Bhoot: Part One - The Haunted Ship

Bhoot Part 1 - In August 2011, MV Pavit, an oil tanker that had been abandoned by its crew near Oman, drifted aground in Mumbai, having evaded the coastal security. Bhoot Part 1, directed by Bhanu Pratap Singh under the Dharma Production banner builds on this incident with the objective of giving the incident a spooky conclusion.

When the Seabird washes ashore in Mumbai, the DG Shipping finds it a headache as there are immense possibilities of oil spills and other environmental issues that might just spoil his retirement party. Prithvi (Vicky Kaushal) is tasked with getting it off the ground. But Prithvi has issues - he is battling his own demons, suffering from the guilt of causing his wife and daughter's accidental deaths and also is habitual of psychotropic drugs. Clearly, he is hallucinatory about the two and also has communication sessions with his daughter Megha using a childish contraption. Adventure seekers on the abandoned ship soon meet with misfortunes and then Prithvi himself experiences the presence of ghosts. Initially dubbed as a hallucination, Prithvi's claims are proven true as his colleague and friend Riaz also witnesses horror.

The first half is quite engaging and raises a few gasps and chills. The eerie environment inside the abandoned ship and its unexplored chambers create a dark, mysterious backdrop to the plot unfolding. The music and VFX are great accompaniments to taking the mystery to a crescendo. Alas the second half fails to build on it as it quickly degenerates into a contrived plotline, including the possibility of a possessed individual trapped inside and a malevolent spirit trying to communicate something to Prithvi. Who other than Ashutosh Rana could be trusted with the exorcism, because he has created a niche for himself in such roles. Vicky Kaushal gives Bhoot an earnest effort and there are moments of shock, jolts and chills, but the weakness of the story and the complexity of the crime involved undermine the second half, making it an average fare really.

Animatied ghost is a bit kiddish one, otherwise movie in terms of storyline, acting, sound and cinematography is good.

Bhoot: Part One - The Haunted Ship tries to revive a forgotten genre in Bollywood. As horror is my favourite genre, I was intrigued to see how Dharma Productions and Bhanu Pratap Singh would handle something like this. Unfortunately, the outcome wasn't pleasant.

Bhoot: Part One - The Haunted Ship follows Prithvi, a man dealing with loss, who investigates the mysterious Sea Bird ship that arrives on the beach.

What this film does well is create an eerie atmosphere. A lot of the film has a grey/dark colour palette to reinforce the spooky atmosphere. The set design of the ship itself is done really well. The dilapidated state of the ship makes it seem haunted and tension does rise whenever we're inside the ship. Even the sound design is well executed and builds upon the eerie tone.

Whilst the film does look good, there is nothing special about it. Bhanu Pratap Singh decides to use classic horror tropes such as dolls, jumpscares, creaking doors and children. All of these clichés are found within multiple horror movies in the past. It doesn't feel unique in any way. The over-reliance on jumpscares started to get tedious towards the end. The first half did give me a sense of hope as I liked the psychological trauma that Prithvi was going through but the second half tarnished whatever was good about the first half. It seems like Singh didn't know how to end the film so he came up with a really contrived and rushed backstory that was not convincing at all. Not only that but the film also ends with a set up for a sequel. How lovely!

The performances were actually good. Vicky Kaushal really carries this movie with his acting. He's convincing as his character and his way of handling his character's loss is done well. Bhumi Pednekar has a very brief role but does a good job. Ashutosh Rana is good despite his severely underwritten character.

Bhoot: Part One - The Haunted Ship was quite disappointing. The first half had good elements and set up the creepy atmosphere well but the thrown together second half was a huge let down.

A weak movie with not many scenes that will make you feel scared. The story is extremely weak with the only saving grace being Vicky Kaushal.

#FinalVerdict

In Bhoot Part One: The Haunted Ship, debutant director Bhanu Pratap Singh tackles the horror genre with utmost care. Viewers will be struck by the simplicity of the film, its incredible fluidity: the story flows naturally, naturally. The story is not very complicated. Undoubtedly, the film is well constructed, superbly designed and filmed with sometimes a lot of indulgences. The film's decorations are magnificent and the camera embraces them greedily. To be honest, Bhoot Part One: The Haunted Ship is no masterpiece but is atmospheric, spooky, bloodless and carried by strong acting.

Debutant director Bhanu Pratap Singh defies several 'rules' of Hindi cinema, like: a) Bhanu Pratap Singh has done away with the mandatory song-dance sequences in Bhoot Part One: The Haunted Ship. In fact, the film has *only* one romantic ballad. b) There are no 'light moments' or 'relief factors' in the film. In fact, the film is so content-driven that one hardly longs for any 'relief' or 'light moments'. c) The intimacy between the couple is more mature, unlike the routine stuff.

Also, one of the USPs of this 1 hour, 57 minutes' film is that the story is set in the middle of the city. There's tremendous identification with the goings-on, with every character looking believable. The desire to watch breath-taking visuals does not surface in a film like this. When the ghost appears, you get a shock of your life. The impact is eerie. Yet, Bhoot Part One: The Haunted Ship doesn't leave you completely enchanted or spellbound. The feelings are mixed after the show concludes. You have witnessed all this (and more) and that's where the film falls short of expectations.

The horror genre hasn't been tapped to the fullest in India. What works in favour of Bhoot Part One: The Haunted Ship is the fact that first-time director Bhanu Pratap Singh chooses a real-life story and garnishes it with scares aplenty. It works with those with an appetite for horror films and also with those who seek for interesting concepts. The film is terrifying enough to make you jump on your seat. The movie teases the viewers at different points as the sequence of events unravel. Scenes remain silent and still; not for long though, but long enough to make you fret. There are ample blood-curdling moments. But the problem with the film is that it takes a lot of screen time to drive home the point, testing the patience of the viewer in the process. Some sequences are so long drawn that they mellow the impact that a few brilliantly executed sequences had created. Even the climax - so vital in a film of this genre - is a downer. It is bound to have its share of adversaries. And the finale - which leaves behind the scope for a sequel, may not be fully absorbed or gel well with the orthodox Indian moviegoer.

Also, the film stagnates for a few minutes in the post-interval portions. Though the film is short in duration, one still feels that things could've been spruced up towards the middle of the second half (editing: Bodhaditya Banarjee). Bhanu Pratap Singh shows a grasp over technique, with the lighting and camera movements contributing enormously in making the situations look eerie. But the writing is not at all convincing.

Three aces of the film are Anish John's sound effects, Aditya Kanwar's apt production design (especially the set of the ship) and Ketan Sodha's background score. They are of international quality. In fact, sound plays a major role in a film like this and director Bhanu Pratap Singh has ensured that the sound quality is superior. It's more than just throbbing music, digitized screams and high-pitched shrieks. Pushkar Singh's cinematography is appropriate. The eerie atmosphere of the ship has been captured very well by the DOP. Special effects by Redefine are amongst the best we've seen in Hindi movies. Also, Bhanu Pratap Singh's storytelling is super-stylish. Bhoot Part One: The Haunted Ship must've been quite a challenge for Bhanu Pratap Singh from the writing point of view as well.

The performances are of a high order. Vicky Kaushal enacts a role that is in sharp contrast to his image. He portrays the character remarkably. The actor delivers a striking performance yet again. Bhumi Pednekar is superb in her role, proving yet again that she's a dependable performer. Ashutosh Rana is extremely competent. Akash Dhar leaves an impression. Meher Vij and Sanjay Gurbaxani are passable.

On the whole, Bhoot Part One: The Haunted Ship does the job of scaring you half-heartedly. At the box-office, the film has chances of faring better at multiplexes of metros. A good idea gone horribly wrong! Disappointing!