From the get-go, it’s obvious that Monica O My Darling is Vasan Bala’s nod to his favourite noir films, from ’70s Hindi cinema to Hollywood. If the title is borrowed from one of RD Burman’s biggest chartbusters, Huma Qureshi’s opening scene reminds you of Helen’s dance numbers that were a staple in the decade. And with that begins the 129-minute enjoyable game of spot-the-reference in the Rajkummar Rao, Qureshi and Radhika Apte-led noir murder mystery — from Nasir Hussain written on a pick-up tempo, to the name board of a building having Guru Dutt, Sriram Raghavan and Anurag Kashyap, among others, listed as residents.

Vishal Bhardwaj, Vasan Bala and Ram Gopal Varma