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Saturday, April 20, 2024
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BOLLYWOOD HAUNTED 3D
EDITOR'S PICK
Rating: ***
The best thing one can say about this rivetting romp into the kingdom of the
eerie is that it really didn`t need the 3D format to make an impact.
Haunted works just as effectively without the 3D. It takes the
horror genre in India as far as it can go. And then it goes that extra mile in
search of the shivery feeling that most films in India from the genre seem to
give the miss.
Vikram Bhatt reinvented the horror genre eight years ago. In its intuitive
amalgamation of Hindu mythology with horror Raaz was a
threshold-crosser. In Haunted Bhatt goes full-throttle in search of
that language of supreme scares that somehow we furtively enjoy even when we
pretend not to.
Haunted brings back some of Bhatt`s patent horror motifs… The
scenic Ooty landscape shot with panoramic panache by Pravin Bhatt. The tranquil
location perpetually secretes untold terror and horror. And here, if the
terrible truth be told, the terror is untold. The fear of the unknown is
explored to the hilt, as the screen explodes into a series of episodes where the
boy and girl try to escape Satan`s latest reincarnation, a piano teacher with
lust on his mind. Aarif Zakaria as the ghoul has little playing-time on screen.
But his eerie sordid imprint is all over the plot.
In the tradition of Vikram Bhatt`s other horror films there are very few
incidental characters claiming our attention. Brent Robinson`s screenplay
restricts itself to the predicament of the main characters. There`s an
interesting attempt to play with time passages as the hero Rehaan (Mahaakshay)
goes back 80 years to save the dainty damsel from the perverse pianist.
Mahaakshay Chakraborty shows a certain composure for the camera, his eyes
telling tales that you just can`t afford to miss. Being the mythic Mithun
Chakraborty`s son has its advantages. In a cleverly-written sequence Mahaakshay
gets a chance to dance.
The narrative flows smoothly and some of the special effects are to die for. If
you are a fan of the horror genre you really can`t afford to miss this one.
Haunted 3D revolves around the sprawling Glen Manor, a mansion with a secret past and a haunted present.
The protagonist Rehan, visits Glen Manor to complete its sale, which his father had initiated. But he realizes that certain mysterious occurrences may jeopardize the sale. However when he investigates these odd happenings, he discovers a secret and falls in love with it! The secret brings him face to face with the biggest challenge of his life - how to save her when she is already dead?
Music release of Hindi film haunted Stills