Ek Thi Daayan Review

Moive: Ek Thi Daayan
Starring: Emraan Hashmi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Huma Qureshi
Producer : Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor, Vishal Bhardwaj
Music Director : Vishal Bhardwaj

Producers Ekta Kapoor and Vishal Bhardwaj collaborate for a unique and never-touched-before concept with Ek Thi Daayan. Directed by Kannan Iyer, the movie is a supernatural thriller starring Emraan Hashmi, Konkana Sen Sharma, Huma Qureshi and Kalki Koechlin in lead roles. The film is set to hit the theatres tomorrow and let’s see whether it manages to horrify as expected.

Story:

The movie starts off with Bobo (Emraan Hashmi),a world famous magician who is stuck amidst frequent horrific illusions from his childhood. His condition forces him to visit his childhood psychiatrist. During one of his hypnosis session, Bobo recollects his terrifying past, where his sister and father are killed by a Daayan, named Daayana (Konkana Sen Sharma).

His girlfriend, Tamara (Huma Qureshi) doesn’t believe in his illusions and helps him to carry on in life. As soon as he tries to forget his past, Lisa Dutt (Kalki Koechlin) enters the scene who reminds Bobo of Daayana. Is Lisa too a part of Bobo’s illusions or is she for real? How does Bobo get rid of his hallucinations ? That forms the rest of the story.

Positive Points:

After all the bollywood horror flicks revolving around aatmas, ghosts and black magic, the makers of Ek Thi Daayan add a new genus of Daayans to the league. Kannan Iyer brings a new form of horror to Indian cinema with a concept as unique as this one and manages to terrorize the audiences brilliantly.

The movie revolves around Emraan Hashmi and he doesn’t let the viewers get their eyes off him. The actor’s performance is par excellence. Out of the three Daayan’s, Konkana Sen Sharma excels in her role. Even though the movie is her debut in the horror genre, she manages to play her character terrifically.

Kalki Koechlin doesn’t have much to do in the film, but manages to portray her character well. Huma Qureshi gives an endearing performance. Special mention goes to Rajatava Dutta (Emraan’s doctor) and Vishesh Tiwari (the young Emraan), who have depicted their parts extremely well. The small girl playing Emraan’s childhood sister is simply adorable.

Negative Points:

The movie is an adaptation of Mukul Sharma’s (Konkana’s father) short story and it would have been more convincing if it was made any shorter. Even though the film has a few extremely spooky moments, a few scenes just do not go with the flow. The movie gets confusing as it processes and goes completely out of track by the climax.

Huma Qureshi is a zilch as compared to her previous acclaimed performances. The movie could have done better without Kalki’s character, which doesn’t have much to do. The climax of the film is confusing and the second half is elongated to an extent that it takes the viewers interest off.

Technical Aspects:

The music of the film given by Vishal Bhardwaj is definitely a plus. Yaaram, Kali Kali and Lautungi Main go with the flow and act as refreshments. Totey Ud Gaye is an appealing number. Saurabh Goswami handles the camera in a marvelous way and captures the spooky sequences extremely well.

Clinton Cerejo’s background score gives a horrific effect to the film. While the first half of the film is informative and interesting, the second half becoming dreary by the end. Kannan Iyer manages to indulge the viewers in a new genre pretty well. His screenplay is tight and doesn’t let the film wander.

Verdict:

On the whole, Ek Thi Daayan is a distinctive and unique addition to the horror genre. Apart from a few confusing scenes, the movie will be liked by all types of audiences, whether or not one believes in Daayans. This one is unquestionably worth a shot.