Bhoot

This movie definitely has a very creepy setting. What works on you is that its not a haunted mansion setting, but a local apartment in Mumbai, one which you could be renting right now. Add some creepy looking doll and eerie music, you're most likely going to grab the next person sitting next to you and cry to be released. But! this intense thriller, horror remains only in the first half of the movie. The second half, although I'm not going to make any specific remarks, ( want you to find out for yourself) tries to remake some of the earlier Hollywood movies and it sort of takes your attention off of the whole movie. That's when the movie's originality begins to slide and fail.

They should have done something different, but most horror genres have this habit of screwing up some portion of the movie. But let me warn you, this movie is certainly NOT for kids. If you cannot withstand watching supernatural horror, please don't watch this one, it might really grip you tight for a few weeks, or even months maybe!

Which about sums it up. For all the talk of songless-ness and being different and reinventing the genre (if remaking it in the standard Hollywood mode can be called reinvention; perhaps 'rescuing it from the Ramseys and the white-sari-clad woman with a blood-streaked face' is more appropriate) - all of which were true - what mattered in the end was whether this film could sustain the tension and make you empathise with the characters. And it did. The background score is really effective; camerawork is creative; the leads act flawlessly; there's a liberal sprinkling of red herrings, the characters are believable, and we're spared the quasi-religious mumbo-jumbo that mars so many films in this genre. While making a horror film is inherently a derivative process, Bhoot manages to avoid seeming cliched, both by the standards of Hindi filmdom (okay, that's not hard - the absence of either a dak bangla or a kabristan, as well as the aforementioned white sari, pretty much ensures that) as well as, to a lesser extent, Hollywood (which it is closer to in 'spirit'). Not by any means a pathbreaking film, but a very well-made one nonetheless. Excellent! Go watch it!

Ram Gopal Varma's Bhoot steps away from conventional Hindi cinema and stands as an outstanding piece of work.

All the actors perform perfectly, the camera work remains consistent and the music as well as the long silences hold the tension. With a quick ending that in context is perfect if a little rushed, the film remains a entertaining fantasy right till the end. Go watch this film and every other Ram Gopal Varma film as well... you wont regret it.

When "Raatri" ("Raat" in Hindi, 1992) bombed at box-office I am sure Mr. Varma uttered "Yaad rakhunga, tujhe yaad rakhunga!". Exactly a decade later he changes a few components of the original, re-brands and sells it under the packaging of "Bhoot", and guess what it works. RGV must have smiled and thought to himself "Revenge is a dish, best served cold".

Urmila:: This movie would not have worked without her and no questions to that. She put her heart and soul to breathe life into the Bhoot (paradoxical statement aye). This was the last full-fledged outing with Varma.

Ajay:: Was his usual self.

Rekha:: In the original, this role was assessed by Om Puri. Rekha added a novelty value to the role. Plus it would go down the history of cinema as collaboration of Rekha & RGV.

Nana Patekar:: He adds his own quirkiness to the character.

As usual RGV has played by the unconventional rules resulting in weird camera angles and long drawn shots. I particularly liked the way he toyed by building up momentum and not scaring the audience at the usual places. Instead he catches you off-guard at unusual and unexpected spots. Background music is engaging and adds to the thrill.

If you haven't watched "Raat/ Raatri", you will certainly love "Bhoot" (perhaps the only decent horror RGV made and a successful one!).

Ram Gopal Varma has always been a favourite, and Bhoot is his most intense attempt at horror. I was previously blown away by his little tiny piece "Kaun?", and expected to see something intriguing this time as well. I was not disappointed. The film is interesting and captivating and it flows brilliantly. What I particularly appreciated about it is the lack of simplification, which sets it aside from all the mindless horror films which have no purpose or reason, and you will discover it towards the end. However, I would still not call Bhoot a horror film - because it wasn't really scary. I think it is best described as a very effective and chilling suspense thriller. Cinematography, background score, editing are aspects which contribute to it very well. Urmila Matondkar plays Swati, a ghost-possessed woman whose husband does not know what to do to save her. Matondkar is indescribably brilliant - this is one of the most difficult roles to play and somehow Matondkar seems to do it with total ease and unsettling intensity. This is an exceptional impulsive performance. Ajay Devgan is very believable as the helpless Vishal who loves his life but is also quite terrified of her. Devgan displays both fear, worry, love and concern convincingly. The film has many appearances by different famous actors, most of whom are portrayed as somewhat emotionally disturbed. Seema Biswas is wonderful as the strange, shady and very disturbing housemaid. Rekha is also fantastic as the mysterious exorcist. Other cast members, including Nana Patekar, Victor Banerjee and Tanuja, are great, while Fardeen Khan is unfortunately not up to the mark. Do watch Bhoot. Regardless of how scared you may or may not be, it is an entertaining picture.