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Darna
Mana Hai (meaning you must not be frightened), is a compilation
of six individual stories.
Seven
friends get stranded in a dense forest one chilly night when their
car breaks down.
With
no other alternative, they seek shelter for the night in an old
ruin. They soon settle down to enjoy each others company.
Trying
to be adventurous, they come up with the idea that each individual
should tell a horror story.
Six
diverse stories each with an unconventional twist begin to unfold.
So
we have the first tale of a married couple, Karan (Sohail Khan)
and Anjali (Antara Mali) whose car breaks down on an isolated road.
Due
to Karan’s habit of playing pranks, the couple end up in a very
serious situation.
The
second story revolves around Anil (Saif Ali Khan), a chain smoker,
on his way to Mumbai.
He
books into a hotel for the night. But the eccentric owner (Boman
Irani) hates cigarettes.
The
third in this series is about a school-teacher, Dayashankar Pandey
(Raghuvir Yadav) who is obsessed about homework.
Due
to his obsession, he is haunted by childhood demons in the form
of a little student Pramila.
Then
there is the paranoid housewife (Shilpa Shetty) who buys the 'mysterious'
apples from a weird vendor (Rajpal Yadav) but find that she is being
‘haunted’ by the fruit!
This
is followed by the most interesting tale of all which is a conversation
between Vivek Oberoi and Nana Patekar.
Waiting
for a bus after visiting the graveyard, a hitchhiker (Nana Patekar)
gets a lift from a youngster (Vivek Oberoi).
But
suddenly something strange happens during the journey.
The
final story is that of a student (Aftab Shivdasani) who wants to
commit suicide because he feels neglected by his family and the
girl he is in love with (Isha Koppikar).
But
one day, he gains the magical powers which helps him get the girl
of his dreams.
As
these tales unfold, they become part of a horrifying story which
promises to frighten the wits out of you!
Can
this be the Bollywood version of the Blair Witch Project
and the Twilight Zone? See for yourselves.
The
highlight of the film is its background score which enhances the
suspense.
With
no songs to hinder the storyline, the film keeps you glued to your
seat throughout.
Cinematography
involves the use of the hand-held camera throughout the movie which
explains why I mentioned the Blair Witch Project earlier.
Darna
Mana Hai is a film which falls into the ‘film noire’ genre.
The movie can be described as an intelligent piece of Bollywood
celluloid.
It
may not appeal to the masses. But having said this, its reassuring
to know that Bollywood is venturing into unknown terrorities as
far as film making is concerned.
Gone
are the days when we are subjected to run of the mill love stories.
Variety
is the spice of life. Bollywood for one is certainly taking
heed of this motto!
Reviewed
by Manish Gajjar, Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Shropshire’s Mr Bollywood. |
