User reviews

Pari gives a new definition to bollywood's attempt at horror movies.With brilliantly executed story line,the performance from each and every actor makes this a masterpiece which is quite unusual from hindi cinema in horror genre.From direction to the background score everything just seem to fit in place.The movie will give you chills at some instance but will surely leave you with imagination with its on the spot story. Though this art is not meant for 'Mass-Audience' but the content-lovers would surely give this a thumbs up without any doubt.If you want to see something that might excite new thoughts in your mind this surely is dedicated piece of art meant for you.The poor reviews of the movie are due to sleepless audience that find comfort in cinema seats & air conditioned environment and have got nothing to do with content of the movie. Fall in love with bollywood and dont miss this show...

Pari.... what a movie it was. The atmosphere, sound design and acting of all the cast are top notch. Pari is not like other silly Bollywood horror flicks. The complete story is thoroughly gripping. Anushka delivers a mind blowing performance here. I would watch it again. There's only two ways either you like the movie like anything else or you simply hate it.

Pari awesome.

This movie is very different, it's not your traditional horror story where you see possession by the ghost and how the ghost is sent out of body etc. etc. Only after you complete the movie you will get the complete picture. It's not at all confusing, the story is pretty clear and straightforward but the way the complete picture is unveiled is brilliant. Acting by all the actors is upto the point and top notch. The movie shows both positive and negative sides of all characters, there is no villain or a hero here. It's based on supernatural elements but presented very realistically.

A must watch, after NH10, one more master piece by Anushka Sharma.

My Rating : 6/10

'Pari' is an intelligently told horror film. I wasn't expecting it to be as awesome as it turned out. A great storyline which genuinely embraces its horror premise with sincerity and does justice to the script. I highly recommend this film to fans of horror and hope you give it a chance.

Great story, really surprising twists, acting by the leads especially Anushka Sharma, perhaps a beginning of a new era in Indian horror movie genre.

Why you should watch Pari.

"If she is a monster, then what does that make me?"

This is not a typical ghost story. If you ever watched Let Me In; which is a story about a little boy being friends with a girl who turned out to be a vampire, you would surely liked this one.

The characters are unique in their own way.

The religious guru which is portrayed by Rajat Kapoor hunts down a djinn who is the most dangerous evil spirit in his beliefs. He then tortures them mercilessly before finally killing them. He may be doing a right job, but doesn't that makes him an angel?

In other way, Arnab is a shy guy who is soon to be married to Piyali, a doctor whom he met on a blind date. However on their way back home, they hit a person and she died on the spot. When they trying to get her relatives to settle things, Arnab only found a woman chained in a small hut; who happen to be her daughter; Rukshana.

A series of events led Rukshana to Arnab's place and you definitely have to watch the movie to see it unfolds.

What I can't forget the most is Arnab's phrase to Piyali when he finally come to sense, "If she is a monster, then what does that make me? I left her all alone"

The last part is totally unsettling. You either love it or hate it.

'Pari' is not a fairytale. Not totally a ghost story either. It deals with a normal scenery of everyday life and everyone have their own reasons for their actions.

Never before have I seen a movie that leaves me so mystified before.

Well done Prosit Roy. Well done India.

Pari has garnered below average reviews, which I think is a bit harsh on a project which rather attempts to bring in a different horror genre to Bollywood, with kudos to Anushka for her brilliant acting and trying out yet another new theme under her production. Parambrata does very well in these good guy roles, for a change I quite liked him here, Ritabhari Chakraborty of "Ogo Bodhu Sundari" teleserial fame also made a mark in her Bolly debut. Rajat Kapoor and Dibyendu Bhattacharya (the morgue worker) are very convincing too. The music and background score need special mention as it reflected the mood of the movie throughout. The scare scenes I felt did not work that well sometimes (make-up of the KalaPari looked cliche), and yet at some other times these scenes were timed to perfection. Overall, it is worth a watch on big screen, particularly being of horror genre but with a humane angle, some viewers may have an issue with this different take on horror, but Bollywood is slowly going where Holly has far traversed in terms of content. 6.5/10

Every second of the movie is engaging. As the plot uncovers you realize that the characters are not who you thought they were, which makes this film unpredictable and keeps you guessing what's going to happen. This film had ventured into an area which had probably not been explored by any film before - Bollywood or Hollywood. One benchmark for sure.

This was surely a product of a confused mind. First of all any movie involving black magic or satanism needs a lot of research and if the writers dont do justice with the theories presented in that movie the result is loose ends and confused wrap ups (ends where nothing makes sense). Pari was no exception to that catastrophe which many before it have faced. the theory presented here was inexplicably messed up. I really wanted this movie to be great and unique but it fell flat when they tried to turn it into a love story. It was more like a doomed romance where the girl just so happens to be a vessel for a demonic entity (djinn) and so they both couldn't live happily ever after. As per direction, this movie was just sharing cinematic characteristics of a low budget drama. Though it had a muslim back story it was in no way against islamic values being a muslim and pakistani myself I found no reason for this movie to be banned in the name of Islam. Was a one time watch and very forgettable. I expected a lot and was disappointed.

This is an absolutely amazing horror film which thankfully doesn't include any unnecessary false jump scares. Many critics and audiences are hating this film and that can be understood because this film is not for the masses. You would either hate it or truly love it.

When Arnab finds Rukhsana chained in an abandoned house, he decides to take her under his wings and teaches her how to behave like a human. Arnab's reasons and Rukhsana's past are explored chillingly in the film. It's green and blue frames are scary and admirable. A horror scene involving earphones has to be the most memorable scene in the history of horror films. The performances from all the cast is exceptionally good. Do watch Pari if you are tired of all the silly and unintentionally funny horror films of the bollywood and want to seek something new and fresh.

Pari appears puzzled as if they don't know how to end what they started. Anushka Sharma's film attempts to look different than usual 'bhoot ki film', but in the end, finishes right where 1920 Evil Returns or Alone did. With 136-minute screen time, Pari doesn't head anywhere. It's jumbled, chaotic and bland. You may not want to let the clan spread.

The horror part of it unspools right alongside. Thunder, lightning, rain, women in black robes with rotten skulls for faces, noises off, creaking doors. What you don't get, in all this blood-and-gore and groan-and-moan and slash-and-burn, is a film. But the whole enterprise never rises above its silliness. The plot, trying desperately for gravitas by referencing certain yesteryear events in Bangladesh, without really giving us a credible reason, never hangs together, never feels true.

The horror part of it unspools right alongside. Thunder, lightning, rain, women in black robes with rotten skulls for faces, noises off, creaking doors. What you don't get, in all this blood-and-gore and groan-and-moan and slash-and-burn, is a film. But the whole enterprise never rises above its silliness. The plot, trying desperately for gravitas by referencing certain yesteryear events in Bangladesh, without really giving us a credible reason, never hangs together, never feels true.

The film isn't scary but it will leave you with an unsettled feeling. Pari has disturbing sequences -- like the birthing scene from the trailer -- that will gross you out and make you nauseous, at least the weak-hearted ones. Like any typical horror film in Bollywood, Pari resorts to using loud noises sporadically to startle you but fails miserably. Anushka climbs up, jumps on to humans, bites into dogs, hangs from the window, flies midair but doesn't really send shivers down your spine. All she manages to do is leave you disturbed.

Pari - Film Review by Kalyug Briefs

Do watch the film folks!

It is about how badly you get tied down in the web of evil spirits when you take to vices....not necessarily in current lifetime but maybe in one (or many) of the lifetimes - when you give in to evil desires - indulged in the 7 sins - lust, greed, anger, sloth....and those samskars (karmas) stick to your soul for many lifetimes....

Time and again you have to go through the tortures of hell - even while being born on the temporary Earth realm - still you continue to suffer (yea, in spite strict laws and orders and cops and cctvs and all those technological inventions - nothing could intervene with the law of karmas - could it?)

With some light of knowledge, those under the spell of evil spirits try to escape - and this is the story of such an escape! Very difficult indeed! The evil has a huge fraternity after all - they can make life like a hell pit for anyone trying to escape their clutches - this is the story of one such entity - who tried to release her clan from the evil spell - Pari.

Anushka was just excellent!

Pari is an impressive movie in the Indian horror genre which otherwise is cliché. Though it has its positives and blemishes. But being an ardent horror fan I like any new attempt as a fruitful experience. I liked the valor attempt from the producer and as an actress Anushka Sharma to explore on the least forbidden path of hindi cinema. Pari also explores the horror category about Muslims and Djinns which if I recall has been rarely used as a backdrop in any movie. Good to see no Christian style exorcism and hindi horror style mumbo jumbo.

The story kicks of depicting Arnab( Parambrata Chatterjee) returning from Barakpore with his family. While driving amidst a deep forest in rain all of sudden his car hits an old woman wearing burqa and who dies on the spot. Arnab finds her daughter chained in her house. He rescues Rukhsana (Anushka) and keep her in her house and things move fwd will not give any spoilers.

Meanwhile we are introduced to Professor Qasim Ali ( Rajat Kapoor) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Professor meets Arnab and explain him that he is living with a Peri (As per Persian mythology a mythical superhuman being, originally represented as evil but subsequently as a good or graceful genie or fairy). She being the daughter of Ifrit the most powerful Djinn. How things proceed therafter please watch the movie. Though lot of gore Black Magic , Chained women , child abortion is being depicted which could not be digested by many viewers.

The genocide in Bangladesh during 1971 was also taken as reference.The cinematography is great the use of blue and green color is spectacular as it gives an eerie tone. The setup is quite dark in the entire movie where the dark forests and rain makes presence of an unknown entity. Background score is thunderous and also complement to the spookiness. The breathing sound of Ifrit adds to it. We are spared, no songs though 2 one hindi and one bengali but used in the background. No unnecessary comedy. Acting part Anushka and Rajat Kapoor standout. Anushka as Rukshana put in lot of effort and that shows on screen. Rajat Kapoor as a brutal and real professor is top notch. Parambrata Chatterjee as Arnab do justice to his role. Ritabhari Chakraborty in her first hindi movie is passable and looks preety. Rest of the cast is ok as they do not have too much say in the movie.

The problem with Pari is its writing and screenplay Abhishek Banerjee (story and screenplay), Prosit Roy(story and screenplay) is very weak. This movie obscures the viewers, because the director and the writer are not clear in their narrative. They wanted to make a horror movie but the poor love angle between Rukhsana and Arnab is not plausible. Though It was important to show the sexual connect as Rukhsana is the devil daughter who wants to increase the legacy of Ifrit. But making her so much in love with Arnab is confused writing. Also, the child Rukhsana give birth to is a normal as it was born out of love leaves the viewers thoughtful. The explanation of Ifrit during the second half sounds like spoon feeding. Overall, good acting and some innovative film making goes sour due to bad writing. Still Indian audience need to wait more for a polished horror movie.

Rightly said " It's not a fairy tale" , A proper justice given to tag line. Most of the time I experienced that less marketed movies was far better than 100,200,...Crores club movies, this is the perfect example of that. No one was expecting this type of story line from watching the trailer but believe me the different story (connection haven't found in any bollywood movie) with awesome screenplay by Prosit Roy & Abhishek Banerjee is magnificent, Those who are comedy lover & entertainment lover who finds comedy & entertainment in each & every movie, this is not for them, so don't go for it but If you want something new, this is for you & they can go definitely. Editor Manas Mittal has given his life's best performance. Main heart of the movie is obviously Anushka Sharma(kohli) because she has hit a century like Virat. A movie with good message, a mystery, some part of suspense & obvious horror. As a debut director Prosit Roy has done fabulous job. As the last it's not for all but if you are a horror movie lover this is the one you will find something majestic.

First of all, marketing for this movie was very much misleading. It has been marketed as a horror movie, whereas in actual it is a love story with horror element in it. This may piss many people, since many people will be expecting a pure horror movie in Bollywood style, whereas it is nothing like that. What I feel personally is that if you want to enjoy this film then you'll have to keep an open mind and should have no expectations.

Coming to the acting, Anushka Sharma knocked it out of the park!!! I was constantly surprised by her acting since I didn't know whether I should feel pity for her or I should be afraid of her. Without a doubt this is her best performance till date, she's very realistic and mysterious. Another spectacular performance is by Bengali movie actor Parambrata, you exactly understand why is he doing certain things. We get his mindset perfectly, you can feel the conflict within him, should he allow Anushka Sharma to live with him or not? And that's what makes this movie effective. Moreover character development in this film is really brilliant for main cast but has been less focused towards other supporting casts.

Apart from lead characters other supporting cast has also done a really good job. For eg Rajat Kapoor as the professor is very much intimidating.

Coming to the screenplay, it's really, I'll say dark and gripping. You will find some really heart felt moments in the movie, which will leave you smiling. Moreover the execution of the script is in such a way that you won't be able to predict what's going to happen next. It keeps the suspense till the very end and not leave you bored. Prosit Roy did a really good work in directing this movie, you get his vision, you get what is he tryna show. And for the most part we buy it.

I must admit camera work and cinematography for this film is very gorgeous, the whole film is really good looking. Even though the mood of the film is pretty dark but that's necessary, and I get it.

Coming towards my negative for this film, it can be felt as if it has been dragged sometime. Many people may feel bored due to it's slow pace. I think that the movie could've been short if they would've taken out some scenes which were unnecessary. It will also help in increasing the pace of the film. Also some questions about the film is left unanswered, which I feel is a good thing as it leave us wondering but many people may not like it. Another drawback in this movie is that it lack chills. It does have some pretty good scares but they are not spread throughout the film. And what I really hated were the false jump scares, like why the hell do they have to produce a high pitched sound all of a sudden so that audience can jump on their seat for no good reason. It's a sound, don't use it as a scare, and if you're using it then make sure that it's made by something really disturbing, rather than some stupid person jumping infront of the camera all of a sudden. It's really annoying, it kills the tension and make scares very much predictable.

So concluding my review, I'll say that this movie is a really good attempt by Bollywood, but if you really want to enjoy it, don't go in with expecting that you'll see a horror movie that'll leave you sleepless for nights, you may feel disappointed. But overall if you'll see it with an open mind, you may fall in love with it.

Anushka as Rukhsana shines,totally nails it.The plethora of emotions,ohh my.....and yeah Parambrata is totally convincing as Arnab,the innocent and the introvert one.

Pari gives a new definition as well as a direction to the genre of horror films in Bollywood,the audience of which was sick of hearing stories like the mental asylum ghost or the newly married bridal ghost,blah,blah.

Instead,Pari is a fresh ,well conceptualised,well crafted horror film with all the eerie elements,the background score and of course a great direction.

I am a fan of horror films but I have criticised almost all of the Indian horror films but it's different this time. Anushka with her films like NH10,Phillauri is on with experiments,and guess what..It totally works.

Commendable attempt at a very dark subject. Well knit story and powerful performances. The plot unfolded very well and I really enjoyed it. The movie could have been 15mins shorter, but for a first timer, this is brilliant work, better than many nig ticket debutants of our age. Takethispunch is clearly the Tiger Zinda Hai loving guy who has no idea about movies.

When I read the reviews, I got excited thinking a good horror movie has come about. I thought in the lines of Pizza ( the tamil one of course, not the gore-added remake in Hindi) . Since I heard it's a different kind of movie, I knew there's got to be something more this movie will offer. Well, the story was kind of different, but they could have done a better job at executing it. The first half is very slow and boring. While heading over for popcorn in the interval, I heard other folks also rambling about how they wasted their money on this movie , some people saying it was a "bhangar" movie. However, the second half picks up a bit .... yes , just a bit. It gets more interesting definitely, yet you are not really into the movie. Maybe the first half puts you off, so you land up ridiculing the second half at times. The acting was excellent by all. The concept was good, definitely not what you find in Hindi horror movies. But then it was predictable and not as enjoyable as I thought it would be. Overall I didn't like the movie and think I could have skipped it.

Pari (2018):

Every year I wait for new horror films even when I know that most of them will definitely disappoint.The same routine happened in 2018 too with two disappointing horrors (Insidious 4 and 1921). But Pari managed to grab my attention with chilling looks and trailers.SO I watched this Pari Not a Fairy Tale..How is it??

Plot:

Arnab (Parambrata Chatterjee) rescues a traumatised Ruksana (Anushka Sharma) found under mysterious circumstances in a secluded jungle. With nowhere to go and her life being in danger, he offers her refuge at his home until he discovers a different side to her. Who is this woman and what is her story?

My Review:

Just like 2017 Malayalam film Ezra which introduced Jewish "Dyubbuk",Pari introduced Islamic "Ifrit" and the occult following it.While most of the horrors rely mostly on its lame jump scares,Pari gave a creepy look like Korean films.Pari is an art-house, indie thriller which moves at its own pace, in its own unique way. It collates elements that are rare to find in commercial scary movies - eerie silence, haunting yet soothing melancholic music, an enchanting love story and an air of paranoia that grips you slowly and steadily.

There is much leaping about, hanging upside-down, quaking at the sight and sound of anything that is godly, and some sudden YIKES!! moments. But the movie - together with its excellent camerawork and the gentle but haunting background score.The scene is mortuary and few other scenes are chilling.

Anushka Sharma is the perfect combination of innocent and enigmatic, frail and fearsome as Rukhsana. She delivers an image-defying performance that is designed to elicit pity and dread in equal measure.Parambrata Chatterjee is very good.Rajat kapoor is terrific in his role.Cinematography and Background score are chilling and really helped the movie.

But still Pari loosely resembles Shyamalan's Lady in the Water which follows same typical relation between a humane and other-worldly creature.

So,Pari is a haunting drama which are quite rare in Indian Cinema with terrific performance from Anushka Sharma and Cinematography...

My rating 6.75/10

Anushka Sharma starrer Pari is the latest horror movie to hit the screen. The actor managed to create a buzz via the screamers which Does it manage to spook the audiences or is it a drag? Does Anushka Sharma's acting live up to your expectations? Read our review to find out.

Pari starts off with Arnab(Parmabrata Chatterjee) meeting a woman through an arranged marriage setup. Arnab is an introvert, but the girl - Piyali, manages to break the ice. They both agree to the match. While Arnab's family is on their way back home from the meeting, they accidentally run over a women. The woman dies on the spot. The woman had a daughter - Rukshana(Anushka Sharma), who stayed with her. They live in the wilderness with barely any exposure to electricity & hence technology. Post her mother's death, a few men are chasing Rukshana & she goes to Arnab's house to save herself. Arnab intends to leave her at a women's ashram, but as expected is unable to do so. Arnab is now caught juggling his prospective wife & Rukshana - both have secrets of their own.

Is Rukshana as evil as the women chasing her, make her out to be? Does Arnab get married to Piyali? Does he live to tell the tale? Do the men chasing Rukshana manage to kill her?

Pari is an outright Anushka Sharma vehicle. She is there is almost every other frame. She is convincing in her role of a woman with spooky traits. Parambrata who became a household name across India, post Kahaani is good. Rajat Kapoor is menacing as the islamic ghostbuster. The movie captures the beauty of Kolkata's parks & its streets well. It will make you want to visit Kolkata. While we have been exposed to stories dealing with Christian & Hindu ghosts, it is the first time we are told a story with a muslim backdrop. This does add a certain degree of novelty.

The movie is let down by the weak script & sub standard direction. Director Pari is director Prosit Roy's debut & his lack of experience is clearly visible. The first half is a complete drag. The story barely moves forward. The second half is better, but by then the damage is already done. The editing & screenplay is poor. There are barely any scenes which manage to spook you. The thrills are not thrilling enough.

As our readers must have noticed, we are pretty lenient with our ratings. But this movie was a complete letdown. We suggest you wait for this movie to release on an OTT platform. Do not waste money on movie tickets.

The first thing I noticed here was the excellent sound. 'Pari' is creepy and unpredictable. The visuals are subtle, yet highly effective and scary. Bloody hell, there were moments when this movie gave me the chills!

In the vein of 'Let the right one in', 'Pari' builds slowly but surely, with disturbing images throughout. Personally, I feel they should have streamlined the film a bit - cut it by about 20 minutes, as there were moments that felt slow, as if it unnecessarily dragged the movie down when it should have been faster paced. Some scenes just lingered much too long. Nevertheless, 'Pari' is a well made film that packs the punch.

Anushka Sharma is excellent as the apparent victim, Rukshana, who slowly reveals her true identity.