Bhoot – Part One: The Haunted Ship — Beware! Kaushal ahead!

Until U.A.E censor board realizes that the world has moved past from offensive dialogue, lustful & sensuous scenes in movies and movies based on sexuality, which used to impact the moviegoers, years ago, let me talk about Bhoot – Part One: The Haunted Ship, which has been “allowed” to release.

Despite Vicky’s outstanding efforts, impressive visual effects and a beautiful direction by Bhanu Pratap Singh, which were surprisingly ahead of the game rather than the usual hogwash, there is nothing this film could offer. Unfortunately, Bhanu Pratap Singh‘s script couldn’t create the thrill and it seemed like it has been written for an early 2000’s film.

Notwithstanding, there are some popcorn-tub-shaking scenes which will shock you. It’s a horror movie after all. Yet, the plot takes such a wrong turn after the second half starts, that the build up the first half created, deteriorates easily. Alongside the adroit Vicky Kaushal (as Prithvi), the supporting cast, Bhumi Pednekar (as Sapna), Ashutosh Rana (as Professor Joshi), Siddhant Kapoor (as Captain), Meher Vij (as Vandana) and the brilliant Sara Gesawat (as Meera) aid this film to uplift. Slightly.

It brought a smile to my face when only one song was present in the film because of the kind of requirement it had for music. Channa Ve is graciously written, sung and composed by Akhil Sachdeva, who has proven to be quite a hit since last year.

The true winners apart from Vicky were actually the team of visual effects (Mukund Agicha, Dipen Majmundar, Jason Bowers, Omkar Vilas Salvi, Apurv Swami, Santosh Tendulkar and Subhash Chandran Vijayan), the sound department (Debajit Changmai, Anish John, Rahul Karpe and Gyana Mishra) and animation department controlled by Abhishek Kalan, all of whom successfully managed to create the horrific environment for more than a few scenes.

2.5/5

Game Over – Half a film.

Taapsee Pannu admitted that a lot of big shots from Bollywood industry had said that she won’t make it. Not only behind her back, but to her face as well. She had the belief in herself, the determination kept her going and her ability and skill is what made her reach to the position she is at today.

It isn’t a Bollywood release, this film. It is a Tamil-Telegu film just dubbed into Hindi language for the cinemas of the same. One reason also being that Pannu now has fans and/or an audience aside Tollywood and Kollywood film industries. In our Hindi cinema, Game Over is presented by Anurag Kashyap and the production company is Reliance Films. Not that he has directed this but I surmise, even if his name is mentioned anywhere in a film’s details, the mind automatically gets an affirmation that the plot or the direction is rock-solid.

Herein, you get a feel of it being a Tamil/Telegu direction because of the melodrama. Plus, the fact that the dialogue is dubbed and has voice overs by different actors than of the ones behind the screen (except Taapsee‘s, she’s done her own), we all are aware of how these films sound and seem like. Gives you a tad feeling of fraudulence. You must have seen one on Television, surely. Thanks to Ashwin Saravanan (director & screenplay) and dialogue writers, Kaavya Ramkumar (Tamil) and Venkat Kacharla (Telegu). Although, there is the background score and the cinematography which makes sure you are seated upright, even in a comfortable theater recliner. Not only that, but Taapsee‘s brilliant performance too, as you must have heard/read over the news.

Notwithstanding, there is a catch. The above scenario starts only when the second half begins, whilst the first half is only the introduction of the story AND tries too hard to create a mystery in your mind, leaving the prediction part to you. Fails though. Agreeing to this, that the concept is most definitely one-of-a-kind. You’ll be blown away. The film is given the genre of a thriller but it’ll give you chills of horror as well, adding to their own benefit, of course.

3/5

Orphan – The out of the box horror.

Sometimes, intending to do a good deed and eventually doing it, for the sake of a life and giving a tribute to a baby who couldn’t succeed in being born after dying in a mother’s womb, can also become dangerously harmful. This film is precisely about that.

Thus, I did a little research on Jaume Collet-Serra, the director of this film and realized that he is the one who also directed Non-Stop, starring Liam Neeson. I found out that he had earned his limelight after Orphan, where he helped the child actor (Isabelle) get critically acclaimed for her performance.

The flick has a great concept, kept me absorbed, all the time. I highly find the star cast commendable, especially the lead child actor Isabelle Fuhrman. Orphan is suspenseful and thrilling even though it carries the genre of a psychological horror. With the unbeatable direction, I’d say that Jaume deserves all the recognition for this film, for bringing out the best in the actors such as Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard and making each sequence so intensified and detailed.

Moreover, the background score by John Ottman is really enhancing the horror scenes, making them scarier. If a director leaves an effect after his film onto your mind, no matter what emotion may it be: happy, scared, thrilled or motivated for a period of time, then I think that director is a mastermind and thus, has the power to create any kind of magic to boggle your mind.

It is a very present-day film.

3.5/5