Manvat Murders Review: Ashutosh Gowarikar's Occult Thriller Disappoints

Indian rural folklore is filled with bone-chilling stories of superstitions, witchcraft and occult practices. While the terminologies or details may vary with pin codes, what remains constant is the paralysing fear of the unknown, which often pushes one to humanity-defying extremes and unbelievable crimes.

SonyLiv's latest Web series Manvat Murders is about a similar story of occult killings, based on the horrifying murders that shook Maharashtra's Manvat village in the ‘70s. In a span of two years, brutally butchered bodies of 11 girls and women were found in the village, with blood drawn from their private parts, hinting at a ritualistic connection.

The eight-part Marathi-language thriller begins with the killing of a woman working in a field by two masked men, who take an axe to her head. She is just one among many victims. The entire region is gripped in terror and women are scared to step out of their houses alone.

We are then introduced to Ramakant Kulkarni (Ashutosh Gowariker), a decorated police officer with an impressive track record of solving all his cases. Once the bodies pile up, Kulkarni is sent off from Mumbai to Manvat to find the culprit behind the hideous killings.

Sonali Kulkarni has done a stellar performance in the series

Kulkarni is the polar opposite of his corrupt colleagues. He has a keen interest in criminal psychology, has his own tactics for extracting information from people, and picks up even on the smallest of details from the case. While the team around him is impatient, clueless, and rogue, the poised officer has all his moves calculated in advance.

As the investigation proceeds, one of the prime suspects turns out to be a local couple: Uttamrao Barahate (Makrand Anaspure) and his consort Rukmini (Sonali Kulkarni), who run a secret illegal hooch business and have the entire community riddled under their debt. Even when they are banished from the region by law, their business — now being handled by Rukmani's sister Samindri — goes on without a hitch. Meanwhile, the couple is working on a petition to reclaim their house.

Through the next seven episodes, as the investigation continues, we get served with frequent flashbacks of previous murders. And as more killings take place, the case grows into a tangle of old leads and new suspects. Themes of poverty, illiteracy, and addiction are also touched upon while keeping the prime focus on occultism.

The crime thriller portrays the topic with the care and sensitivity it deserves. Its unfiltered representation of the murders and paedophilia is hair-raising and disturbing, but rarely gratuitous. The show manages to explore the fragility and vulnerability of the human mind, easily manipulated and pushed to dark corners. It's frightening to see how trivial and indispensable human life might be for those blindly following the herd.

Ashutosh Gowariker plays police officer Ramakant Kulkarni who is inspecting the case of occult killings in Manvat

Sonali Kulkarni, in particular, has done an exceptional job of portraying this unabashed faith in an immoral cause. Here, she plays an infertile woman, ready to go to any extent to bear a child. Her persona is powerful and dark, and she'll make you uncomfortable every time she is on the screen. In a particularly harrowing scene in the third episode, she wails in front of a lamp under the sacred fig tree for being barren. Kulkarni has a respectable body of work behind her, and her portrayal of Rukmini sits among them as one of her finest so far.

Also excellent here is, Sai Tamhankar, who plays Rukmini's sister. She brings an intimidating aura to every scene she's in. This was the first time I got a chance to see her work, and I am now eagerly looking forward to seeing more of her in future.

Manvat Murders is also shot and edited in ways that compound the horror of the events unfolding before you. Scenes of every day life are portrayed impressively, as well, bringing a living rhythm to the village and its people. Visually, the show can often evoke a quiet serenity, despite the macabre events unfolding in the background. Some of the frames (Satyajeet Shobha Shriram handles the cinematography in the show), like the ones with Uttamrao's villa in the focus, are filmed so beautifully that they give the impression of a vibrant painting. Director Ashish Avinash Bende has wisely ditched the overexploited romanticization of the landscape in favour of a more authentic representation of rural Maharashtra, without compromising its cultural appeal.

The series is available to stream in Marathi, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Bengali

In the investigation rooms, the colours of the character's ensembles are in perfect sync with the walls, and colour tones are in alignment with the mood of the scene. It's these small technical details that ironically add poetic value to the scenes.

But while it excels in recreating a setting, Manvat Murders' story suffers from an ebbing momentum, despite power-packed performances. I understand the series' intention of drawing a contrast between the intense occult and simple rationale, but the approach ends up becoming a hurdle for the narrative. The episodic mystery didn't really hook me, and I rarely found myself aching in anticipation of what's to come. Even though the show is based on a true incident and isn't exactly a groundbreaking concept (it comes weeks after Netflix film Sector 36, based on 2006 Noida serial murders), it could have avoided being predictable. You don't really need to look up the real-life case to gauge where the show is going. Given that the gruesome case isn't a part of national consciousness, not everyone might be aware of the events that transpired. But Manvat Murders misses the opportunity to retell the story definitively for those who might be new to the nightmare.

Despite its shortcomings, Manvat Murders remains a capable thriller and an ideal jumping-off point for true crime nuts to dig into the horrific events that took place decades ago. It is a fine adaptation that stays true to its source material and gives away the facts straight, without dramatising or pacifying them in the name of creative liberty.

While it won't exactly keep you on your toes in anticipation, it makes up for it with its chilling portrayal of sacrificial killings that shook the life and times of a tiny village in Maharashtra. And its outstanding performances are enough to carry you through to the end. Manvat Murders raises important questions about faith and the grave consequences of unchecked superstition. But those questions rarely lead to a deeper introspection.

Rating: 6.5/10

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"UN Security Council Not Fixable In Current Format": US Ex Envoy To NDTV

Former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton today told NDTV that the United Nations is a huge organisation and that many bodies of the global body are irrelevant. He said the UN's massive size is a part of its problems.

"Some of the specialised and technical agencies do good work when they stay out of politics. But the Security Council and the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council are paralysed and therefore largely irrelevant," Mr Bolton told NDTV.

"I am not sure if there is any way to bring meaningful reform. Many people have tried over the years, many suggestions have been given. It's very hard to see if any of them can be brought to bear," he added.

Mr Bolton's comments come at a time when the world is beset by wars, humanitarian crises and other problems, bringing the focus back to whether the UN is becoming incapable of ensuring multilateral responses to solve serious global problems.

On how the UN can address some of the problems - if it can - the former diplomat said it is important to look at some of the particular pieces of the UN because some pieces are clearly much much better than others when they do the work they are supposed to do.

"Some of them are obscure, such as the World Intellectual Property Organisation which deals with a hugely important subject matter and so far we should keep our fingers crossed it has done good work," Mr Bolton said.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Security Council, for example, is not fixable at its current state, he said.

"The Security Council I don't think is fixable in its current format where you have Russia and China in this increasingly close axis with China as the dominant partner determined to pursue their own interests. It is not the Cold War, but not also dissimilar to the gridlock that was the cold war," he said.

Mr Bolton shared some suggestions as to what kinds of reforms may work.

"The reforms that I have suggested are based on my very long experience in the UN system, and that is we need to change the funding system. I would eliminate the system of cess contribution where every nation pays a percentage of the budget of different UN bodies, and replace it with entirely voluntary contributions," Mr Bolton said.

"This is a radical theory that if something doesn't work, then you shouldn't have to pay for it. You should put your money in an institution that does work and I think that reform has very little chance of being adopted by the members," he said. "But that I think is something that might actually wake the UN up," he added.

India has also been aspiring to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. It recently received a huge boost after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed India's bid for the permanent membership, days after US President Joe Biden and France's Emmanuel Macron made a similar pitch.

At present, the UNSC comprises five permanent members and 10 non-permanent member countries which are elected for a two-year term by the General Assembly. The five permanent members are Russia, the UK, China, France, and the United States, which have the power to veto any substantive resolution.

"We want to see permanent African representation on the Council, Brazil, India, Japan, and Germany as permanent members, and more seats for elected members as well," Mr Starmer had said.

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"Will Have To Restore Demolished Structures If...": Supreme Court To Gujarat

The Supreme Court on Friday cautioned authorities in Gujarat over demolitions in the state, saying if it finds that they acted in contempt of its recent order against such action, it will ask them to restore the structures.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan was hearing a plea seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against the Gujarat authorities for alleged violation of the Supreme Court's September 17 order in which it had said there should be no demolition of properties, including those belonging to people accused of crimes, across the country without its permission.

The bench refused to pass an order of status quo on the demolition near the Somnath temple in Gujarat.

On September 28, the authorities in Gujarat carried out a demolition drive to clear encroachments on government land near the Somnath temple in Gir Somnath district.

The administration had said religious structures and concrete houses were demolished during the drive that freed around 15 hectares of government land valued at Rs 60 crore.

Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for petitioner Summast Patni Muslim Jamat, said that despite the top court's order, the authorities in Gujarat have demolished structures.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Gujarat authorities, said the structures were abutting the sea and were around 340 metres away from the Somnath temple.

"This falls within the exception carved out by your lordships," the top law officer said.

In its order last month, the Supreme Court had said, "We further clarify that our order would not be applicable if there is an unauthorised structure in any public place such as road, street, footpath, abutting railway line or any river body or water bodies and also, to cases where there is an order for demolition made by a court of law".

During the hearing on Friday, the bench observed, "If we find that they are in contempt of our order, not only we will be sending them to jail but we will ask them to restore all this." Without issuing a notice on the plea, the bench asked Mr Mehta to file a response and posted the matter for hearing on October 16.

Senior advocate Hegde said notices issued to people there (area where demolitions were carried out) did not speak of any demolition, even though the demolition drive was conducted on September 28.

There were 45 houses, 10 mosques and five dargahs in the area spanning 57 acres, he said.

The top court had dealt with a similar matter from Assam on September 30 and besides issuing a notice on that plea, it had asked the parties to maintain the status quo, he added.

Mr Mehta said he would file a reply to the petition.

The matter pertains to government land and the proceedings started in 2023. Notices were issued by the authority concerned and a personal hearing was given to the parties, he said.

People had approached several authorities, including the Waqf Tribunal, but no interim injunction was granted, he added.

"We will not issue a notice, you file your reply," the bench told Mr Mehta.

When Mr Hegde requested the bench that the status quo be maintained, Mr Mehta said somebody had filed a petition before the Gujarat High Court for the same but it was refused.

"We have made it clear that in case we find that they are in contempt, we will direct them to restore the position as it was," the bench said, adding that its earlier order applies equally to everyone.

On October 1, the Supreme Court had reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas which alleged that properties, including belonging those accused of crime, were being demolished in several states.

The top court had said it would lay down pan-India guidelines on demolition of properties. It had said in its September 17 order that it would continue till it decides the matter. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Centre's Internship Scheme Rolls Out: How To Register, Other Key Details

The government on Thursday rolled out the internship programme on a pilot basis that will provide a total annual financial assistance of Rs 66,000 to those in the age group of 21-24 years, and aim to cover one crore youth over five years.

Under the pilot project, which is estimated to cost around Rs 800 crore, the internship will start on December 2 and expects to cover 1.25 lakh candidates in the current financial year ending March 2025, government sources said on Thursday.

Announced in the Union Budget 2024, the Prime Minister's Internship Scheme in Top Companies will also provide insurance coverage to interns.

The scheme will be implemented through the online portal 'https://ift.tt/ijvMV7K' developed by the corporate affairs ministry.

Apart from the monthly financial assistance of Rs 5,000 for one year, there will be a one-time grant of Rs 6,000 for the interns, the sources said.

From October 12 to 25, candidates can register with minimum data in the portal and the applicants will be shortlisted on October 26.

Later, candidates will be selected by companies from October 27 to November 7. Then, the selected candidates will have time from November 8 to 15 to accept the offer, the sources said.

Up to three offers will be made to a candidate.

The top 500 companies for the scheme have been identified on the basis of their average CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) expenditure in the last three years.

The ministry has partnered with government-owned BISAG-N to run the project.

The internship will be for 12 months. The interns will be provided financial assistance of Rs 5,000 per month and out of the total amount, Rs 4,500 will be disbursed by the government and Rs 500 will be paid by the company from its CSR funds.

Also, a one time grant of Rs 6,000 for incidentals will be disbursed by the ministry to each intern, upon joining the place of internship.

Expenses associated with the training of interns under the scheme will be borne by the company from its CSR funds. The financial assistance amount will be transferred directly to the accounts of the interns.

The participation of companies in the scheme is voluntary and an internship will be offered for 12 months, with at least half of the period to be spent in the actual job environment and not in the classroom.

Existing reservations will be applicable in selecting the candidates under the scheme, the sources said and emphasised that the scheme is only for providing internships and not for jobs.

For now, as many as 1,077 offers have been made by three companies -- Alembic, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Max Life Insurance, the sources said.

They also said the states as many as seven districts in four states have been covered so far -- one district each in Telangana and Uttarakhand, two districts in Gujarat and three districts in Maharashtra.

There will be nodal persons at the companies participating in the scheme for redressal of issues.

Subject to certain conditions, youth aged between 21 and 24 years will be eligible for the scheme, the sources said.

Insurance coverage will be provided to each individual intern under insurance schemes of the Union government, PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and PM Suraksha Bima Yojana. The premium amount in this regard will be offered by the government.

The sources said a negative list has been prepared with respect to those who will not be eligible to participate in the scheme. These include candidates from families where any of their family members has an annual income of more than Rs 8 lakh for 2023-24.

Through the portal, the sources said, partner companies can offer internship opportunities.

Any other company/ bank/ financial institution can participate in the scheme with the approval of the ministry, which will take into consideration factors like sectors and areas under-represented by the top 500 companies.

As part of the eligibility criteria, sources said, candidates enrolled in online/ distance learning programmes are eligible to apply.

Candidates who have passed High School, Higher Secondary School, possess a certificate from an ITI, hold a diploma from a Polytechnic Institute, or are graduates with degrees such as BA, B.Sc, B.Com, BCA, BBA and B.Pharma will be eligible for the scheme, the sources said.

Partner companies will have a dedicated dashboard on the portal where they can post internship opportunities, detailing location, nature, required qualifications, and any facilities provided.

Eligible candidates may register on the portal, where their details will be used to generate a resume.

Candidates can browse internships based on their preferred sectors, roles, and locations and apply for up to five opportunities.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Trinamool Leader Arrested In RG Kar Hospital Corruption Case: CBI

A doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital and an alleged confidant of its former principal Sandip Ghosh, Ashish Pande, has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the corruption case it is investigating alongside the horrific rape-murder of a young doctor that had shocked the country. Officials of the Central agency claimed Ashish Pande is also a member of Trinamool Congress and is associated with its student wing.  There, however, has been no confirmation or comment on the matter from the Trinamool Congress. 

He will be produced in court Friday. 

This is the fifth arrest in the corruption case. 

Earlier, the agency had arrested Sandip Ghosh and three others -- his bodyguard Afsar Ali, Suman Hazra and Biplab Sinha, vendors supplying medical equipment to the hospital when Ghosh was the principal.

Ashish Pandey, who is also employed at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, is reportedly associated with the Trinamool Congress Students' Wing - TMCP. He was allegedly the TMCP unit president of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (students' unit) state president and party spokesperson Trinankur Bhattacharya told news agency Press Trust of India: "We are yet to hear details about the case. But as of now, we can say that the law will take its own course and we have faith in the justice system." 

Ashish Pandey was earlier mentioned in the list of 59 people at the hospital who were issued show-cause notices by the hospital administration and asked to appear before an inquiry committee set up after the rape and murder of the second year post-graduate student. 

Ashish Pandey had to be rescued by security personnel after he was heckled and pushed by the protesting junior doctors when he went to the hospital to appear before the inquiry committee looking into complaints of harassment and intimidation on campus. 

Leader of Opposition in the Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari asserted that Pandey was a "strongman of the TMC, who was part of the propagator of the threat culture in state-run medical colleges".

"With his arrest and interrogation, CBI will be able to reach to the bottom of this culture at medical colleges and find out all those involved," Mr Adhikari was quoted as saying by PTI.

Sandip Ghosh was arrested by the CBI in connection with the case registered after allegations of financial irregularities surfaced. The Calcutta High Court had handed over the investigation to the CBI after the Kolkata Police registered a case based on complaints filed with the police.

The financial irregularities case involves irregularities in award of contracts, getting the infrastructure-related tasks of the hospital done by individuals or firms instead of getting them done by the state public works department (PWD), the sale of biomedical waste which is illegal, and sale of selling organs from unidentified bodies brought for postmortem, at "lucrative prices" outside.

Sandip Ghosh has also been arrested in connection with the rape-murder case and has undergone two polygraph tests.  He and the police officer who initially investigated the rape and murder of the doctor have been accused of attempting to hide evidence and sabotage the investigation. 

The trainee doctor was raped and murdered inside the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College on August 9. The key suspect, civic volunteer Sanjay Roy, a was seen on CCTV during investigation after the doctor's body was found. 

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1869 MIT Exam Paper Goes Viral For Being Too Easy, Can You Crack It?

A question paper from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's entrance exam from 1869 has recently gained attention on social media for being "surprisingly easy."

The paper, dated June 1869, released eight years after the institute's founding. It was shared on social media by a Reddit user and had seven questions from the algebra section.

MIT Entrance Examination for 1869-1870
byu/Sans010394 inDamnthatsinteresting

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, widely regarded as the leading institution for engineering, mathematics and science globally, has been home to over 101 Nobel laureates and 8 Fields Medalists, either as faculty or alumni since its founding in 1861, nearly 200 years ago.

With an acceptance rate of just 4%, the institute is extremely hard to get into. Candidates must navigate multiple eligibility rounds and demonstrate exceptional academic performance. They must also perform impressive extracurricular activities, write essays. Even with these qualifications, securing a place at this renowned institution is not guaranteed.

The Reddit post has ignited a surge of curiosity and discussion among users, with many claiming that the exam paper is extremely easy to solve.

"None of the above problems require a calculator! They only require basic understanding of Algebra. Most can be solved mentally without even requiring to put pen on paper to be honest," wrote a user on Reddit.

"Yeah these are surprisingly easy, I didn't actually solve them but there is nothing here I don't know how to solve, and I only have high-school level math from decades ago," another user wrote.

While many users argued that the question paper was too easy to solve, others held a different opinion, suggesting it was harder to complete than it appeared.

"This just the entrance exam, and had multiple sections - it also had a geometry and arithmetic section.

On top of this, you'd be expected to do these calculations unaided (i.e. no slide rules). MIT hadn't developed its reputation at this point in time and was only 8 years old," wrote a user.

The original exam is reported to include additional sections covering geometry, arithmetic, English, and calculus.

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Jaiswal Does A 1st In 92 Years For India, Surpasses Sehwag For Another Feat

With each Test, Yashasvi Jaiswal is growing in his role as an Indian top-order batter. Following the win over Bangladesh at Kanpur, Indian opener, Yashavi Jaiswal opened up about what was going on in his mind while batting on the fourth day of the Test match at the Green Park. Jaiswal's exceptional fifty in the second innings guided the hosts to a comfortable victory by seven wickets over Bangladesh on Tuesday. Jaiswal won the man of the match award for his contribution with the bat in both innings. He scored 72 in the first and 51 runs in the second innings.

He is the first Indian opener in the 92-year history of the game in the country to slam two half-centuries achieve this feat in both innings of a Test match against Bangladesh. 

Jaiswal now has eight 50+ scores in this calendar year. It is the most by an Indian batter at home in a single calendar year. Before Jaiswal, Gundappa Viswanath (1979), Virender Sehwag (2010), Cheteshwar Pujara (2016), KL Rahul (2017) held the joint record of most 50-plus scores - seven- in a calendar.

"I think I was just thinking about what I can do for my team. The situation was different in Chennai, and different here. I was just trying to do what I should do for my team and was trying my best. Every innings is important. I try my best and prepare in that manner. Rohit bhai told me to play the way I want to. We had a chat that we had to at least put some scores, and we can play freely. We wanted to win this game and we were just going for it," Jaiswal said in the post-match presentation.

Coming to the match, Indian opener Yashavi Jaiswal's exceptional fifty in the second innings guided the hosts to a comfortable victory by seven wickets over Bangladesh at the Green Park on Tuesday. Jaiswal won the man of the match award for his contribution with the bat in both innings.

The second session on Day 5 of the Kanpur Test started with Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal taking the field as the team needed just 95 runs to win.

Rohit went back to the pavilion after scoring just eight runs when the team score was 18.After the skipper's dismissal, Shubman Gill came out to bat in the middle along with Jaiswal. Both batters were able to add just 16 runs to the total before Gill was sent back to the dressing room after scoring just six runs when the team score was 34.

After Gill's departure, Virat Kohli came out to bat along with Jaiswal.

The Rohit Sharma-led side touched the 50-run mark in the 7th over as Kohli smashed a boundary on the last ball bowled by Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

Jaiswal went on to score his second half-century of the match. He was sent back after scoring 51 runs in 45 balls with the help of eight fours and a six.

India clean sweeped the series with seven wickets in hand. Virat Kohli (29*) and Rishabh Pant (4*) remained unbeaten on the crease.

For Bangladesh, two wickets were bagged by Mehidy Hasan and one wicket was taken by Taijul Islam in their respective spells.

Earlier in the first session of the day, the visitors were at 26/2, as they still needed 26 runs more in order to avoid an inning defeat against the Rohit Sharma-led side.

Mominal Haque (0*) and Shadman Islam (7*) started the proceedings for their team. Both the batters were able to add just 10 runs more to the total before Mominal was sent back to the dressing room after scoring just two runs by off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Bangladesh completed the 50-run mark in the 19th over with the loss of three wickets.Shanto and Shadman completed their 50-run partnership in the 25th over as the latter slammed a boundary on the bowling of right-arm seamer Mohammed Siraj.

Shanto went back to the pavillion in the 28th over in the innings just after the drinks break. He went back after scoring 19 runs which included two fours in his innings. The captain was dismissed by left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja.

Before going back, Shanto built a magnificent partnership of 55 runs in 84 balls along with Shadman.On the last ball of the same over, Shadman Islam completed his half century in 97 balls with the help of 10 fours.

In the 29th over, Shadman Islam was dismissed after scoring 50 runs on the bowling of right-arm seamer Akash Deep when the team score was 93.

At the score of 94, Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side lost two wickets. Both the wickets were taken by Jadeja. After the fall of seven wickets, Mehidy Hasan Miraz was on the crease along with experienced Mushfiqur Rahim in the middle.

In the 34th over, the Bangladesh side completed their 100-run mark as Mehidy Hasan smashed a boundary on the bowling of Jadeja. At the score of 118, the Bangladesh side lost their eighth wicket. Right-arm seamer Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Mehidy Hasan for nine.

The seamer struck again in the 41st over. Bumrah dismissed Taijul Islam for 0 when the visitors score was 130.The last wicket of the third innings went at the score of 146 as Bumrah dismissed Mushfiqur after scoring 37 runs in his innings.

For India three wickets each were snapped by Bumrah, Jadeja, and Ashwin in their respective spells. One wicket was taken by Akash Deep in his spell.

With ANI inputs 

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