Most of the horror aficionados would agree to the fact that this genre has still an untapped potential in Bollywood. In Pizza, which is the official remake of the Tamil eponymous thriller, first time director Akshay Akkineni attempts something fresh by departing away from the conventional tropes that you find in regular horror stories which makes you scream, ending up in despair .
Pizza tells the story of a delivery boy , Kunal ( Akshay Oberoi) working for a local pizza joint who is constantly cautioned by his girlfriend- turned-wife, Nikki(Parvati Omnakuttan) a struggling horror novelist that he is soon gonna have a spooky encounter. Wearing a perpetual gloomy expression on his face, Kunal is not quite happy in his life as his aspirations are higher and with the kind of income, he can barely sustain the financial overload. And as his ordeal would have it , the home delivery at a pregnant woman's place lands him amidst the spirits – Kunal is trapped inside the haunted bungalow , and with a mere torch light to guide him through , he tries each possible way to escape!
Relying on the efficient shock value and eerie atmospherics, Akkineni makes Pizza consistently watchable. As the narrative progresses and pizza slices get bafflingly consumed by the unknown forces , you get more and more involved with its underlying tension without finger- plugging your ears or closing your eyes. The writing is tight here and if you consider the technical aspects, the 3D effects work in the film's favor.The film devotes most of its screening time to the protagonist 's struggle to break free from the entrapment and Akshay Oberoi does holds your attention with his one-man show until the shocking and amusing twist in the closing stages. Apart from a sweet mobile ring-tone which works as an ode to the 60's noir cinema, Akkineni employs good inserts of unintentional humor for relief; Sample this – in a fit of paranoia, one character screams at the ghosts , " Chupp kar kyun baitha hai, saamne aao Darpok !!"
Acting as the delectable topping to the crust, the supporting cast is quite effective. Rajesh Sharma as the superstitious and stingy owner of the joint, Hussain Dalal and D Santosh as Kunal's friends are endearing as ever. Parvati is competent and has a natural flair and perkiness. Cast as Mrs. and Mr. Ghost respectively , Deepanita and Arunodaya suffer from the deficiency of scope and make-up.
On the whole, if you are game for a horror fiesta, then you must relish this Pizza. It's not great or path-breaking , but you will love it.
