Reader Alert: Another side-effect of instantaneous but thankfully temporary bouts of anger, I get on watching really stupid movies; especially if I spent some real dough to rent the DVD & wasted a couple of hours watching them. Since this movie is being touted as a suspenseful chiller-thriller movie (???!!!!????), I have suitably changed the stories so that you just get a hang of it, without revealing the twisted twists in story... though IMNSHO the twists turned out to be quite hilarious themselves. Like you expect a black mean fatcat to pop out of the bag & out comes the cat poop!
If you haven't got the drift already reading countless other reviews, it is the story of 7 friends stuck in the middle of a dense forest owing to a flat tyre; 6 of them trying to beat boredom by recounting scary stories... the 7th friend cooling off in the van (hey... how come every one missed him?). Of course there is a much scarier main story happening simultaneously involving these friends.
Since I don't want to give away the story... why spoil that feeling of anti-climactic ecstasy for you :-)... I will recount the altered stories in a random order.
Invasion of the Alien Mangoes!!
A Mango a day, Keeps the Population at Bay : A much needed advice in a over-populous country like India. Mangoes being so abundant in the sub-continent, isn't it time someone did a research on population control aspects of this wonderful fruit?
But wait! The mango is not a harmless, sweet & innocent fruit it appears to be. It is an alien species of look-alikes which have invaded our world with the sole aim of eradicating humanity. More deadlier than all the Aliens, Predators, Terminators etc., their sole aim is to convert our beautiful world into a scary mango estate.
Soon the deadly goo of mango juice will be flowing uninhibited through our streets, devouring mercilessly all the cars, buses, trucks & even human beings. I am hit on the head by a Mango & go into a deep coma. I wake up 28 days later to find myself alone in the midst of a giant & perennial mango forest.
Did this story scare you? If yes, you'll find one of the stories equally scary! Now for a moment who doesn't wish all the worst actors & actresses like Sanjay Kapoor, Aftab Shivdasani, Kareena Kapoor were actually mangoes... so that we could chomp them feverishly into oblivion. Especially the evil grimace on Sanjay Kapoors face is an added incentive for vengeful chowing. However If it happens to be a sweet mango like Shilpa Shetty or Sami (Sameera) Reddy... of course we could have a very relaxed consumption.
Petrification Totalus
Now it is a well understood fact of life that intelligent movie goers enter into a state of total mental petrification when they see a bozo like Aftab Shivdasani (AS) try out elementary school drama acting on big screen. Add to that the effect of seeing a fully clothed Isha Koppikar in a movie out-side of an item number! Now don't blame me, if you turn into a statue after watching this story. I told you to 'STOP', but you just won't listen!
The only high-light of the story is the fate of AS (with a missing 'S'). The only scene I could bear (with added glee) in this story. How I wish the same fate would befall him in real life, saving us more agonies & petrifications
Secular School Teacher
We have a secular teacher, who suspects foul play when a primary school girl starts adorning her homework with religious symbols. Curious to find out which pernicious fundamentalist Taliban are out to poison the minds of an innocent school girl, our teacher tries to peek into her room. This act of social service is mistaken by her mom as an act of pedophilia! The reward for such inane acts of brazen-ness is of course transformation into a road graffiti artist!
All religious symbols should be banned from schools. The religious symbols are scary & life threatening!
Benevolent Inn Keeper
Imagine you check into a hotel, whose sole keeper is an outspoken promoter of 'Smokers Anonymous'. As an added bonus for your consideration shown in not smoking inside the hotel... you are given a gift voucher of 6 months FREE all expenses paid stay in the same Hotel... with 24 hour unhindered access to 'Cartoon Network'. All you have to do is turn into another spokesperson for the 'Anti-Tobacco NGO' run by the Inn Keeper! Wouldn't you call it a life time opportunity to quit smoking & start a new life... all for a noble cause.
Doesn't the prospect of so much bounty befalling your smoke-filled life scare you?!
Anna playing Cyrus Broacha
A man taking a free ride in your car tries to scare you, recounting its undead stories. A real ghost? Or a prankster trying to pull a fast one on you?
The only story with any real twist! Just wish the actor wouldn't have given that long speech before the last act. I wish he had vamoosed without uttering a word!
Honeymoon Couple
Though Sohail Khan scares you with his mere presence, thankfully he doesn't try the more scarier part... trying to act. The scariest aspect of the story is watching & recognizing a fully clad Antara Mali.
If the intention was to build tension with each passing story, the credit for puncturing the balloon goes to Sami Reddy & the director by letting the cat out, so early ! And I get blamed as a party spoiler!
Main Story...
Revealing more about the main story, would kill all remaining interest in you, to watch this flick. Though it is not such a bad thing... well for a change, I won't spoil the party... esp. since it happens to be a jovial carnival of anti-climactic endings in true RGV style!
The concept may be new & novel for current Bollywood watching generations. That is only if you don't watch 'Twilight Zone', 'Fact Or Fiction' & related TV serials dealing with the super-natural & paranormal happenings. Otherwise don't be surprised if every story gives you a sense of Deja Vu!
Regarding the stories... you are more likely to lose sleep over ravishing hot Sameera Reddy than over the silly stories... or may be over the horror of seeing fully clothed Malis, Shettys & Koppikars.
The direction & cinematography for the main story are tight & give the movie it's scary (some) moments. But rest of the stories are just passe! For a budding director Prawaal Raman has done a better job than RGV in Boot (Bhoot)! I applaud his decision NOT to direct the sequel 'Darna Zaroori Hain' given the uncanny feeling down my spine ( C'mon feel scared now!) the stories are going to be as good as Part 1
Acting-wise since most stories are short there is no chance to show any histrionics. The good apples (actors) have done a good job given the limited scope, the bad apples remain as rotten as ever & make us thankful that the stories were short.
The background score scores in giving that edge of the seat feeling (for the main story). The opening number 'Darna Mana Hain' shot in James Bond movie style is another highlight of this otherwise sad story.
Fear can kill the weak hearted. But so do raising over-expectations kill a movie
