What does Darr mean to you??. Review on Darna Mana Hai

So, you thought Bhoot was all that Ram Gopal Verma Corporation could offer in the name of Spooky fun? Nope, you lose marks! Here comes Darna Mana Hai.

Horror is not the name of being scared by special effects and ghosts; it is also the Paradox in our mind that leads us to horrifying situations. Like, the ones in this movie. Many people (Mostly Indians) have come up with one comment about the movie that it was not scary enough. Now now now let me scratch my gray cells and ask you is this all you understand by the word ‘Dar’ that it should have poltergeist experiences in it and nothing else. Incase you think in the same manner then please do not watch this flick as this is for a slightly more intelligent people.

This movie has it all the fear of death, the never-ending greed, the desire to be the best and the ways to combat bad habits. The six stories which they mention every now and then on your television sets are all very different from each other and have no connection, other than that, that they are being narrated by the bunch of pals who are stranded in a Jungle and got nothing better to do.

While returning from a trip to Goa, the seven friends plan to take a halt in a jungle and spend some time narrating weird and spooky stories to each other. Well if that is how the scriptwriter began the script, then he needs to think about the real story a bit more than the six short stories. They find some place in a forest where they sit, make bon-fire, tell stories and just chill out the night. All the friends are not scared and behave pretty bold until one of them starts on with the first story, which is just a warm up thingy and nothing more. Sameera Reddy who is in great shape in this movie, as far as looks are concerned, starts on with the first story and then Gaurav Kapoor takes on from there.

The stories start rolling out from the gabbag one after the other, some leave a lasting impact on you and others…well even they manage to make you think about them at least once. The apple story is one of the funniest stories, though it does have a message and that is to al the Auntyjis who go out shopping for vegetables and fruits and ask for a price lesser than the one which is being offered. It is their bargaining behaviour on which the story has been written. It is definitely a good concept and has got a meaning to it, but how about the treatment. The treatment and the final outcome of the story are not really that good as the story idea is. Apple being the villain or is it the fruit seller who was the real villain is left for you to think.

I would undoubtedly say that Saif, Boman Irani and Aftaab deserve a special mention for their performance. Though the performances are really up to the mark by everyone, but still the reality and individuality given by them to their characters is amazing to watch. Saif Ali Khan displays change in his character with absolute comfort. The No Smoking story had a lot of impact on all the people who watched, I’m sure all the smokers would still smoke as I do, even after watching the flick. As far as movie making is concerned the story did have a lot matter in it, which was very well explored and handled in a short while. Another one that I would like you all to check out is the Vivek Oberoi and Nana Patekar story. Wow! Is the word for executing in such a brilliant manner! It is a short and spooky story. Believe you me this one will actually scare you in the end and make you wonder, what happened? The compliment for this one goes entirely to the screenplay writer. Good job!

If you want to see some sublime average actor perform really well then, you need to watch out for Aftaab in the story, which deals with our desire to be the best. All of us come across this phase in our life or at least have such friends or acquaintances who think that they have been neglected by this world for too long now and it is time they call it quits for their life. Aftaab exhilarates some excellent scenes and expressions. He makes the character watch able and tolerable and at the end you do not know how to react whether you should sympathize with the role portrayed or just laugh. It is good to see him back in a Verma production.

What really could have made this movie work and a hit at the box office is the main story. Then why didn’t it do so, because sweets, the main story really did not provide any platform for the movie to end or begin in a unique or sensible manner. Seven friends start missing for no reason and even if you get to know the reason it is so stupid and spoken out in the most inconvincible dialogue delivery. Well, Sushant Singh was not quite excited with his role it seems. The main frame should have been better written and executed with more efficiency. It lacked the setting or the plot required, in fact it just does not leave any impact on you. In the end you are left with a feeling of ‘what a dumb squib, was that’. The movie definitely boasts of A grade cinematography and sound effects.

It is definitely worth if you can save yourself from the Not- So- Different ending. Kudos, to Ramu, for making a difference in the Hindi cinema with every movie of his.