Horror reboot set to be a box-office bomb
Reboot.
VIKRAM Bhatt struggles to reinstate horror as a mainstream genre in Bollywood, after previously enjoying a phenomenal response to his Raaz in 2002. The last two chapters have been average attempts to keep up with the standards set by its predecessor. Now, it seems Bhatt has buried the franchise six feet under with the fourth instalment.
Plot Shaina (Kharbanda) and Rehaan (Arora) move to Romania after marrying, seeking a peaceful life in their new home.
Soon after they move into the luxurious place, Shaina starts to feel the presence of a spirit. Without much evidence to prove the presence of the supernatural to her husband, DIRECTOR: Vikram Bhatt CAST: Emraan Hashmi, Kriti Kharbanda, Gaurav Arora CLASSIFICATION: TBA RATING: ★★✩✩✩ she seeks help from a former flame, Aditya (Hashmi).
While Shaina and Aditya understand each other’s eerie sightings, there is a secret about Rehaan’s past that begins to surface and they set out to solve the mystery.
Verdict Forget about getting chills down your spine – this is a pretentious horror with musical interludes and unintentional comedy tracks. Bhatt’s intention is very clear from start. He is not attempting anything new, while looking to his own previous works for inspiration. In fact, he has reworked several scenes for the horror enactment from the previous films. The blame is upon the director for relying heavily on old-school tricks instead of being creative and reinventing the genre for Bollywood.
Most audiences who have been exposed to the brilliant work of Hollywood in films of this genre ( The Conjuring, The Exorcist) would surely find this too mild for their liking.
Hashmi is the saviour of this awful film, adding a stroke of genius to the story despite making a late entry. The newbies, Kharbanda and Arora, put on a decent show. They are acting amateurs with just the right amount of talent to play their parts on screen.
The music compositions by Jeet Gannguli are pleasant enough, but the tracks have been misplaced alongside the narrative.
This distracts from the unfolding of the events, thereby leaving the treatment in a critically corny condition.
Recommendation Warning: this movie should be watched at the viewer’s own risk. The directorial incompetence is an absolute cinematic nightmare. ● Journalist and media personality, Varshan Sookhun, presents the lifestyle show The Midday Spice on Lotus FM, 92.5 to 103.8 FM, Monday to Friday, noon to 3pm. He also presents Bollywood Billboard from 2pm to 5pm on Saturdays.