Hanuman Chalisa by heart jaante ho? If not, kar lo, cause iss movie ke baad kaam ayega fr fr. Also, Ajay Devgn and his saga of saving his daughter continues with another movie. The film starts with a normal nuclear family very pumped up for their vacation, unaware of the darkness that lies ahead. Yaad hai jab mummy kehti thi ki don’t step on piles of flowers outside a graveyard, kala jaadu ho sakta hai, and we very conveniently ignored her? Ab mat karna aisa guys, because if you didn’t believe in tantric shit earlier, you’re certainly going to get spooked by it now.
Plot
Ek bohot normal cutu si family plans a staycation at their farmhouse. You know, you would expect to see cattle, but certainly not the family members turning into cattle. Haanji, bilkul yahi hota hai when the eldest daughter gets possessed by a stranger and starts following his commands like you do when Priya asks you to do her homework (simp rizz). Vanraj, the villain of the film, takes “Bin bulaaye mehmaan” very seriously and uses Janhvi to torture the family. But he has one condition if they want him to stop- he gets to take Jahnvi with her. So, kaafi engrossing plot hai, but does it develop to deliver the banger we thought it would? Not really.
Performances
If you’re a fan of Vijay Salgaonkar and how he saves his daughter in Drishyam, you know Ajay Devgn has a Ph.D. in playing such roles. He has this weird intensity that makes you wanna root for him. He totally nails his part, but can he save his family? I’m not spilling. But bro, I cannot stop fanboying over R Madhavan! Bhai itni versatility kaise? Can’t believe he’s our Farhan from 3 Idiots bruh. His performance = chills ultra pro max. I didn’t know he had this sinister side too, so impressive! 2024 mein literally kuch bhi ho raha hai. The rest of the cast does a decent job but doesn’t really have much to add to the story. Also, kinda expected more from Janki Bodiwala as Jahnvi. Prolly wanted more impact from her as a possessed person, but okay.
Direction and Writing
When I was done watching the trailer, I was scared about just one thing- the script. Because Bollywood really fcks up big time when it comes to horror. And even though it ain’t revolutionary or something, it’s a good try. The story builds up pretty nicely, but the sabr ka phal isn’t that meetha. I expected more adrenaline and more scares… but it ended up feeling more like a soggy thriller. Devi Sri Prasad composed the music for the film that promised to ‘redefine the genre’ of horror….but nah. Also, the direction was not as sharp as it should’ve been. Like, I wanted to be absolutely terrified… but I really wasn’t. Even the narration fell flat at times. You know, I never got this urge to just wrangle Vanraj and end things. Horror films mein maza hi kya hai if you’re a passive viewer rather than an active participant??
Screenplay and Cinematography
Being a remake of the 2023 Gujarati FIM “Vash”, the movie manages to pull off a tense, eerie vibe. The cinematography is excellent, you know you’re fcked when it’s dark outside and Ajay Devgn is all alone riding a bike w a stabbed hand. The action scenes are thrilling but not that impactful. Also, it’s sad cuz the makers fall into the ‘been there, done that’ storytelling bits that range from cliched to borderline questionable. This movie could have been MUCH more impactful, but the stereotypical narrative kinda sorta dents the effect. Also, call me crazy but my fav scene is when he tries to feed Madhavan a dead rat LMFAOOO.
But dekho, we can’t deny that this is on the list of recent good horror films. So, if you’re planning a romantic date this weekend, wait scratch that. If you’re looking for some good popcorn scares with your friends or siblings, go watch this movie. And if you go with your date, and they don’t get super creeped out by the time this movie ends, you’ll know that they’re the one!!!
