Murder 2004

The film opens with a chilling, unsettling scene: a woman in a man’s clothes tries to lure a man, only for him to turn violent and kill her. This early moment sets the tone for a story that threads crime, fear, and moral conflict through a web of uneasy relationships.

Arjun Bhagwat is introduced as a money-driven ex-cop who moves through the criminal underworld with ease. He lives with a stark contradiction: he denies faith yet quietly supports orphans by donating at a church. At the church, he crosses paths with Priya, a model who becomes entangled in a casual, no-strings-attached relationship with him. She shares her growing feelings, hoping for something more, but Arjun is blunt about his stance: love and commitment aren’t on his agenda, and he urges Priya to seek someone who can offer what she desires.

Meanwhile, the opening victim’s body is discarded by the killer at a well surrounded by the remains of other women, a visual reminder of the danger lurking behind this city’s surface. The tension deepens as Arjun partners with a gangster turned fixer, Sameer, to unravel the mysterious disappearances of several prostitutes. His investigative instinct leads him to a phone number tied to the vanished women, and he instructs Sameer to send a new recruit—Reshma, a college student who has stepped into the sex trade to support her family, though she keeps this hardship from her loved ones.

Reshma is delivered to the home of Dheeraj Pandey, a psychopathic killer who tortures and murders the missing women, including Jyoti, who is killed at the film’s outset. This terrifying truth hits Arjun when he discovers the killer’s brutal pattern. He informs the police, but the danger isn’t over. Dheeraj is briefly jailed, then released thanks to influence from Nirmala Pandit. In the meantime, a psychiatrist, Dr. Sania, is brought in to coax a confession from Dheeraj.

Reshma’s escape from the well propels her through a perilous forest as she fights for survival. Arjun’s investigation leads him to Dheeraj’s circle: the killer’s family reveals a history of abuse, and he crosses paths with a private dancer, Sonia, who was also tortured by Dheeraj but managed to break free. An idol-maker who once worked with Dheeraj adds another layer to the enigma, explaining that the killer once crafted idols of devils rather than deities and even killed the factory owner who tried to stop him.

As the search intensifies, Inspector Sadaa updates Arjun on a troubling development: Dheeraj has been released, and the police are racing to locate him before more harm is done. The pursuit pushes into a temple where Reshma is hiding, aided by a priest and Nirmala who are unaware of Dheeraj’s true nature. Tragically, the priest dies after revealing Reshma’s presence, and Dheeraj finally discovers her hiding place. Reshma’s fear culminates in a horrific moment as she urinates in terror when she sees him, and Dheeraj brutally murders her, slipping away just as Arjun and the police near the scene.

The aftermath leaves Arjun shattered, staring at Reshma’s lifeless body and wrestling with guilt and responsibility for what happened to her. The hunt for Dheeraj turns to Priya, who becomes his next target under the guise of a photo shoot. Arjun intervenes, saving her in a tense confrontation that draws in the authorities. Dheeraj plays back the torturing tape he recorded of Reshma, and the sound of her pleas torments Arjun, driving him to a violent fury. In a pivotal moment, he lunges at Dheeraj, stabbing him repeatedly until Inspector Sadaa intervenes and, after witnessing the killer’s sadistic nature, ultimately shoots him to end his reign of terror.

The film closes on a somber but redemptive note: Arjun visits a church with Priya, a gesture that signals a possible shift in his beliefs and priorities. The near-death of Priya has stirred something within him, hinting at a future where faith and love may guide his path away from the criminal life he once led. The ending leaves viewers with a sense of hard-won realization, duty, and the fragile possibility of forgiveness.