Expectation- A path breaking Hindi movie in the horror genre.
Reality- Just any other horror movie. (Though way better than what
Mr. Vikram Bhatt and RGV have been dishing out for quite a few years now)
As there was Mr. Vishal bhardwaj handling the script and the
screenplay department, there should not have been any major glitches in the
storytelling. But sadly, there are far too many loopholes that make ETD loose out
on all the thrills and chills and nullifies the effect of a superbly crafted
1st half of the movie. Almost the entire first half plays out in the flashback
mode as Emraan Hashmi narrates out his entire childhood under the effect of
hypnosis to his psychiatrist and this is the time when we get to see the
Witch and her craft. Be prepared for some spine chilling scenes.
Ten minutes into the second half and you realize that the director
is guiding the ship into a more predictable and comfortable (read clichéd)
zone. The scenes happen at the same locations, using the same elements far too
frequently and then Kalki appears in the scene. None of the folks at the theatre
could understand as to what she was supposed to do in the movie. Her character
sketch has been drafted shabbily, written absurdly, lacks depth and has no
connection with the story. (I found myself thinking about all the possible
reasons as to the inclusion of Kalki in the cast. The best I could guess was a
Sequel! )
The visual effects and background score have been done pretty
well. The editing is good. The dialogues are superb.
Lyrics penned by Gulzaar sahab are fresh and the music by Vishal
Bhardwaj strikes the right chords.
Yaaram essentially is a brilliantly written and composed track!
Huma Quereshi performs her part well. This girl is really
talented. And looks great as well.
Emraam Hashmi becomes monotonous after some
scenes. He performs all what he was required to do with
utmost sincerity.
But hold your breath. KONKANA SEN SHARMA it is. Her performance
alone is worth the price of admission. She manages to scare the shit out of the
audience when in her DAAYAN avtaar. Her image gets stuck in the mind and it
stays there long after the movie gets over.
AND then comes the climax. It ruins all the fun, goes down the
predictable lane and does everything which is stereotypical. The horror in the
2nd half does not invite humour (thankfully) but it bores the
audience.
Ek thi Daayan promised to be a real path breaking movie could have
been a movie which would have had a proper concept behind the horror elements
but it falls short. Director Kannan Iyer, makes his effort look polished and
gets his bit right in pieces but is not able to guide the entire movie to its
desired goal.
Too many loose ends, unexplained characters and repetition of
stereotypical elements take away the charm from Ek Thi Daayan. Still waiting
for a good horror movie from bollywood!
**2.5 stars**
