# Murder (film series)

Murder is a series of Indian thriller films produced by Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt under the banner of Vishesh Films. The first installment directed by Anurag Basu was released in 2004; the second installment by Mohit Suri was released in 2011; and the third installment by Vishesh Bhatt was released in 2013. The fourth installment, set to be released on 25 July 2025, is currently under production.

## Films

| Film | Release date | Director | Writer(s) | Based on | Producer(s) |
| Murder | 2 April 2004 | Anurag Basu | Anurag Basu | The Unfaithful Wife (1969) by Claude Chabrol | Mukesh Bhatt, Mahesh Bhatt |
| Murder 2 | 8 July 2011 | Mohit Suri | Shagufta Rafiq | The Chaser (2008) by Na Hong-jin | Mukesh Bhatt, Mahesh Bhatt |
| Murder 3 | 15 February 2013 | Vishesh Bhatt | Mahesh Bhatt, Amit V Masurkar | The Hidden Face (2011) by Andrés Baiz | Mukesh Bhatt, Mahesh Bhatt |

### Murder (2004 film)

The first installment of the series is based on the 1969 French film The Unfaithful Wife by Claude Chabrol. Murder was released on 2 April 2004 and, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, managed to become a highly successful venture at the box office, earning a "super hit" status from Box Office India. The film was a huge breakthrough for its lead actors, particularly Hashmi and Sherawat. It received an A certificate from the Indian Censor Board for its erotic subject and scenes. The film became one of the highest grossing Bollywood films of the year.

### Murder 2 (2011 film)

A sequel, Murder 2, was commissioned after the success of the previous film and is directed by Mohit Suri, with Emraan Hashmi and Jacqueline Fernandez. The film is alleged to be based on the 2008 South Korean film The Chaser, though Bhatt denied this and said that it was inspired from the 2006 Nithari killings in Noida. The film is remembered for its erotic scenes. It was released on 8 July 2011 (worldwide), and received mixed to positive reviews from various critics of India. Proving to be similarly successful to the first entry in the series, the film became another profitable addition to the franchise, having earned ₹115 crore worldwide, from a budget of ₹50 crore.

### Murder 3 (2013 film)

After the success of the previous films, Bhatt hinted that there would be another sequel. The film was titled as M3, but then changed to Murder 3. Film is directed by Vishesh Bhatt and also the third installment in this series. The film stars Randeep Hooda, Aditi Rao Hydari and Sara Loren in lead roles. The film is an official remake of the Colombian thriller The Hidden Face. It was released on 15 February 2013. Murder 3 became an average grosser at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics.

## Future films

| Film | Release date | Director | Screenwriter | Story by | Producer(s) | Status |
| Murder 4 | 25 July 2025 | Mohit Suri & Vikram Bhatt | Shagufta Rafiq | Pritam | Vishesh Bhatt & Mukesh Bhatt & Mahesh Bhatt | In- Development |

## Recurring cast and characters

This table lists the main characters who appear in the Murder franchise.
| Characters | Films | Films | Films |
| Characters | Murder (2004) | Murder 2 (2011) | Murder 3 (2013) |
| Emraan Hashmi | Sunny Devaa | Arjun Bhagawat | |
| Mallika Sherawat | Simran Sehgal | | |
| Jacqueline Fernandez | | Priya | |
| Randeep Hooda | | | Vikram |
| Aditi Rao Hydari | | | Roshni |
| Sara Loren | | | Nisha Sengupta |
| Ashmit Patel | Sudhir Sehgal | | |
| Esha Gupta | Sanjana Singhania | | |
| Aditya Pancholi | | | Suraj |
| Nandana Sen | | | Shyamoli (extended special death scene appearance) |
| Raj Zutshi | Inspector Rajvir Singh | Bakshi Seth | |
| Sulagna Panigrahi | | Reshma | |
| Tinu Verma | | Lala Shah |
| Ashutosh Rana | | Tuti Shah | |
| Tej Sapru | | Kaliya Seth |
| Prashant Narayanan | | Dheeraj Pandey | |

## Additional crew and production details

| Occupation | Film | Film | Film |
| Occupation | Murder (2004) | Murder 2 (2011) | Murder 3 (2013) |
| Director(s) | Anurag Basu | Mohit Suri | Vishesh Bhatt |
| Producer | Mahesh Bhatt, Mukesh Bhatt | Mahesh Bhatt, Mukesh Bhatt | Mahesh Bhatt, Mukesh Bhatt |
| Distributing companies | Shemaroo Entertainment, Star India | Wave Cinemas | Fox Star Studios |
| Music director(s) | Anu Malik | Mithoon | Pritam |
| Cinematography | Fuwad Khan | Ravi Walia | Sunil Patel |
| Editor(s) | Akiv Ali | Devendra Murdeshwar | Devendra Murdeshwar |
| Production companies | Vishesh Films | Vishesh Films | Vishesh Films |
| Runtime | 130 minutes | 130 minutes | 135 minutes |

## Inspirations

The first Murder was an uncredited remake of 1969 French film The Unfaithful Wife by Claude Chabrol. Murder 2 was an uncredited remake of South Korean film The Chaser. Murder 3 was an official remake of the Colombian thriller The Hidden Face.

## Release and revenue

| Film | Release date | Budget | Box office revenue |
| Murder | 2 April 2004 | ₹5 crore | ₹22.49 crore |
| Murder 2 | 8 July 2011 | ₹13 crore | ₹67.84 crore |
| Murder 3 | 15 February 2013 | ₹15 crore | ₹27.75 crore |
| Total | Total | ₹33 crore (three films) | ₹118.08 crore (three films) |