Samay: When Time Strikes (2003) User Reviews

A good movie that holds your interest till the end

[jahangirhussain74 · 8/10 · 1 July 2010]

'Samay' is one of the best movies of 2003. It stars the beauty queen Sushmita Sen in one of the most meaningful roles of her career. She plays the role of an intelligent cop who is assigned the task of solving the murder of a wealthy businessman. She begins to unearth every clues linking her to the killer.

But before she could solve the mystery of the businessman's homicide, another murder takes place. This time a leading actress of the film industry has been murdered. To make matters worse, a famous contact-killer of the city has also been killed.

Each murder follows an interesting pattern-the first victim was killed at 12, the second at 3 and the third at 6. And each victim had a defective eyesight with a power of -2. Will Sush be able to stop the killer from carrying out one more crime with impunity or will she fail? The movie is extremely interesting right from the beginning. This is the first movie I have seen that doesn't follow the usual routine of useless songs and dance numbers. There is only one song in the movie, 'Laila Laila' but it was necessary to establish the moves of the second victim before she was murdered.

'Samay' scores in almost every department. Cinematography was good and the editing was well-paced. The supporting casts were equally good as the lead cast. Sushant Singh was competitive and so were Dinesh Lamba and Rajesh Khera.

As mentioned above, with 'Samay' Sushmita should easily win the critical acclaim that she has longed for from the beginning of her career. She was competitive throughout the movie. No actress can match her given the role of a smart and diligent cop in the movie.

The only thing that I don't like in the movie is the climax which was heavy and unsatisfactory.

Despite an unsatisfactory ending, watch 'Samay' for pure entertainment.

I rate it 8/10.

Thriller with a difference..slightly disappoints!

[csn_61 · 7/10 · 14 August 2010]

It s a taut , professionally made suspense thriller of a female Police officer ably played by Sushmita sen on the trail of a serial killer.

Yes, you can't guess the murderer who is shown to be more intelligent and always one step ahead of her, precisely because he is not one of the characters you have seen in the movie till then...

That is slightly cheating the audience, because you are not giving a chance to the audience to guess and win, which is actually always how whodunits are normally done..It's not about just springing a total stranger in the last scene..but what really disappointed me was the total lack of credible motive behind the serial murders by this devilishly clever villain..His intentions and selection of victims have no connection with each other..

He is also a one man team, lives alone poorly, and so he could not have possibly had the wherewithal to carry out perfect murders of celebrity citizen victims..Its not that easy as is depicted here. Then the very jarring note at the end was that of the role of Sushmita's daughter...(That's bizarre, without being a full spoiler)

Bottom line: Go see it for the professional direction and suspense fitting for a thriller...but there is not a " feel good" factor...

Well-made CID style flick

[AishFan · 7/10 · 7 November 2003]

This movie is made in the style of a CID episode. CID, by the way, is a great show. The plot is very captivating, and how the story unfolds is quite interesting. Sushmita does a wonderful job of portraying a determined, confident CID officer and a loving, caring mother at the same time. She is a great example of a woman of the 21st century. One thing I do not like, however, is the ending. It is creative but unsatisfactory.

Rip off

[sowbi · 10 November 2003]

This film is a rip off of Seven, right down to the surprise intro of the villain.

However, that doesn't make it a bad movie. In fact, amid all the trash that Bollywood just unleashed, this is a pretty interesting Indianized version of Seven. Instead of the sins, they have put in a different sort of a motive, which is actually well thought out and laid out.

Acting is pretty good, especially of Sushmita Sen. So is the direction and editing.

On the whole, I would recommend it, as it is a good thriller and it does not lose its thread and sink into melodrama, as how Hindi thriller movies usually do.

Sushmita Sen is a delight to watch. Samay isnt.

[nadkarnisumeet · 6/10 · 17 September 2020]

Samay : When Time Strikes review :

In an ode to its genre inspiration, the film begins with clip from Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (1958). Samay is a psychological thriller directed by Robby Grewal and starring Sushmita Sen which sadly, came and went without a whimper in early 2000s - an era dominated by single screens and not multiplexes where its intended audience lay. Maybe it arrived a decade too early!!

Sushmita plays top cop Malvika Chauhan who is solving three seemingly unrelated murders but feels they are all connected together. Moreover, the killer's next target is Malvika herself. Atleast, it appears to be...

Sushmita Sen is not the best of actors but she more than makes up for it through the sheer grace and dignity she exudes as a person. In Samay also, she is in top form and its difficult to keep your eyes off her for even a moment. Playing a single mother as well as a tough officer, Sush is a sheer delight to watch. So much that you forget the few loopholes in script and the jaded climax which could've been avoided.

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

If you haven't seen this movie yet, it's about TIME you do!

[JediKnut · 10/10 · 6 November 2003]

Though this movie is a lot like another English (Hollywood) movie, for Bollywood cinemas, it's an excellent improvement on their usual stock. Excellent direction & use of lighting.

No love-interest & not much deviation from the plot keeps the viewer at the edge of the seat, right till the end of the movie.

All in all, an excellent movie I recommend to everyone.

Ending

[yadgil · 7/10 · 7 February 2019]

Has to cut 3 Stars because of the ending and the actual killer

Speechless direction with mystery

[kapil-kapoor · 10/10 · 26 August 2012]

I appreciate most of the people who are in Favour of this movie. There is no doubt in the fact that this deserved a lot more than what it achieved. Since it was not produced by a big banner may be that's the reason it's wasn't promoted that much. I would say a speechless direction with such fine tuned script with preciseness in the way it was shot, the analytical bent of crime it presented with extremely talented set of actors(from small to big) especially sushmita sen, sushant Singh and Jackie shroff. I would add that understanding of how, when and where which actor according to his capability should be used of which samay is a perfect example. Such sleek writing, direction and even that Laila Laila song is damn sexy without being vulgar on the scene. Music is also and hats to that guy who gave enhancement to the scenes with accurate mood setting back ground score. I hv only seen only twice but it blew my mind completely. I feel sad for this production company and especially directors who did such high quality work yet movie not being on star status didnot fetch well but even after 4 yrsi hv become an avid fan of it.

Entertaining film

[sambuddha-34964 · 7/10 · 5 May 2020]

Underrated film..good one....suspense and thriller movie...but expected Susmita Sen to be better more

Good cannot always win .....

[nelufar_up · 9/10 · 30 July 2013]

Samay .... saw this movie on TV long back but the gripping, unusual climax and Sushmita playing ACP to a tee, imprinted this movie on my mind forever.

The opening scene with VERTIGO played on large screen is definitely appropriate message ... this is a thriller of Hitchcockian genre. However, one gets this feeling only as movie progresses with 3 unique murders and a serial killer on loose. All the characters, whether lead or supporting cast, are well established within the flow. Inspite of so many characters getting introduced, not even for a moment story seems diverging from the main plot. In fact, each murder just adds another progression, as depicted through Pokemon levels. Big round of applause to the director for such a commendable job. Climax is spine chilling making this movie not just thriller but horrifying as well. I find this change appreciating. One cannot always expect goody goody end.

Music is well placed in the narration. There are just two songs: 1.)An item number, introducing 2nd victim and 2.)A short song establishing last victim, which audience realize only during the climax. Apart from this, regular background from day-to-day life fills in for most of the background score which gives a realistic touch to the plot.

Coming on to characters, Sushmita as ACP Malvika is awesome. She brilliantly portrays a hard-core cop who always maintains her composure but at the same time like any other human has flaws/weaknesses. Her interrogation style reflects her intelligence and alertness. Jackie Shroff, the antagonist very well tests her composure in the climax by slowly revealing his cold-blooded nature. Sushant Singh as ACP's assistant (Inspector Satya), Dinesh Lamba as Sub-Inspector Rafique and Rajesh Khera as Doc make a perfect team, equally involved and working hard to solve the mystery.

Got to know that this movie received national award for editing .... undoubtedly it deserves one.

Finally, Samay is indeed an all-time watchable thriller.

More worth than every second of my TIME!

[springsunnywinter · 10/10 · 24 April 2007]

This is one of the best crime thrillers I have ever seen. It definitely has to be Sushmita Sen's best film her acting was also good usually she cannot act. Her role as a police officer really did suit her. She is better off like that because she is not very glamorous and she can't act in romantic roles. There is only one song in the film called Laila Laila... which was put in a very sensible way, it doe's not have any couples dancing around trees in Switzerland. It was about an actress who was shooting her music video; the song & cinematography were both terrific. Ending was quite sad but it was very clever and unexpected. A lot of people said that it is inspired from Seven, I've not seen it but I am 200% sure that Samay will turn out to better than Seven although it is one of the top 250 IMDb movies. The film is very similar to the CID programme on Sony Entertainment Television Asia. Overall Samay: When Time Strikes is one of my most favourite movies!

So sad Sush was a part of this.

[OnjiMooteDaMarle · 5/10 · 26 December 2019]

The problem with thrillers or suspense drama is that loop holes in the screenplay cannot be forgiven. Romantic dramas or horror flicks can be ignored of the possible dumb story line. A 2 hour 15 minutes film is a tad too long for a thriller. This is not a suspense drama. There are many Hollywood films better than this like David Fincher's "Seven" (Go figure out). The suspense was very bland as the reasoning for the murders was, well not logical nor made any sense.

the best bollywood suspense story

[nasir-ayub · 20 May 2010]

I haven't watched "Seven" yet but my friend who watched this with me sad its a Hindi version of seven. All I say is that unlike most of bollywood movies, this one is not predictable. You cannot predict whats coming next and when it comes, its different that what you expect. This is the beauty of this film. Its an excellent movie and if you like suspense and CSI type investigations, this is the movie for you.

Spoiler Alert: There is a pattern which is time and the killer... well we don't know about him for most part of the movie because he's not shown yet. But you'll understand because its someone you see on the cover but only see him in the last quarter of the movie

Excellent thriller.

[khayaal_e_yaar · 9/10 · 12 September 2011]

This is one of the best thriller films to have ever emerged from the Indian soil. I saw many people pigeonholing this superb thriller with a lowly crap like Se7en. Well I've got reasons to argue with those who are trying to deny Samay's charms. This movie is neither a 'Whoz dun it' thriller, nor can it be compared with a slow starter like Se7en. As the plot is about a serial killer, then it is a serial killer, not necessarily bound to be one of the protagonist's acquaintances.

Malvika Chauhan (Sushmita Sen) is a cop who has numerous achievements to boast. She is the youngest cop to have gone way too far in her profession and is hence revered and believed by her colleagues namely the forensic expert Doc (Rajesh Khera), Inspector Satya (Sushant Singh), Inspector Rafique (Dinesh Lamba) and her all time friend Dr. Ravi (Tushar Dalvi). Malvika is a widow and lives with her 13-year old daughter Anjali (Barkha Madan). Malvika is investigating a murder case where a rich but very young industrialist Kapil Sharma (Jatin Karia) was murdered. She finds some clues at the murder site which are too minute to be noticed, but it seems that some one has intentionally planted them for the investigators. After few days of initial research, Raghu Kotian (Mohan Kapoor) is called into the police station for interrogation. Raghu was Kapil's legal adviser and seems to have an affair with Kapil's wife Sandhya.

A few days later a famous but very young actress Ritika Sabharwal (Lucy Barthlomeow) is murdered on the sets. Ritika was a highly talented and much successful actress. Malvika tries to co-relate Kapil and Ritika's murder, but she finds no similarities in their lifestyles. The initial findings point at Rocky, Ritika's ex-beau. Malvika is being stalked by a paparazzi (Neeraj Sood) unbeknownst to her. She manages to bust this guy and takes him to the lock-up. The photographer is merely a pawn and is working for a few bucks. Malvika somehow finds out the person who hired the photographer. He is the notorious killer Suleiman Bhai (Pappu Khan). Malvika discovers Suleiman Bhai's whereabouts and raids his house. However, Malvika and her team are highly disappointed when Suleiman Bhai is found dead in his own house. Despite Malvika's best efforts, the killer is still at large.

Malvika receives cold and dismal remarks from her senior officer, who is much disturbed due to the sensational murders across the town. Malvika still believes that the murders of Kapil, Ritika and Suleiman have something in common. She races against time to solve the interconnected mysteries that grow deeper and deeper as the film progresses. She finally manages to discover the 'untold' connection between all the murders, but....it's too late! Will Malvika succeed in her motives? Will she be able to take the race against time and return victorious?

Whoever said that the film is a remake of Se7en is either lying or simply doesn't know much about Se7en. Robby Grewal takes inspiration from Se7en at places, but with a unique approach. You see, thoughts could be handled in various ways, and what makes Samay ahead of its time is its ability and agility to move ahead at a very great speed while equally maintaining and discussing the details minutely. John Doe of Se7en considers himself a messiah, who has killed his victims for committing 7 deadly sins. I think there could have been a better reason for him to kill somebody. If you watch Se7en, you won't feel the incidents happening right before your eyes. In other words, Se7en truly seems like a flick except for one scene, where John Doe (Kevin Spacey) appears to the cops and offers himself for arrest, with his clothes stained and hands smeared with the blood of an unknown victim. Believe me, that scene scared the crap out of me by presenting the real portrait of a serial killer. Samay is not very ideological, but absorbs the viewer in it for a long-long time and is hard to forget. Sushmita Sen would never ever be able to match any of her performances with this. What hurt most are the lines by Sushant Singh that seem too docile. He continuous rants of 'Madam ji Madam ji' buggers the crap out of the egoists. The film wastes no time in silly dance numbers and doesn't try to woo the audience. There are no insufferable doses of comedy and the film succeeds in making point where intended. Excellent editing by Aarif Shaikh adds desired suspense to the scenes and mesmerizes the viewers through its magnetic atmosphere. This is a real good stuff and highly recommended for those who are looking for something sensible.

The best in its segment.... Much ahead of its Samay

[shounak9325 · 10/10 · 16 February 2021]

By far the best movie on serial killing in bollywood. No other movie of this genre can even touch it. Has all the elements of a perfect movie on this subject. This is still an unexplored segment. Samay has created a milestone that cant be reached so easily. But it was way ahead of its time & mainly released in single screens which are run by masses. The intellectual multiplex audience would now have changed the fate of this movie drastically.

Totally underrated , awesome movie

[Hazel_T · 10/10 · 26 January 2020]

A fab movie ! Sushmita and Jackie Shroff both are awesome. Just watch it , don't overanalyze.

Must watch

[kaushikashish-88525 · 8/10 · 23 May 2021]

Execellent direction...one of the best suspense movie in bollywood.

movie where time flews away

[ankitagarwal · 5 November 2003]

This is a movie where director grabs audience in mystery right from the shot one.It starts with the murder of a famous businessman and then a series of murders follows it. The interesting part is that each murder has some clues left behind which are left for police cop(brilliantly played by sushmita sen) to solve. Unlike other bollywood films audience gets an opportunity to go on a parallel journey with her on murder trail and director intelligently introduces twists here and there to thicken the plot.

The performances are brilliant especially by Sushmita Sen and Sushant Singh. Sushant Singh has again come out with a balanced performance as an assistant of Sushmita Sen and his fans of "Jungle" and "The legend of Bhagat Singh" won't regret this one. But the surprise package of film is Sushmita Sen who perfectly essays the role of a cop and has given a balanced performance.The time has come when Bollywood film makers start considering her seriously beyond dance numbers.The only weak point in film is that the end is a bit too hasty . A movie worth watching for those looking beyond Bollywood family dramas. My recommendation is 7/10

Fantastic

[salilmukadam · 8/10 · 27 December 2020]

This movie is way ahead of its time. Bollywood need to showcase same talent like this

Movie ahead of its time

[sudipan-saha · 9/10 · 1 June 2020]

It was made in a time when Bollywood audience (of then) were not ready for it.

Amazing movie

[sunithadolly · 9/10 · 20 September 2020]

The movie is a thriller and keeps you glued to your seat and waiting to know who the killer is !! Sushmita sen done a wonderful job as a cop, hats off to the script and it won National award for best editing. Loved the movie 👍👍

Your eyesight alone does not always help your vision

[ridi-arahan · 8/10 · 23 January 2021]

What worked: It's a fine thriller, with a good screenplay and direction. Sushmita Sen performed very well in the movie, and so did the supporting actors Jackie and Sushant. Unlike many female lead movies, Sushmita was well balanced in her character; no unnecessary ruthlessness or mean behaviors. What did not work: I think the movie could have been better if it was produced today. The technical aspect of the movie is weak; it has weak camera work and sound mixing. Final verdict: recommended

A female cop solves a serial murder case

[rocksd · 5/10 · 19 February 2017]

This film shows a lot of promise with a lot of suspense in the first half with so many clues unfolding. Its after the interval, it totally loses its track and tries to find a convenient ending which makes the audience a bit unsatisfied and cheated. In a typical suspense thriller, the killer is one of characters in the movie and when you find out who is the killer, you either are shocked or say, yeah, I knew it. In this one, we see a completely new character (Shroff)in the end confessing his crime. There was neither enough motive for the crime, nor the connection. The ending spoils the movie completely, which is by the way is the most important aspect.

A Good Copy of Seven

[DesiMovieGuy · 20 July 2004]

Samay is an example of a Bollywood film, inspired by a Hollywood film: Seven. I say inspired instead of copied, because though there are enough similarities between the two, Samay has some of its own original elements. The most important of all is that the motive for the killer in Samay is different, he has an intense dislike for the protagonist, Sushmita Sen. He kills to set up a face-to-face showdown with Sushmita and to prove that he is better than her, whereas in Seven, Kevin Spacey kills because he loathed the sinners.

The direction is fast paced, also helped (thankfully) by the lack of songs that usually stall the movie. Even a blatant item number does not seem forced, as it introduces one of the victims. The plot is tight and gripping, even for those of us who have seen Seven and know what is going to happen. Kudos to the director for showing the final victim's death in a very tasteful (for a lack of a better word) manner.

My nitpicks with this movie are minor. Sushmita Sen does well when she's acting like a cop, but she's horrible in the emotional scenes. One thing that bothered me was the fact that Sushmita's character was so nice and polite with her Ps and Qs - and this seems very out of character. Now she may be polite like that in her real life, which is fine, but it seemed too forced/artificial in the movie. I've been to India many times, and every time I say 'Please' or 'Thank You' to a waiter or anybody, I get plenty of funny looks. The actor who played the killer (name withheld on purpose) just mailed the scenes in. At no point during his monologue does he stir anything within you, and he comes away just looking pathetic.

Overall the movie was enjoyable, and a good way to pass 2hrs 15 minutes (yes, it is LESS than 3 hrs). I give it a 7/10.