Bhoot Returns

It's a well known fact that Ram Gopal Verma doesn't really care about the success or failure of his movies. He has confessed this several times in his interviews that he just moves on when a film gets complete and starts thinking about his next without caring about its good or bad box office result. The attitude is fine till he is able to deliver quality products to his viewers and fans waiting to see each of his new directorial ventures with the same spirits. But if the final outcome of his products keeps receding like his last few projects then that is surely going to hamper his image as well as his fan following which is still hopeful of getting a new masterpiece from the maverick any next Friday.

The maestro is back with a new sequel to his earlier hit BHOOT released in 2003, but it cannot be called a sequel in the right sense since it neither takes the story further, nor is anywhere close to that well made classic appreciated by both the viewers as well as the critics. In fact BHOOT RETURNS is a very cheap kind of movie, made on a very economical budget and shot on a lower format as RGV's last release DEPARTMENT. Due to its tricky format, he very smartly avoids extreme close ups or highly flashy scenes in his shots, due to which a common viewer will not be able to guess that its not the usual format he is watching on the screen.

However here the problem increases to many folds as not only the format but the film also hasn't got any solid content which can scare or entertain the viewer in its less than two hours of duration. The story starts in the same manner like many other previous ventures where a family shifts to a new house and then starts experiencing some unusual happenings there. This time RGV also uses few references from the famous PARANORMAL ACTIVITY series movies of the west which perfectly match the lower format of the film quite easily. In the first half he mostly plays with silence and successfully delivers some scary moments through his good old unusual camera placements (perfect for 3D) and the similar kind of frightening soundtrack as used in the original. But post intermission he suddenly gets onto a speedy mode, quickly wraps up the proceeding by killing two kids and then finishes off indicating towards a part three. And due to this, as one moves out, he feels like having watched a long TV Serial episode played in the theater instead of a complete film which just seems like 'Cheating'. Performances also fail to make any kind of major impact because of this very reason despite of having some known names such as Manisha Koirala and Chakravarthy (Satya).

So in business terms, RGV might be able to recover his cost and may also make some profit selling this cheap product at various digital platforms in this cyber age. But what he has really done in BHOOT RETURNS is a sort of scam tried with his own loyal audience by making a fool of them in the theaters and giving them quite less in return of their costly multiplex tickets. Moreover here I have another major point of objection in the movie where RGV has used children killing with knife and being killed (burned) towards the end in quite a disgusting manner.

The question I want to raise here is that if the Censor and the authorities are so much concerned about showing Child Labour on the streets, Child Smoking on the screen and Exploitation of Kids in Reality Shows then how can they let innocent kids feature in such strong films based on Communal Riots, Ghosts or Brutal killings?

If Censors cannot allow a child smoking a Cigarette or even holding it in his hands on the screen then how can they let the same child hold a knife and killing someone with all blood around the body in such a cruel manner? In fact acting in such kind of sequences can have a much stronger impact on his or her 'still developing' psyche than just smoking a cigarette. Hence personally I strongly don't appreciate using kids in films dealing with these particular genres. And if the subject really demands a kid to be in it for a solid reason, then it's the duty of the director to take utmost care of those scenes in particular as they should not leave any kind of long lasting scar on the kid's psyche, staying for a longer period of time affecting his personal life.

Unfortunately, RGV doesn't take care of this important fact mentioned above in his BHOOT RETURNS and the film uses the two child actors in its climax quite harshly.

Hence you can watch it if you strictly don't miss any horror film released at regular intervals of the year. But in case you wish to see it only for RGV then you can easily give it a miss since BHOOT RETURNS is just another below average, mediocre flick by the master, which fails to reach his own high standards set in the past.

Bhoot Returns made by the versatile filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma sadly offers nothing new and paves the same nails of the director's earlier flicks like Phoonk and Raat. I wonder what made RGV think that he could replicate the success of the novel Bhoot.

Like Phoonk, the story of BR is about a small girl possessed by a restless evil soul whom she calls "Shabbu". Her parents (J.D. Chakravarthy and Manisha Koirala) realise what a grave mistake they made by moving into a new apartment, like in Bhoot. Add to that, the hero's sister (Madhu Shalini) decides to install cameras into the house to see if there's really a spirit present in the house (attention: Paranormal Activity). I wonder why RGV is obsessed with not giving his horror flicks a happy ending or leaving the plot incomplete like he did in Raat, Darna Mana Hai and Darna Zaroori Hai. Is another sequel to Bhoot Returns on the way? I hope not!

The way the story is fashioned, there's not much scope for histrionics. Manisha Koirala battles with giving her expressions of fear and confusion. She handles most of the part with ease but looks lost in others. J.D. Chakravarthy tries his best with expressions. Madhu Shalini tries to bring some novelty to the plot but again, her efforts are restricted by the plot. Alayna Sharma shows promise.

I like the way how RGV handles the scary scenes without sound effects. The silence helped to enhance the mood of the film in most portions but the chills and thrills in this film are limited.

Overall, Bhoot Returns disappoints. By the time, the film ends you'll have popped several anti-depressant pills and went straight ahead to bed!

Watched this as a horror fan, but really there's nothing special in this film. They have tried to combine the features of a documentary + TV serial + horror film+ camera recording like Paranormal activity.

A family of 4 moves in to a house whose previous tenants have simply gone missing, and then their sweet little daughter starts to see things and hear things no one else can, and then you know how it goes .

The good? Maybe a few thrills, the acting of the actors at times.

The bad? The film is nothing NEW and is just a mix of ideas from paranormal activity, Poltergeist and even from RGV's own films like Phoonk 2. Acting gets weak at times, effects aren't that good really. The film is quite predictable – white figures at night, sudden blasts of music, swing moving by itself, mirror images not moving after the person has moved from the mirror, doll….we've seen it all before.

Perhaps this film was made on a very low budget. I wouldn't recommend watching this. Bhoot was much better

After watching this one we'll wonder "Is it really a venture of Ram gopal?" Where is the horror? Why Manisha Acted in it? There is no such events that make you stand up from your seat or increase your heart beat.You will feel weird after watching this one and think if there is any horror flick ever created like this one? I think RGV direct this movie after got an hallucination by watching English horror flicks. The plot is very weak any way The movie is about a family who start living in a new house and the situation they has to face there.Bad script,worst direction,nothing positive in it.

My view: Don't waste your time.

Well i went to see this movie as a Horror one. But except last 15-20 min, its a comedy movie which does not make any good progress through out the whole movie.

When you go to watch a horror movie, you always get excited by the surprises. But in this movie you could pretend every next scene.

They copied some scene from Exorcist & some from Paranormal Activity but could not justified at all.

So don't buy tickets to watch this movie. Best option is to download or get a CD from any friend and finish in 30 to 40 min. max.

I hope RGV will not make the next part of this movie ....