Phobia

That Phobia is not everyone's cup of tea is established in the opening frame itself with this intriguing quote of Franz Kafka: A cage went in search of a bird. What follows next is arguably one of the most significant prologues in Hindi Cinema; miss this and you won't get the essence of the film. Mehak Deo (Radhika Apte) is a painter and is narrating a creepily uncomfortable joke to her male friends at a party: An old man has been ogling at her because her face resembles his bitch that was killed in a car accident, eerily on the same day when Mehak was born. She then leaves the party in a taxi with her best friend, Shaan. On the way Shaan gets down and invites her to spend the night with him. She spurns the offer and continues in the taxi. The cabbie takes her to a secluded spot and rapes her.

After the opening credits, we see that Mehak has become a nervous wreck consequent to the rape and is being administered Virtual Reality therapy to cure her of Agoraphobia (fear of open spaces). When the therapy makes little progress, Shaan rents out an apartment and moves her there to recover. Rest of the film plays out in the claustrophobic confines of this apartment, whose former tenant, a stewardess named Jiah, has mysteriously vanished into thin air. Spooky things start happening. Mehak's traumatised mind plays tricks on her and the director plays tricks on our mind. There is a black cat and a black spider, both important symbols in case you want to psychoanalyse the film later.

Just when you feel that the director has pulled out all stops and you have sorted out all the conundrums, the film shifts to a different plane. Some extremely subtle hints are dropped, so fleeting that you will miss if you blink. Phobia is an extremely clever film; it is revived miraculously from the precipice of an almost hilarious ending. Director Pawan Kriplani goes for the jugular, just when your muscles were beginning to relax. Radhika Apte more than lives her part. Background score works non-intrusively on the subconscious.

The film ends with a red dot (Bindi?) being applied on Mehak's painting to indicate that it is sold. Phobia works at multiple levels. At the visceral level it is a solid thriller with a potential to wet your pants. But at the psychological level, it makes you think long after you have left the cinema hall.

"Agoraphobia" is fear of places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness or embarrassment. Imagine the state of a person suffering from this rare disease. Hard right ? Well, "Phobia" is more than a horror film as it deals with psychology of a person and the result is well-made and a brilliant film.

"Phobia" talks about a painter, Mahek (played by ‪RadhikaApte‬), who suffers from anxiety disorder called "Agoraphobia" after she starts in a new house following her survival from a attempt-to-rape situation.

From the director of "Ragini MMS" and "Darr @ Mall", Pawan Kripalani takes a step ahead with an untouched story never attempted before. The trailer of "Phobia" was intriguing but after watching the film, you will be in surprised with a wonderful story that keeps you glued to the screen. The first scene at the party is itself unravels the clues leading to the consequences but Pawan Kripalani has played it smart and let the audience take a back seat and enjoy the ride till the end. In fact, this is one of the strongest climax scenes I have seen. Salute to the brilliant director for making my day with sincere efforts. The screenplay is absolutely thrilling with solid twist. Art direction is fine. Cinematography is catchy. Special mention to the background score which goes well especially when Mahek faces her fear and steps out of the house.

It is Radhika Apte all the way. She goes into the character of Mahek and gives her best. This will be her best performances of her life till now. Rest of the cast does justice to their part. Overall, "Phobia" is an enriching experience for the cinematic lovers.

There are good films and there are great films but few films have the potential to change a genre or start a new one. "Phobia" is one such gem of a film that demands your attention and might just be the game-changer in the space of psychological horror thrillers in Hindi cinema. The film's taut narrative neither ignores viewer's intelligence nor does it test their patience.

The film open with a famous quotation of Franz Kafka, "A cage went in search of a bird" and you're in for a roller-coaster psychological ride. The quote merges into a painting with that of a hand in the left side of the frame trying to reach out for help while half a dozen of hands are trying to rescue him from the right side of the frame or are they? This picture coupled with Kafka's quote quite sums up the whole film which revolves around an upcoming painter Mahek who is suffering from acute agoraphobia (a fear of open spaces). To accelerate her healing process her well-wishers thought that a change would be beneficial thus Mahek gets shifted to a used but empty apartment. But the apartment has its own story which results in her getting trapped from outside as well as within. Initially the whole setting seems like a typical Hindi horror film but as the film moves ahead you will be stunned at the smartness of Pawan Kirpalani's execution. Believe me "Phobia" is something which you have never witnessed in a Hindi horror film. Nothing is what it seems and the atmospheric horror is devoid of any cheesy sequence. Phobia terrifies you with its creepiness and when you think you know where it is heading it surprises you. There's an unexpected quirky pr-climax which lightens the mood only to take you to a gory but impactful climax that gives an apt closure to the first two acts.

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This is how I wanted room to be - based entirely within four walls, but that movie broke its rule and went 'Money Monster' way; moving out and then just staying in limbo.

Indian horror movies normally bring out unintentional laughs, but this was first Indian movie that got me scared. I am not talking of couple of jump scares, but genuine ones during key build ups and after and Ms. Apte sells them. She starts as a whiny and week woman but slowly succeeds in selling her fear and eventually caring about her. But more than that I was in love with its editing and bold choices it made of avoiding clichés. The story is tight, fast paced and believable; and without that irritation you get when you see plot holes in horror movies. The good thing about Phobia was it did not use props and relied on simple and obvious solutions like for example tying herself to move out of house. Here's hoping to see more of such cinema in near future and less of over hyped Conjuring 2.

I have watched a lot of horror movies, both in english and hindi and I must tell that Phobia has the best story yet. The plot is very unpredictable. The entire cast has done a good job, including Radhika Apte, who has arguably given the best performance of her career so far. Cannot believe that such a good story, with good direction is at 6.9 as I am writing this review. People who did not understand this movie should simply not rate it.