As mentioned by others, Hawa borrows heavily from the Barbara Hershey film The Entity and to a lesser degree from Poltergeist. This kind of homage is typical of Bollywood horror films, but outside of that Hawa is anything BUT typical of Indian horror movies. As an American viewer I -- like most of my countrymen -- have been desensitized enough by Hollywood slasher films that an old-fashioned spook story doesn't usually get much of a rise out of me. What is horrifying in India is usually prime time TV fodder here on this side of the world. And while Hawa isn't going to make me check under the bed at night, it did have enough suspense to raise a few hairs on my neck. Surprising when considering its obvious similarities to two films I've seen several times before. A few more films like this one and Bollywood will begin to be viewed as a credible producer of films in the horror genre by those accustomed to the more graphic Western versions. Normally I would recommend that if you want to watch Indian movies, stick with what Bollywood does best -- romantic comedy, drama, musicals and the like. But in this case I'm willing to make an exception. Hawa is definitely worth a watch, and if you're easily spooked it might even scare you. If you're not, it may still creep you out a little.
