Darna Zaroori Hai

The first movie "Darna Mana Hain" was not really brilliant as far as implementation was concerned but scored top marks on attempt for being such a different concept in Indian cinema.( Clearly inspired from tales from the crypt though).

Hence I went in to this movie expecting that the great churner of horror films Mr. Ram Gopal Verma may have learned from his earlier mistakes and definitely offer a much better film this time.

Sadly this movie if anything was worse than the earlier one.

Basically this movie is divided in six different segments made by six different filmmakers.

It started of very well though in fact i would say exceptionally well in a segment directed and conceived by comedian Sajid Khan clearly if there was a filmfare for best opening sequence in a film this would get it. The idea was creative and it properly mixed the element of horror and some humour even poked some fun at the first film. And set the expectations for a great film in fact the brilliant start made the future disaster all the more unbearable.

The other segment that deserves mention is the one with ranjeet hooda that is not exactly that scary but scores on humour (yes humour) and more like thriller besides the opening segment this was the most impressive with some genuine creativity and convincing acting.

The only other segment that deserves mention is the one with Anil Kapoor and Mallika which again scored on humour and though predictable was convincing mainly due to the acting of the lead actors. Mallika is definitely maturing as an actress and showing her talent in the limited roles she receives.

The other segments including the one made by Ramu himself were shoddy, unoriginal, uncreative and utterly disgusting. The less that can be said about them the better, Ramu did clutter them with some big stars but the story is the greatest star in such films and no amount of acting talent can even salvage a bit entertainment from the wreck.

Special mention the for the Segment involving Rajpal Yadav and Suniel shetty which will go down in Hindi film industry as probably the most uninspiring scenes in an A-list movie ever. This segment alone had the potential to destroy this entire film. Rajpal yadav has now finally beaten Johny Lever and the uncrowned king of annoyance and i hope we are spared watching a similar role from him in the future.

Even though 3 of the segments deserved mention only one had any entertainment value and even that didn't score very high on the horror front.

This movie in fact is almost incapable of being listed in the horror category (thriller maybe)due the absolute lack if horror in it.

No marks can be given for attempt as this is the second attempt.

Please avoid this movie at all costs, the filmmakers haven't learned from their mistakes and neither did I learn from mine(watching the first one).

Please learn from mine and watch a rerun of bhooth instead. When it comes on TV do watch the beginning though.

Darna Zaroori Hai is one of the few Indian Movies that are made in this genre -that is horror-and considering that alone, I think we all ought to give it some credit for this venture. Prod/Dir Ram Gopal Verma proves once again that he can not only pick up unusual stories but also portray them well.

Based on the same format as its predecessor, Darna Mana Hai, Darna Zaroori Hai Has got six stories-one in the beginning (not related to the plot) and five others which an old hag narrates to five unlucky children which are caught inside the woman's mansion due to heavy rain and storm. And then there's one main story; that of the old woman and the five kids which binds the movie together.

All the stories have there own charm. Some are good, others are even better. Apart from sticking to the creepy theme, they portray their individual meaning.

There have been several improvements in the sequel technically as well. The film has been shot most beautifully, the direction being pretty good. The special effects put now and then into the scenes are also surprisingly slick for an Indian film and completely enhance the ghostly setting. There is also quite a huge star cast in the film with most actors acting very well. The Audio effects remain typical for a horror flick and help you immerse deeper into the feel of the movie.

All good said, I would want to add that although Darna Zaroori hai is still a stunning accomplishment with what it does do, there are many finer points in the film that remain half baked deteriorating what could have been a most thrilling horror film. The main story has no depth and is absolutely typical in its very root. The short stories are all good but in one or two cases you may have wanted the ending to be more climactic then what happens eventually, even though the setting for the climax has in all cases been done most proficiently. The pace is quite astonishingly managed in the first half of the film but begins to twitch severely in the latter half. All this leaves you thinking that if only this could have happened like this, it would have been perfect.

In the end, let may say it comparatively: that although not as polished as Ram Gopal's excellent horror thriller "Bhoot", Darna Zaroori hai still makes on my "good-movie" list. It is definitely better then its prequel.

I give it a 6/10 (Good).

Film Factory deteriorates

Picture this – there was this small time thela who used to sell pav-bhaji's and its taste was second to none. Due to popularity business expanded and now its an restaurant. You still go there but sadly the taste is clearly missing. That's the analogy of RGV and Film Factory.

The prequel 6-segment Darna Zaroori Hain was an unexplored area, no film-maker dared to risk, which should be lauded. Not exceptionally well, but it had its moments. Darna Zaroori Hain takes one level up – six different directors, one for each segment (Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez can do we, should we be left behind?). Well intended thought – however the result falls flat.

Segment One: Manoj Pahwa's shouts and overacts. Clearly the segment director is a rookie. Probably the most irritating segment. And why reference to Darna Mana Hain?

Segment Two: "THE" most anticipated for obvious reasons. Clearly Ramu is not committed…. "and...." he doesn't care! Big B is wasted. At the bare minimum, a better plot could have been chosen.

Segment Three: Proper utilisation of resources - Arjun Rampal, Makrand & Bipasha. Well executed but bears resemblance a segment from the prequel.

Segment Four: The insurance agent segment is the number one… from bottom though. The talent of all the actors are washed down the drain. For starter - the basic premise is flawed

Segment Five: The Anil Kapoor and Mallika segment is done well – though gives away the suspense in between. Nevertheless, it is good. And Karan Johar/ Aditya Chopra leaves a bad taste.

Segment Six: Cleverly the pudding is saved for the last. The best of all the segments and whoever the director is – had spent sleepless nights, brainstorming over the plot and its execution. Its does carry RGV style. Randeep Hooda and Zakir Hussain are simply superb. Watch out for the scene where Zakir Hussain imitates the killer – awesome.

The last segment which binds all the stories together is similar to the prequel except that its replaced with kids. The kids surely must be watching a lot of horror TV shows/ movies – for their act very well. And all the granny's are not goody-goody, beware Little Red Riding Hood.

The segment directors have not done workshops together. There is loss of continuity between the segments, clearly the common vision is missing (which wasn't the case in the prequel owing to a single director).

On a final note, we respect Ramu's penchant for horror flicks... time and he again he has refused to beaten off in horror genre, though not as successful as his core competence - underworld.

Watch only when aired on the telly.

I watched this movie when I was younger and I honestly assumed at that time that it was just a low budget movie made for kids. The movie is not scary at all if you're an adult but I think 5.4 is a bit harsh score.

Darna Zaroori Hai proves to be the same as Darna Mana Hai...even the suspense in the stories is similar..one more thing is that the movie appears to be a little old as most of the child actors have grown up now..we see Shweta Prasad who also played a major role in Iqbal recently..the child actors from Koi Mil Gaya and Raju Chacha are also there..it seems Ram Gopal Varma put the discarded stories of Darna Mana Hai in this one...still the movie is worth a watch. watch out for the Amitabh Bacchan story as its a real shocker..overall good acting performances by all actors even though their roles were minuscule. lets hope we see more movies of this type in the future.