Sinha also deliver commendable performances. Both fit their characters well and are pitch perfect in playing the mysterious characters. Their initial scenes are a tad rough but eventually, the act stabilizes and they both manage to intrigue.&nbsp;

The film is devoid of songs which works immensely for the film- because we all know how unnecessary the songs are especially in a whodunnit.&nbsp; 
 
Above all, what works for the film is that narrative never loses pace- not even in the dreaded second half. I found myself on the edge of my seat during most part of the second half, keenly following what was unfolding on the big screen. With a runtime of a little over two hours, Ittefaq keeps you guessing&nbsp;until the end.&nbsp; 
 
Should you be watching Ittefaq? Most certainly yes. It has got in place the basic ingredients of a good murder mystery. It&#39;s edgy, engaging, sleek and you can&#39;t foresee the big twist in the end.&nbsp;

Rating: 3.5/5

Whodunnit mysteries can be tricky to make. And if it is a remake of sorts of an already known film, it becomes even harder to generate curiosity around the film.

Whodunnit mysteries can be tricky to make. And if it is a remake of sorts of an already known film, it becomes even harder to generate curiosity around the film. First time director Abhay Chopra's Ittefaq, starring Sonakshi Sinha, Sidharth Malhotra and Akshaye Khanna keeps the basic structure of the original film intact; yet changes the film to make it suitable for the modern times. Does it work? Mostly, yes. Having found his wife Catherine's dead body in the hotel room and subsequently being accused of murdering her, writer Vikram (Sidharth Malhotra) is on the run. The film opens with a car chase sequence across Mumbai roads. As his car turns turtle, Vikram manages to escape the police and lands up taking refuge at Maya's (Sonakshi Sinha) apartment. As police follow Vikram to Maya's apartment, they find him standing next to Maya's husband Shekhar's body and arrest him. The story is then taken forward with two very different versions of the same murder. One where Vikram states he was wrongly framed by Maya in Shekhar's murder and then the other version by Maya - where she states Vikram forced entry into her apartment and while trying to save her, Shekhar got killed by Vikram. It is then up to Dev (Akshaye Khanna), the investigative officer of the case, to find out the truth and arrest the murderer. The film's taut screenplay helps in keeping the viewers engaged throughout its runtime. The narrative keeps going back and forth, each time with a different version of the same story- one of Vikram's and the other of Maya's. The non-linear narrative helps to keep one guessing on who is speaking the truth. A still from the film featuring Sonakshi Sinha and Sidharth Malhotra (Others) × Shot by Michal Luka, the frames play an integral part in keeping the mystery alive. Most of the scenes have overall hue of grey, indicating that none of the characters on screen are plain black or white. One barely gets to see the faces of the leads properly in most part of the film and their actual faces are only visible fully near the climax as slowly the mystery is unraveled. Among the actors, Akshaye Khanna is in top form as the wry yet self-assured cop. Khanna's character gets to deliver some of the best lines in the film and his cool-as-cucumber act does not appear out of place. It is quite refreshing to see Khanna playing an author-backed role after ages, in fact. The lead pair, Sidharth Malhotra and Sonakshi Sinha also deliver commendable performances. Both fit their characters well and are pitch perfect in playing the mysterious characters. Their initial scenes are a tad rough but eventually, the act stabilizes and they both manage to intrigue. The film is devoid of songs which works immensely for the film- because we all know how unnecessary the songs are especially in a whodunnit. Above all, what works for the film is that narrative never loses pace- not even in the dreaded second half. I found myself on the edge of my seat during most part of the second half, keenly following what was unfolding on the big screen. With a runtime of a little over two hours, Ittefaq keeps you guessing until the end. Should you be watching Ittefaq? Most certainly yes. It has got in place the basic ingredients of a good murder mystery. It's edgy, engaging, sleek and you can't foresee the big twist in the end. Rating: 3.5/5

Ittefaq movie review: Sidharth Malhotra-Sonakshi Sinha's film is an engaging watch

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who has been a part of remakes like Devdas and Don, said he loved introducing Ittefaq to a new generation as the Rajesh Khanna-starrer was his mother&#39;s favourite movie.

Shah Rukh has produced the remake of 1969 thriller with Karan Johar and BR Films. Sonakshi Sinha, Sidharth Malhotra and Akshaye Khanna feature in the new version that has been directed by Abhay Chopra.

&quot;When I was growing up, it was my mother&#39;s favourite film. Rajesh Khanna and Nanda ji both were good. I found the story interesting. It is exciting for these two boys (Abhay and Kapil Chopra) to remake a classic,&quot; Shah Rukh said at a promotional event of the movie last night.

Calling the original film one of his favourite thrillers in Hindi cinema, Shah Rukh said, &quot;I have done Devdas, which would never be better than the classic (and) Don, which would never be better than Bachchan sahab&#39;s (version).

&quot;Somewhere down the line, (it is) just to reintroduce great cinema that perhaps passes the youngsters by. So Ittefaq is another move in that line. Hopefully, youngsters will like it,&quot; he added.

Shah Rukh, who worked with Yash Chopra on many films including the director&#39;s last one, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, said the filmmaker had narrated to him the story that inspired the original Ittefaq.

&quot;Before Yash ji passed away, he told how he made Ittefaq. He said he was making some film and there was a break and they decided to see a play. Then overnight they decided to make this movie for BR Films. It is based on a play and I found it interesting,&quot; he said.&nbsp;The film is set to release this Friday.

Remakes introduce films to the youngsters feels Shah Rukh Khan who has co-produced Ittefaq.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who has been a part of remakes like Devdas and Don, said he loved introducing Ittefaq to a new generation as the Rajesh Khanna-starrer was his mother's favourite movie. Shah Rukh has produced the remake of 1969 thriller with Karan Johar and BR Films. Sonakshi Sinha, Sidharth Malhotra and Akshaye Khanna feature in the new version that has been directed by Abhay Chopra. "When I was growing up, it was my mother's favourite film. Rajesh Khanna and Nanda ji both were good. I found the story interesting. It is exciting for these two boys (Abhay and Kapil Chopra) to remake a classic," Shah Rukh said at a promotional event of the movie last night. Calling the original film one of his favourite thrillers in Hindi cinema, Shah Rukh said, "I have done Devdas, which would never be better than the classic (and) Don, which would never be better than Bachchan sahab's (version). "Somewhere down the line, (it is) just to reintroduce great cinema that perhaps passes the youngsters by. So Ittefaq is another move in that line. Hopefully, youngsters will like it," he added. Shah Rukh, who worked with Yash Chopra on many films including the director's last one, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, said the filmmaker had narrated to him the story that inspired the original Ittefaq. "Before Yash ji passed away, he told how he made Ittefaq. He said he was making some film and there was a break and they decided to see a play. Then overnight they decided to make this movie for BR Films. It is based on a play and I found it interesting," he said. The film is set to release this Friday.

'Ittefaq' was my mother's favourite film, says producer Shah Rukh Khan

Looks like filmmaker Karan Johar isn&#39;t done discussing the nepotism topic yet. At a promotional event of his upcoming film Ittefaq, the director once again brought up the topic and even took jibes at himself,&nbsp;Akshaye Khanna and Sonakshi Sinha.&nbsp;

Johar said that the film industry was willing to make space for all kinds of people. &quot;On the platform, today, there are two non-nepotistic people - Shah Rukh Khan and Sidharth Malhotra and rest of us - Sonakshi Sinha, daughter of veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha, Akshaye Khanna, son of late actor Vinod Khanna, Abhay Chopra and Kapil Chopra, sons of late filmmaker Ravi Chopra, are the brand ambassador of nepotism. As we stand together, it speaks a volume about how worth they are equally, efficiently and correctly,&quot; a news agency quoted him as saying.&nbsp;

The event also saw Shah Rukh Khan in attendance, who has co-produced the film. When the superstar was asked about his opinion on nepotism, the actor played it safe and said, &quot;I don&#39;t understand this discussion (on nepotism). When I hear the word &#39;nepotism&#39;, I feel the other person is talking about Napoleon. Even though I know enough English, still I don&#39;t understand it and the discussion. Whether I agree or disagree -- I don&#39;t even understand it so how can I have an opinion?&quot;

Johar was accused by actress Kangana Ranaut of being a flagbearer of nepotism in the film industry during one of the episodes of Koffee With Karan. Not only did the statement raised many eyebrows. At the IIFA a few months back, the filmmaker along with Varun Dhawan and Saif Ali Khan had made jokes around Ranaut&#39;s comment and even chanted &#39;Nepotism Rocks&#39; while hosting a segment at the award ceremony. The act, of course, received a lot of criticism from fans and media alike and later the two actors had issued an apology and the filmmaker expressed regret.&nbsp;

Johar and Khan&#39;s co-production Ittefaq&nbsp;is all set to release in theatres on Friday. The film features Sidharth Malhotra, Sonakshi Sinha and Akshaye Khanna in lead roles.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Johar was accused by actress Kangana Ranaut of being a flagbearer of nepotism in the film industry during one of the episodes of Koffee With Karan.

Looks like filmmaker Karan Johar isn't done discussing the nepotism topic yet. At a promotional event of his upcoming film Ittefaq, the director once again brought up the topic and even took jibes at himself, Akshaye Khanna and Sonakshi Sinha. Johar said that the film industry was willing to make space for all kinds of people. "On the platform, today, there are two non-nepotistic people - Shah Rukh Khan and Sidharth Malhotra and rest of us - Sonakshi Sinha, daughter of veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha, Akshaye Khanna, son of late actor Vinod Khanna, Abhay Chopra and Kapil Chopra, sons of late filmmaker Ravi Chopra, are the brand ambassador of nepotism. As we stand together, it speaks a volume about how worth they are equally, efficiently and correctly," a news agency quoted him as saying. The event also saw Shah Rukh Khan in attendance, who has co-produced the film. When the superstar was asked about his opinion on nepotism, the actor played it safe and said, "I don't understand this discussion (on nepotism). When I hear the word 'nepotism', I feel the other person is talking about Napoleon. Even though I know enough English, still I don't understand it and the discussion. Whether I agree or disagree -- I don't even understand it so how can I have an opinion?" Johar was accused by actress Kangana Ranaut of being a flagbearer of nepotism in the film industry during one of the episodes of Koffee With Karan. Not only did the statement raised many eyebrows. At the IIFA a few months back, the filmmaker along with Varun Dhawan and Saif Ali Khan had made jokes around Ranaut's comment and even chanted 'Nepotism Rocks' while hosting a segment at the award ceremony. The act, of course, received a lot of criticism from fans and media alike and later the two actors had issued an apology and the filmmaker expressed regret. Johar and Khan's co-production Ittefaq is all set to release in theatres on Friday. The film features Sidharth Malhotra, Sonakshi Sinha and Akshaye Khanna in lead roles.

Karan Johar calls himself brand 'ambassador of nepotism'

Director Karan Johar and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan have come together for a new project titled &quot;Ittefaq&quot; starring&nbsp;Sidharth Malhotra, Sonakshi Sinha and Akshaye Khanna in the lead.

The movie is a murder-mystery and has something interesting to offer from the yesteryear to the current generation of movie-goers, according to the producers.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, Karan Johar along with the star cast took to Twitter to share the first look of the movie.

Here is what each of them looks like in the movie:

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I&#39;m a victim who got accused of being a criminal! Dont you want to hear my story?!? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IttefaqNov3?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IttefaqNov3</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/S1dharthM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@S1dharthM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AkshayeKhanna?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AkshayeKhanna</a> <a href="https://t.co/krSCJ43fHq">pic.twitter.com/krSCJ43fHq</a>
&mdash; Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha) <a href="https://twitter.com/sonakshisinha/status/915437889386876928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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I am accused of a crime I did not commit! Wait for my story&hellip; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IttefaqNov3?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IttefaqNov3</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sonakshisinha?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sonakshisinha</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AkshayeKhanna?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AkshayeKhanna</a> <a href="https://t.co/vEWDsoRo18">pic.twitter.com/vEWDsoRo18</a>
&mdash; Sidharth Malhotra (@S1dharthM) <a href="https://twitter.com/S1dharthM/status/915434451496136704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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He trusts no one and suspects everyone! He only wants the TRUTH! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ittefaq?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ittefaq</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/3rdNOV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#3rdNOV</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/S1dharthM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@S1dharthM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sonakshisinha?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sonakshisinha</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/akshaye?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#akshaye</a> <a href="https://t.co/imFSSlADBL">pic.twitter.com/imFSSlADBL</a>
&mdash; Karan Johar (@karanjohar) <a href="https://twitter.com/karanjohar/status/915442095933894656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The story revolves around the incident that happened on one night. The film&#39;s tagline is: &#39;2 murders, 2 suspects, 2 versions&#39;.

The film is directed by Abhay Chopra and will mark the debut of Sonakshi Sinha in Dharma camp.&nbsp;

In a statement to the media, Karan said,&nbsp;&ldquo;I think just like me, Shah Rukh is pretty much in the background. We have people and teams that take over the films. Actors want to leverage their brand value and equity and take it to another level by having production houses. Shah Rukh isn&rsquo;t involved on a day-to-day basis. He is a superstar and he has so much happening ...&rdquo;

He added,&nbsp;&ldquo;SRK and I work very well together -- we produced Dear Zindagi with him and now, Ittefaq. It is seamless and our teams are completely aligned with each other. Shah Rukh and I step in whenever required. At the final cut, we will see the film. Dear Zindagi was Gauri Shinde&rsquo;s baby all the way, Shah Rukh and I stepped in the end just to help and support the product and do nothing else.&rdquo;

Speaking about the movie, he said,&nbsp; &ldquo;Ittefaq is placed in the hands of a debutant director, but I can assure you Abhay Chopra has a sound voice because of the way he wrote the film and the way he has executed it. It is bang on time, the way we planned it. He has such a clear vision for it and I am sure when we see the final cut, he would have followed his vision to the T. I like collaborating with like-minded people. I collaborated with Sajid Nadiadwala and we had a great equation. Touch wood, all my collaborations have been very smooth. And you know that for a fact because you would have heard about it if it was otherwise.&rdquo;

The ready-for-release movie is a remake of the 1969 award-winning film of the same name that was directed by Yash Chopra starring Rajesh Khanna, Nanda and Bindu in lead roles.&nbsp;

If social media reports are to be believed, the trailer will be out tomorrow.&nbsp;

The movie is slated for a release on November 3.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The movie is co-produced by Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan

Director Karan Johar and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan have come together for a new project titled "Ittefaq" starring Sidharth Malhotra, Sonakshi Sinha and Akshaye Khanna in the lead. The movie is a murder-mystery and has something interesting to offer from the yesteryear to the current generation of movie-goers, according to the producers. On Wednesday, Karan Johar along with the star cast took to Twitter to share the first look of the movie. Here is what each of them looks like in the movie: I'm a victim who got accused of being a criminal! Dont you want to hear my story?!? #IttefaqNov3 @S1dharthM #AkshayeKhanna pic.twitter.com/krSCJ43fHq — Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha) October 4, 2017 × I am accused of a crime I did not commit! Wait for my story… #IttefaqNov3 @sonakshisinha #AkshayeKhanna pic.twitter.com/vEWDsoRo18 — Sidharth Malhotra (@S1dharthM) October 4, 2017 × He trusts no one and suspects everyone! He only wants the TRUTH! #Ittefaq #3rdNOV @S1dharthM @sonakshisinha #akshaye pic.twitter.com/imFSSlADBL — Karan Johar (@karanjohar) October 4, 2017 × The story revolves around the incident that happened on one night. The film's tagline is: '2 murders, 2 suspects, 2 versions'. The film is directed by Abhay Chopra and will mark the debut of Sonakshi Sinha in Dharma camp. In a statement to the media, Karan said, “I think just like me, Shah Rukh is pretty much in the background. We have people and teams that take over the films. Actors want to leverage their brand value and equity and take it to another level by having production houses. Shah Rukh isn’t involved on a day-to-day basis. He is a superstar and he has so much happening ...” He added, “SRK and I work very well together -- we produced Dear Zindagi with him and now, Ittefaq. It is seamless and our teams are completely aligned with each other. Shah Rukh and I step in whenever required. At the final cut, we will see the film. Dear Zindagi was Gauri Shinde’s baby all the way, Shah Rukh and I stepped in the end just to help and support the product and do nothing else.” Speaking about the movie, he said, “Ittefaq is placed in the hands of a debutant director, but I can assure you Abhay Chopra has a sound voice because of the way he wrote the film and the way he has executed it. It is bang on time, the way we planned it. He has such a clear vision for it and I am sure when we see the final cut, he would have followed his vision to the T. I like collaborating with like-minded people. I collaborated with Sajid Nadiadwala and we had a great equation. Touch wood, all my collaborations have been very smooth. And you know that for a fact because you would have heard about it if it was otherwise.” The ready-for-release movie is a remake of the 1969 award-winning film of the same name that was directed by Yash Chopra starring Rajesh Khanna, Nanda and Bindu in lead roles. If social media reports are to be believed, the trailer will be out tomorrow. The movie is slated for a release on November 3.

'Ittefaq' posters out: Sonakshi, Siddharth and Akshaye look menacing

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