Kaalo

After watching cid i had very high expectations from abhijeet. Very bad.

Horror genre no longer carry the stigma of a B-grade outing delivering ample skin show under the hoods (yup, read that Ramsays). Thanks to continuous patronage from industry stalwarts like Ramgopal Varma and Vikram Bhatt who elevated the genre to a different level. Over period of time the horror genre has developed a substantial fan-base in India and movies like "Kaalo" precisely caters to this niche audience.

Using darkness is a standard scare tactic in any horror/ slasher movie. The USP of "Kaalo" is the ability to send the shiver down the spine in the broad daylight (the term "scaring the living daylights was never so apt!). This in itself deserves a big kudos!!

The characterisation of "Kaalo" bears resemblance to quite a few. The underground movements are akin to "Screamers". The flight and swoop is inspired from "Jeepers Creepers". In close-up it bears similarity to "Darth Maul" (hey, no complaints!!). Introducing "Kaalo" to the audience seemed rushed. And yes, the weapon used by "Kaalo" is quite unique.

The sepia tone neatly blends into the deserted sandy backgrounds of Rajasthan. Camera work is one of the important tool in horror movie and in the case of "Kaalo" the DOP has done a fine job. Background score is kept at optimum level not loud or jarring. The CGI adequate considering the budgetary constraints. The editing gives a slick feel to the movie though there was scope to calibrate it at few places. And yes, attempting Indiana Jones to recover the cap and the ball of wool when your pants are on fire was silly.

The only major shortcoming I found was the lack of depth in the characters. For instance the protagonist barely has an introduction. The honeymoon couple & the photo shoot couple hardly strikes a chord with the audience. Same with the priest and the rest of the star-cast. Coen Brothers/ Guy Ritchie/ Tarantino have displayed histrionics in this regard and our very own Ramgopal Varma/ Vishal Bharadwaj/ Anurag Kashyap have pushed the envelope.

Performance wise Swini Khara was good. Its good to see the "Cheeni Kum" girl after a long gap. I consider Aditya Shrivatsava to be a powerhouse of talent and found the potential was not tapped. Aditya Lakhia was okay'ish. The Laloo accent conductor linger in the head for a while. Paital as usual was dependable.

Lack of publicity made "Kaalo" get lost in incognito (sad!). Nonetheless a definite watch for a horror enthusiast! Looking forward to your next outing Mr. Wilson Louis.

PS: Its "Bombay to Goa" on the road to hell!!

Kaalo was much hyped for being the first creature feature to have ever emerged from India. May be Wilson Louis wanted to earn some fame by talking about his own movie. Kaalo doesn't have the taste of Wilson's other movies like 'Mallika' and 'Ho Sakta Hai', but rather seems closer to an awe inspiring folklore. The synopsis and scares have been heavily copied from Victor Salva's 'Jeepers Creepers' and then blended wisely with an unheard Indian lore. The locations are superb and arise horror in the broad day light. Perhaps this was the reason behind 'Horror in broad day light' punchline used during promotions. The actors are big time stragglers, namely Paintal, Aditya Shrivastava, and Sheela David, who couldn't make it big on screen. Some others are regular ad patrons or have got into this film through a placement agency. The budget is negligible with the major share, as it seems, goes to the make-up of 'Kaalo'.

The film begins with a narrative about 'Kaalo', a witch who resided years ago in the now abandoned village of Kulbhata in western Rajasthan. The witch was lynched and burned alive by the angry village-men. The vengeful spirit of Kaalo returned and soon the village turned into a cemetery. The remaining ones had to abandon the village to save their lives. Since then nothing has changed in Kulbhata. The government projects couldn't be carried out after the workmen themselves witnessed the wrath of witch. Till date, Kulbhata remains deserted and devoid of any signs of inhabitation.

A young man Sameer (Aditya Shrivastava) is returning to his home town in a bus. The bus is full of people from different backgrounds. Few young men are regular hash smokers and it looks that they are only looking for fun and women. A newly wed couple is on the way to their honeymoon destination. A sanely priest and his wife are awaiting reunion with their grandchild. A small girl is on the way to her grandparents and finally a photographer, who is with his model, taking her pictures in the desert. The driver and conductor try to give the best of their humorous attitudes but constantly fail to woo the audience. It so happens that the road to the final destination is closed and the driver decides to take the bus via Kulbhata. The sanely priest warns all the passengers of Kaalo, but they reject his story. The bus begins approaching Kulbhata. Soon a series of horrendous murders begin. Most of the people die brutally at the hands of witch. Kaalo is looking for the small girl, who is traveling all alone to her grandparents. Sameer protects her and finally manages to subdue Kaalo.

Most of the scares and even the monster are from Jeepers Creepers, but where Jeepers Creepers succeeds in creating an 'atmosphere', Kaalo seems lost in arranging the details about the witch. Nobody is interested to know how a monster came to existence but what can it do. The film is slow and lack of content makes it distasteful. Some SFX are quite genuine and lead the viewers succumb to the might of witch. However, the story has nothing new to promise. Kaalo seems to mimic The Creeper of Jeepers Creepers expecting to send the chills down to the viewers' spine. Unfortunately, these tries go in vain and what finally remains are the junkie actors and an effete witch struggling to give the best they could. The flick loses pace when the viewers are left to sympathize with the victims before they are killed. However, as already mentioned, no character seems capable of capturing the viewers' attention and that's the reason why they fail to earn sympathy and care. Watch it only if you have a good taste for slow paced flicks or have the heart to believe the dumb newcomers.

Kaalo presents a unique look in the horror genre due to it being one the few horror movies in the 2000s to be shot entirely in the daylight. This can seem like a minor and overglorified thing to critics and audiences alike, but from the perspective of a 2000s kid, this was the stuff of nightmare. The human psyche associates only the night with fear of the unknown. From childhood, the darkness of the night was the only source of paranormal fear in our lives, However this movie broke this boundary fantastically with the haunting occuring in broad daylight. This broke our perception of the paranormal itself, which according to this move, could attack us in the day, and countinously haunt a moving location instead of just remaining in a place such as an abandoned home. Absolutely phenomenal movie, and in my opinion one the best horror ever produced by indian cinema.

"Kaalo," featuring the versatile Ajay Devgn, is a gripping and thrilling cinematic experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Devgan's performance is outstanding as always, bringing depth and intensity to his character. The film's plot is a rollercoaster of suspense and horror, and the direction is impeccable. The antagonist, Kaalo, portrayed with eerie perfection, is truly terrifying. The cinematography and special effects add to the movie's overall appeal, creating a visually stunning experience. "Kaalo" is a must-watch for those who enjoy a combination of horror and suspense with top-notch performances, making it a true gem in Indian cinema.

The movie has already become one of my favorites.