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Thursday, May 26, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
404 - Error Not Found
Cast: Nishikant Kamat,Imaad Shah,Satish Kaushik,Tisca Chopra
Rajvvir Aroraa
Director: Prawaal Raman
'404' is not a film which was anyways made for universal audience. With an eye at the thinking audience which has been exposed to cinema coming from the West, especially the kind that Manoj Shyamalan specialises in, Prawaal Raman has consciously worked towards making this as a niche film and he more than succeeds in doing so.
With the setting of a medical college which is unlike anything that one sees in a regular Bollywood flick, '404' (thankfully) doesn't have any cool dudes and mini skirted girls filling up the frames. Instead, it is all realistic with the bunch of freshers going through the ragging ritual that falls somewhere in between the fun element of '3 Idiots' and dark mood of 'Hostel'.
However for the first 30 odd minutes one keeps wondering whether the film is about ragging, what with a newcomer (debutant Rajvvir Aroraa) being the chosen one, or about paranormal, supernatural and bipolar disorder, something that the visiting faculty (Nishikant Kamat) keeps talking about in his lectures, interviews as well as thesis detailing. This is what that keeps one thinking along practically every minute and while you know that there would be something explosive sooner or later, the waiting period is as enjoyable as well.
The film maintains it's pace (on a slower yet haunting side though) as the college senior (Imaad Shah) and his gang of friends bring Rajvvir to such a state that it begins to seem like a point of no return for the youngster. Psyched to such an extent that he loses all rational about 'reality v/s perception' that he had built over the years and instead begins to talk on the contrary, Rajvvir sees a journey down the bottom of the barrel before Nishikant and his wife (Tisca Chopra) take it upon themselves to revive him. However, by that time it is hard to distinguish between the sufferer and the saviour. '404' is the kind of film that has to be listened to and not just seen quite closely. The film is verbose and for all the right reasons because every scene that explains the bipolar condition is pretty applicable to the scenes that unfold towards the latter half. Yes, this also means that for many out there who prefer a viewing which is comforting and akin to spoon feeding, '404' is the kind that threatens to go totally over the head. Also, quite a lot of reasoning that is provided is in English which further restricts audience.
Moreover, there aren't any gimmicky camera angles or background score that threaten to take over the proceedings before the script is allowed to speak the language of it's own. Also, it doesn't come across as a regular means at any juncture and hence is devoid of any hero, heroine, villain formula. The strength of '404' lies in the fact that it makes you play the guessing game right from start to finish. Yes, you do crack one of the twists 20 minutes before it is revealed but the finale is something that no one can indeed see coming. Nishikant Kamat gives a solid account of himself as an actor. A cross between Irrfan Khan and Amol Palekar when it comes to looks as well as acting style, he is fantastic. Rajvvir Aroraa is quite good as well and looks every bit the college student whose personality takes different shades as he goes through some trying times. Imaad Shah is simply superb as a carefree and lethargic young man. Despite the negative traits, you love him whenever he appears on screen. Tisca Chopra is efficient yet again and it is hard to believe that 20 years back she was dancing in the rain in 'Platform' while seducing Ajay Devgn. Satish Kaushik as the college warden is perfect as always and brings in welcome laughs at number of places in this beauty duty drama.
Really, it is impossible to not stop thinking even as the end credit title rolls. Now that's quite an achievement for director Prawaal Raman who manages to keep your interest level alive till the end. In fact last two minutes of '404' reminded me of 'The Sixth Sense'. Staying true to the film's inherent theme of 'what you think as real could well be just a perception', the narrative takes such a shocking twist in the concluding reel that you can't just help but stare at the screen in disbelief. In one word, stunning! That's the impact of Prawaal Raman's supernatural thriller. No creaking doors, no Dolby driven demoniacal sound effects, no half-naked girls running around with banshee shrieks and provocative protests, none of the trappings of the horror genre. And yet "404" is one of the most terrifying movie experiences in recent times.
Leaving behind the gross audio and visual excesses of the horror genre, "404" creates a universe of subdued and muted terror within the normal milieu. The music never rises to a crescendo even as the narrative peaks to an all time high of smothered terror. "404" is the most natural supernatural thriller you are likely to see in Hindi. The excesses of the genre are quietly set aside for a tone of narration that constantly favors understatement. Raman is not new to the supernatural-horror genre. In "Darna Mana Hai" and its sequel "Darna Zaroori Hai", he never got it so right. In "404", he goes for the jugular and clamps a terror-band around your throat with the fear of the unknown stalking the mind rather than the film's physical landscape.
It isn't easy to create a sense of foreboding from within the intangible places in the characters' mind and heart. From the first frame when the film opens at a medical college in a quaint hill station ah terror in tranquility, that's one chicle from the horror genre you don't mind the narrative generates a feeling of darkness and danger lurking in the imposing corridors. And yet the film is never gloomy or dull in mood or visuals. Maybe it's the luscious art work. More likely, it is just intelligent writing rather than cheap and gimmicky horror tactics that are usually applied to the genre. The smartly written screenplay about a doughty medical student who befriends the boy who killed himself in the same room has echoic shades of Kiran Rao's "Dhobi Ghat", which had the painter Aamir Khan moving into the house of a woman who commits suicide. "Dhobi Ghat" romanticized the link between the present and past.
"404" imbues a sense of tragic regret and doom in the relationship that forms between the present and past roommates of the hostel room. Lording over the eerie link is a professor of psychology battling over his own demons, struggling to keep the wall between the supernatural and rationale up firmly in place, watching it collapse in a noiseless but horrific heap. In the role of the professor, who is rapidly losing a grip on reality film maker, director Nishikant Kamat turns in the kind of evolved and involving performance. He builds the character's troubled inner world with evocative gestures. His nervous restless eyes and fidgety body language suggest a profound bonding between the terror in the mind and its manifestation in the outward physical world.
Tisca Arora as his supportive colleague and wife is as usual, excellent. As is the newcomer Rajvvir Arora, student who can 'see' the dead. The film opens as a look at the sorry repercussions of ragging and then builds into an elegant but emphatic treatise on the guilt, memory, regret and grief. The cinematography by Savita Singh is richly layered suggesting deeper meanings in even the most routine moments. The editing by Sarvesh Parab is tight. But economy is not an obsession here. Getting the mood and pace right are predominant. In many ways, "404" is an exceptional journey into a mind that sees beyond the physical world. The narrative is blissfully freed of humbug. The shots, even the ones expressly designed to generate horror, are remarkable for their aesthetic precision, warmth and emotional austerity. At the end of this highly original and engrossing work you are left with thoughts on mortality, after-life, death and other jokes.
"404" takes the cruel joke that's life and converts it into a forceful and spirited comment on the world of the spirits. The film takes us on that journey into the unknown with such confidence and warmth that you start believing in an after life. And that after life is called cinema. Though this movie hasn't witnessed heavy promotion but it surely chose an innovative manner to spread awareness. And that was by having the quotes of many renowned celebs who've spoken great things about it after watching. So does this apparent psychological thriller actually instill any chill? 404 is the story of a medical student Abhimanyu (Rajvvir Aroraa) who defies his seniors and the practice of ragging.
Professor Aniruddh (Nishikant Kamath) is impressed with Abhimanyu's rationality and tenacity when he decides to dispel all rumors and moves into a room that has been forbidden for years with the rumors of it being haunted. What follows is an intriguing story about a Professor who denies the paranormal and believes only in Science, and a bright young student who battles with his conflict of illusion and reality. Prawal Raman who has Darna Mana Hai and Darna Zaroori Hai to his credit tries too hard to showcase his finesse in direction with unconventional film making techniques however, apart from certain scenes which are splendid he falters overall in creating a sticky content. The length of the film is one of the main truants making it tedious. Moreover, the haunting background music proves to be the biggest deterrent of the film. Despite it being a psycho thriller the background score forever gives the feel of watching a horror film.
The film however has its fair share of goods as well and most importantly it is the crux of the story that deserves applauds. Never has such a mind-bending thriller been attempted in the past. The only thing that mires it is the vagueness in its execution. Had there been some clarity in the narrative the film could've come out well. The camera work throughout the film is commendable and so is the acting by each and everyone. Nishikanth Kamath deserves a special mention for the excellent performance he put ups through out the film. Naseeruddin Shah's multi talented son Imaad Shah is at his casual best. He also shows great potential as a music composer. Rajvvir Arora is decent in his part. Tisca Chopra as Aniruddh's wife acts well. To sum it up, 404 surely plays with you psyche. The film definitely deserves a watch and should be encouraged for its efforts.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Pyaar Ka Punchnama
Cast: Kartikeya Tiwari,Rayo Bhakirta,Divyendu Sharma,Sonali Sehgal,Nushrat Bharucha,Ishita Sharma
Director: Luv Ranjan
"Pyaar Ka Punchnama" packs in a precocious punch. In telling the story of three friends cum flatmate who get into 'serious' relationships with three self-serving working class female monsters of the concrete jungle, debut ant director Luv Ranjan gives us a film that's fresh, flavorful and finally hugely rewarding. Not that the film attempts to say anything we've not seen before. That's the beauty of this sometimes-embarrassing sometimes-disturbing, often-funny and never dull peek-a-boo at youthful life in the metropolis where human values are frequently sacrificed for the sake of a trendy lifestyle or maybe just to get even with a fast-moving materialistic city that doesn't care how much you carry in your heart as long as the credit cards keep working their mall magic.
Meet Rajat (Kartikeya Tiwari) who, alas, meets Riya and his life changes forever. Wish we could say, for the better. In terms of an emotional graph and dramatic momentum, Kartikeya is the screenplay's most appealing and inviting character. That the actor plays his character with great gusto, just adds to the charm of the proceedings. No doubt the Rajat-Riya track conveys echoes of the Saif Ali Khan-Suchitra Pillai lamb-and-bully equation in Farhan Akhtar's "Dil Chahta Hai". It's not novelty for which this film wins extra points. It's the sheer energy, exuberance and sardonic humor that the director invests into building a case against young men in the city 'falling' (with a humping thud) in love with girl so ambitious they would climb the highest peak at the slightest pretext. And we aren't talking about the Himalayas.
Though there's a delectable sexual subtext to the relationships, Ranjan keeps the proceedings surprisingly free of crassness. The vast eclectic material is nimbly edited in a criss-cross of fast-moving vignettes taken from a suburban immorality tale. A part from an inexplicable fixation on urination in the dialogues of the first reel, the spoken lines communicate the musk of masculine prattle without getting over lurid or picturesque. For a first film, Ranjan shows a remarkable grip over his characters' destiny. If Rajat's track moves at a vibrant volition, the nerdy Liquid's (Divyendu Sharma) one sided devotion to the selfish office colleague Chara (Ishita Sharma) reeks of a desperate romance that Somerset Maugham described in his novel "Of Human Bondage" decades ago. More recently we saw Omi Vaidya do the hangdog Romeo in Madhur Bhandarkar's "Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji". Divyendu is a solid actor. He gives to his wimpy cranky character an easily recognizable profile.
The plot involving Chaudhary (Raayo Bhakhirta) and his promiscuous lust-interest is the feeblest of the three love-tracks. And it suffers only in comparison with the sturdy momentum that the director allots to Rajat and Liquid's rather sordid love stories. Deftly written and edited with words and situations straight out of real life, "Pyaar Ka Punchnama" is the kind of rugged romantic-comedy that brings the smile back into the genre. The performances specially by Kartikeya and Divyendu are rock-solid, imbuing the light-hearted but never-frivolous goings-on with flavor and strength. Kartikeya's four-minute-45-second improvised monologue on how confusing feminine conduct gets for the male species is priceless in its piquancy. Peppery and pertinent, this is a film that no one should miss. True, it is a story about the below-the-belt follies of the young. No matter what your age you will see a slice of your own spousal relationship in the vicious circle that the plot creates around its three heroes.
The ultimate horror flick? You got it! This one is about how scary the man woman thing gets because most of the time men don't know what women want. You see, woman don't want men to know. That's the secret this devilishly-delightful film lets out.He leaves office early, so he can drop her to the beauty parlor. While she's in, he shops at the mall for her she needs stuff, because she's traveling. He drops her off then to the airport, comes back home to finish off all her pending stuff from work. Just so the girl can be with her boyfriend, while she's away! He's only a concerned colleague from office, a motor-mouth who rattles at the speed of thought. None of his talk is smooth. She'd already turned him down once when he'd mustered up courage to ask her out. He hangs around like a hopeful pup still. This is a Geek Tragedy of the average frustrated chump (AFC), which would be the common Indian male.
This everyday Joe, Mr Sexless in specs, low on self esteem, lives his entire life within a dictatorship called the office space, wrapped in a checked bush shirt, office ID hung around his neck. His is a neat human sketch with finely inspired nuances. Unfortunately this actor (Divyendu Sharma) and character (both superbly brilliant) is clubbed in this film with two relatively uninteresting bozos for companions. Like him, they're also AFCs a term from Neil Strauss' The Game, a bestseller guide that's taught millions of single men around the world how to net the women they want. None of those American rules apply in an Indian context of course. Where men, right up till their mid-20s, go without having dated any women at all. This is true for the three blokes in this movie as well. They're soul mates first, flat-mates later. Their individual problems with the women they're with couldn't be more different though. One's stuck with a girl who considers him her private property. The other is in a relationship with a feline creature who likes to play him, and her ex, and several others, at the same time. They'd all still rather be with the women, than with each other. You sort of understand that desperate Indian sentiment.
Most comedies, especially sex comedies, show male of the species to be easy, reckless philanderers. These fellows are more their women's slaves. Which is often closer to the truth. It isn't that men don't stray surely they do. They usually return to the dog collar soon enough for comfort, care, and some caning, if you may! The screenplay, an excellent effort at genuine Indian dick-lit writing, still rings true, in several parts. The solid material isn't however contained enough to make for a tight film. There's no editing of thought, let alone editing out of scenes. Structure, I suppose, could weed out some of the sappiness on the screen. One episode follows another.
The movie acquires rhythms of a TV show, like so many do. We're already in the fifth season by the end of it. Though if this were a TV show, it'd be closest to an authentic Indian version of Friends, or How I Met Your Mother. Which is how and where you should watch this. Yeah, that's where Delhi men would go berserk to Summer of 69 at the karaoke bar. And hope to find a besotted girl at the table next to them!After watching the promos of 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama', one was hoping that naughty content is not just restricted to those two minutes of the playing time but also manages to extend much beyond as well. Anticipating a fun ride ahead, you step into the auditorium, only to realist that 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama' indeed lives up to the very good expectations and delivers a 'punch' which is indeed different.
First time writer & director Luv Ranjan takes an out and out comedy route for the film. In fact while you keep smiling right through the narrative, there are moments when you literally fall off the chair. Yes, there are a few dramatic moments towards the middle of the second half but thankfully all of that is controlled as well with the spirit of the film never being lost. Three boys out there in the film Kartik, Raayo and Divyendu are anything but cool. In fact they are a complete antithesis of how Bollywood perceives 'cool' to be ever since Farhan Akhtar created a genre with 'Dil Chahta Hai'. The characters here are as 'desi' as they get. They talk to each other in the filthiest possible language, don't go around being on back slapping terms and are pretty comfortable to be talking about their failures. Of course in their normal life there is a mighty punch delivered when they fall in love. Kartik has a fairy tale live in relationship with a possessive girlfriend (Nushrat), Raayo's life is a little more complicated with his girlfriend (Sonalli) still hanging out with her ex-boyfriend while Divyendu's case is worst as he is being taken for a royal ride by a girl (Ishita) who may or may not have developed feelings for him. In short, all three pretty much find themselves being treated as a 'kutta' which is in perfect synch with the overall mood and theme of the film.
The film sees its graph peaking up a number of times due to certain individualistic scenes. The best of the lot is the five minute long monologue by Kartik where he goes about cursing women for all the trouble in one's life. Priceless. His bedroom scene with Nushrat where he tries to make his way out of an argument with no success is hilarious as well. On the other hand Divyendu is a riot as he just manages to walk a couple of extra steps and steal the scene. Watch out for him in the opening scene at a 'dhabha', his first interaction with Ishita where she accuses him of being a 'chep' (a pest) and especially the one towards the pre-climax when he gets his revenge.
Comparatively Raayo doesn't have many comic scenes to his credit but he compensates for that by playing a serious level leaded guy well. He emotes well in an understated manner. Amongst the girls, Nushrat has the meatiest role and she plays it all well too without going overboard. Ishita looks bewitching and given the good roles, she has the potential to move ahead in Bollywood. She also acts every bit the kind of (opportunistic) young women one comes across in cosmopolitan cities. Sonalli plays her glamorous part well and would certainly be the most hated one (due to her characterisation). Still, credit to her for getting it right. Any blemishes in this overall fun affair? Well, at the very beginning of the film you do end up spending some time joining the dots and understanding the characters. Also for around 15 odd minutes in the second half, there is a bit of monotony that sets in where you start feeling that the boys should just walk out of their relationship sooner than later. A little smoothness here or there could have made it an out and out laugh riot. Also, towards the very end you do feel if an out and out humor filled scene would have helped in bringing a perfect culmination for the characters.
Nevertheless you still come out of the film happy with not just the promotional track (Kutta) doing the trick but also other songs like 'Chak Glassi' and 'Ishq Na Kariyo' playing in your mind as well. They go well with the youthful flavour of the film. Also, unlike many a slapstick affairs where the jokes disappear sooner than later, in case of 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama' they stay on with you for much longer, hence resulting in a repeat value for the film.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Ragini MMS
Cast: Kainaz Motivala, Raj Kumar Yadav
Director: Pavan Kripalani
The horror genre in Hindi cinema still hasn't found its right footing nor has it managed to carve a niche in the minds of the audience. Time and again we've had clichéd cake-faced, long nailed, shabby haired spirits lurking meaninglessly around haunted houses grudgingly seeking revenge of something gone wrong with them in the past. In such times comes Ekta Kapoor's scary date movie Ragini MMS. Now whether it manages to bring some chill or not let's find out. Ragini (Kainaz Motivala) takes to a weekend getaway with her boyfriend Uday (Rajkumar Yadav) to a bleak dilapidated bungalow amidst a forest. Ragini is in love with Uday but Uday has different plans altogether. He devices this trip and bugs the entire bungalow with cameras in order to make a sex tape. However, his plans get foiled by an impending terror which looms large on them. What happens to the couple next is what forms the rest of the story.
Quite like many other horror flicks, Ragini MMS too has a long haired, cake-faced spirit avenging her and haunting the house. It is also a very clear adaptation of Hollywood hit Paranormal Activity. However, where it differs from the rest of the others in the horror genre league is it narrative and treatment. Very rarely do Indian horror films manage to scare you. But this one surely brings a chill down your spine and makes you tuck your face under your hands. The grab footage feel that's been a rage in Hollywood horror flicks gives Ragini MMS a very realistic and believable feel making it all the more petrifying. Director Pavan Kriplani doesn't rush into things by having the ghost in your face time and again. A common error committed by many filmmakers. Pawan instead instills terror among the viewers very subtly using all the scary elements of a horror film like light effects, sounds, creaks, moans etc. He also plays a smart move by fusing sex in between timely paranormal activities keeping you glued to your seats. What doesn't work in the film's favour is its length. The initial 20 minutes could have been snipped off if the filmmaker wanted a prolonged shot of Ragini's encounter with the evil.
On the acting front Kainaz is perfect in her part of a petite love-sick girl and Rajkumar Yadav is brilliant as a cheap, despicable boyfriend. Those in the know may recall, 2004 was a particular poor year at Hindi movies. A skin flick called Murder was supposedly the year’s biggest hit. One picture that I suspect more people watched on their computers or phones than at the cinemas was an MMS clip starring two high school kids. It was an obscene porn video shot on a cellphone camera, set in a chemistry lab. The location was unwittingly sponsored by my alma mater, Delhi Public School, RK Puram. The innocent female star of that circulated MMS was driven to disappear after the episode.
As the character based on her in Anurag Kashyap’s Dev.D puts it, "Half the country downloaded that clip. And they called me the slut!" That’s the irony around voyeurism. It’s still a basic instinct. It unites losers across. And hell, there’re millions of them worldwide. You’re not surprised they’ve inspired this film. The busty girl’s in a white tank top; denim shorts for hot pants. Her supposed boyfriend is a small built, uncouth, abusive sort of fellow from the North, a thoku master (sex bunny),” as he calls himself. She takes his crap lying down. He packs in loads of condoms, plans a weekend of non stop sex that, unknown to her, he intends to film and post on the Internet. The promised lovemaking will be real, you’re told. You wait. Foreplay comes first. Fear’s secondary. The bungalow the girl and the boy are in is inside a dark, deep jungle. Another couple, friends of theirs, quite easily find this desolate den to spoil the sex tape plans, though only briefly. These are strange kind of young people who down Kingfishers from a big bottle, dance berserk to Bappi Lahiri’s sentimental ditty, You're my chicken fry. You're my fish fry. (I love that song too just can’t imagine someone moving to it seriously).
The house, it turns out, has a strange presence lurking around. The couple realises this quite early on. Yet they don’t leave. There’s a dead woman whose ghost haunts this bungalow. This is also a bit of a Bigg Boss house, with cameras fitted all over, and a console that monitors every move. It starts out quite well. The premise and screenplay (neatly outlined) is captivating all right. Spycams allow salacious viewers unfettered access to close-ups of ladies’ bums. Along with it, what the director evidently lacks is Ram Gopal Varma’s strong, sudden cues to the Bhoot (2003) that is at once in and not in the room: the clever sense of horror, as it were. Which is obviously just an intense trick. Where tension is rationed out in measured portions. Here, you already know the whole story. Suspense is rarely withheld. The boy never quite gives up on his goofiness. You can never take him seriously. The girl, kinkily handcuffed to the bed, hardly exudes any genuine, gobsmacking, gut-wrenching fright. The participating audience’s fear eventually fizzles out towards the end.
This is a digital film. Much on the lines of The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Paranomal Activity (2007) movies that instantly taught us how little it costs (apparently about $25,000 and $11,000) to satisfy that many millions across the world. The producer’s Ekta Kapoor. She was once known for afternoon television soaps called Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi or Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki. She should now be forever known for not just making, but astonishingly marketing, the Dibakar Bannerjee digital profundity Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010).
The leading couple in the film of course, doesn’t get to sleep with each other. The producer’s clearly looking out for a sleeper hit. Good for her. It’s not a bad effort unfortunately, it remains just that. If you are looking for a movie that takes a lot from real life and adds the imagination to come up with a blood chilling horror movie is the much awaited Ragini MMS. Debutant director Pawan Kripalani has done a brilliant job of blending horror, sex and real life. New comers Raj Kumar Yadav and Kainaz Motivala have convincingly portrayed their characters. Kainaz is stunning and is sure to ignite million hearts. Ekta Kapoor has produced the movie and it has a budget of approximately one crore rupees. The movie is predicted to be the shoe string wonder of this year. Hype and interest around the movie is all set to make it the biggest blockbuster of 2011.
The story revolves around the young couple Ragini (Kainaz Motivala) and her beau Udayan (Raj Kumar Yadav). They plan to spend a day in a bungalow, away from the city. The duo chooses the deserted place to indulge in sex. Ragini is unaware of the ulterior motives of Udayan who plans to record a sex tape of themselves and to sell it off for a good amount. However, thing turn sinister as the couple discovers the presence of a third person along with them. As the sun sets on the horizon they realize that the other presence in the house is paranormal and what follows is complete mayhem. If a couple of kissing sequences coupled with a good looking girl strutting around in shorts excites the voyeur in you, then 'Ragini MMS' may just fit the bill. However if you are hunting for some 'real stuff' that a MMS is typically made of along with some shockingly scary moments then well, 'Ragini MMS' doesn't quite go the whole hog.
For a young couple, a run down bungalow in a Godforsaken place is a weekend hangout for an extended scene of 'action'. While for the girl (Kainaz Motivala) it is sheer love (with a dose of lust), for the boy (Raj Kumar Yadav), it is neither love nor lust but sheer business as he intends to cut a video of his act and sell it in the porn market. However weird things start happening to them with a spirit lurking in the background that results in terrifying times for the couple. Viraan jungle, ek tooti haveli aur usme ek bhatakti aatma the ingredients are the kind that are pretty much seeing an expiry date even on television. In such a scenario that one factor that works most for 'Ragini MMS' is technology. Not just it intrigues the audience due to its different texture; it also makes for an interesting movie watching experience as over 80% of the film is shot with static cameras. So instead, one gets to see standard shots that are taken by half a dozen cameras placed in different parts of the bungalow.
This innovation extends to the scenes, dialogues and acts as well since there isn't anything filmy about the entire affair. Both Kainaz as well as Raj Kumar are plain natural and completely uninhibited which makes one truly feel that they are not acting and merely happening to be in front of a camera that is capturing them in their moments. Moreover, due to this being a 'real affair', most of Raj Kumar's dialogues are expletives filled with no beeps whatsoever. Yes, there are a few moments of genuine 'edge of the seat drama', especially the ones when the spirit starts attacking Raj Kumar and scares the daylight out of him. However the scare and the haunt factor doesn't quite go the whole hog. Also, it only starts becoming routine with entire chain of events leading to Kainaz's attempt at escaping becoming repetitive.
While one is still fine with letting go off the motive behind all the killings (since Ragini MMS was never meant to be a structured story and was always supposed to tell a tale as captured on camera), the climax seems abrupt and doesn't make any explanations either. If one goes by what unfolds on screen, the film is very high on concept, technology as well as execution. However if only the written material would have been more convincing with the culmination being batter, 'Ragini MMS' may just have managed to become Bollywood's own 'Paranormal Activity'. As it turns out, the film is a reasonably engaging affair. However as the end credits start rolling, one does tend to exclaim that it could have been a lot better. When Dibakar Banerjee took a previously done concept to make "Love Sex Aur Dhokha" (LSD), he not only created cinematic poetry but its commercial success made its studio greedy enough to replicate the formula. Sadly, what the studio did not realize is that unlike science, in cinema, formulas can not always be replicated. Proof "Ragini MMS", a clone between LSD, Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity.
Uday (Raj Kumar) takes Ragini (Kainaz Motivala) to a secluded house rigged with cameras. He intends to shoot a sex video. What he does not know is that the house is haunted. The sexy twosome, soon turn into a murderous threesome. There are too many things wrong with the film the jump cuts are often jarring, there are no subplots, it abounds in all cliches of the horror genre, though the performance of the lead pair is convincing, the others are bad, the ghost may not be wearing a white bed sheet and a candle, but her hazy, ugly witch avatar has been done to death before, the ghost is seen so much that she stops being frightening and the audio during the horror scenes is so loud that instead of the scene, it's the sound that scares etc.
"Ragini MMS" does not seem to be the work of one or a few creative soul, rather it looks like the handiwork of many heads trying to break creativity together that end up breaking apart the film instead.
One of the most key elements of a horror film is silence. The simplest trick in the horror filmmakers manual is to punctuate the film with lots of silent moments raising a false alarm in the minds of the viewer and striking horror when least expected. There is so much loud background noise put into the film that any sense of nuances is completely lost. The lack of a credible back story or subplots ensures that you don't empathize with your butchered couple. Raj Kumar who almost essays the same videotaping voyeur's role he played in LSD, is underutilized and though a feeble attempt is made at the end to make you empathize with him, it's too late. Also the concept of horror in the film is of western origin that of pure evil. The Japanese version of horror, which is gaining currency in Hollywood after dozens of their horror films have been remade, is that of empathy for the ghost as well where the film also become a mystery, besides being a dumb slasher movie.
Also for horror films, besides a notable exception in Paranormal Activity, linear plots don't work. The unexpected twists in the story do. Ekta Kapoor, who after landmark films like LSD and "Shor In The City", has the chance to become the patron saint of creative directors, needs to remember that a director and his team is hired for their creative vision. She needs to learn to trust them for that.Ekta Kapoor's sex-horror film Ragini MMS has opened to a huge critical reception. The film that look terrifyingly real would be able to connect with the viewers as it amalgamates components of horror, paranormal and sex seamlessly, say critics.
Says Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama, Like Love Sex aur Dhokha, Ragini MMS has been shot as if in real time, in an unconventional way. The film is voyeuristic in nature. It's like watching the footage on a handycam and getting those thrills. But, of course, not all of Ragini MMS is sex and scandal. There's a 'third person' watching the act as well, plus there's a story behind this haunted mansion. However, it's terrifying enough to make you jump on your seat. Let me call it a creepy, spine-chilling date movie!" The film is not flawless though. Says Rediff, "The imperfections of the film lie in the overpowering background tone, which tries to over dramatize the horror. It reflects fluctuating buoyancy on part of the makers, as if the white-lady has a complex of not being able to solely evoke fear. Also, conspicuous is the need for a close-fitting editing."
But the performances make up for the lapses. Says Nikhat Kazmi, The Times of India, "The horror does work in places, although the persistent dim light and the grainy video effect tend to get a bit irksome. But the realistic performances by the lead pair more than make up for the lapses." Some feel that the movie would connect with "those young enough to be scared by the chills and desperate enough to find the sex titillating."
Says, Kaveree Bamzai, India Today, "Surely the film will have an audience among those young enough to be scared by the chills and desperate enough to find the sex titillating. But I guess I just wasn't scared enough. Maybe I've just been watching too many Ram Gopal Varma movies that have been worse. Far worse. And young Raj Kumar, you really have to stop meeting us like this. Try a movie without a sex scene that is being recorded on camera next time.
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