Darna Mana Hai Review {1.5/5} & Review Rating
'Hatke' is a much-used-and-abused word in Bollywood. Hindi film-makers always talk in terms of 'hatke' storylines/content that their film offers.
But very rarely does a film-maker break the mould and come up with something that's truly, genuinely 'hatke'. It may/may not appeal to every individual's sensibilities, agreed. Nevertheless, the effort needs to be lauded, for it defies the norms set out by makers of clich�d, formula-ridden films.
Ramgopal Varma's DARNA MANA HAI, directed by Prawaal Raman, is one such bold attempt at providing a 'hatke' film.
To be honest, there can be two diverse opinions after you've seen this flick. Either you'd like it for its sheer 'hatke' theme [a path not many Hindi film-makers have ever chartered] or you'd simply abuse the maker for ruining those two precious hours of your life�
There're not one but six stories that have been woven in one single film. There's the seventh one too � that of the six friends who get stuck in a dense forest when their car breaks down. They find an abandoned ruin and light a bonfire. Slowly, the conversation steers to grisly stories that some of the friends have heard/experienced.
The first story is that of a young, married couple [Sohail Khan, Antra Mali], who get stranded in the middle of a dense forest. And then something strange happens.
The second story is that of a photographer [Saif Ali Khan], who books himself in an inn, en route to Mumbai. The owner-manager-house keeper [all rolled in one!] is an eccentric person [Boman Irani], who hates cigarettes.
The third story is that of a school teacher [Raghuvir Yadav], who encounters a strange student � a little girl who's always punished for never doing her homework on time. Suddenly, she becomes a bright student one fine morning.
Post-interval too, there are three stories that unfold�
The fourth story if that of a typical middle class housewife [Shilpa Shetty] who buys the 'mysterious' apples from a weird vendor [Rajpal Yadav].
The fifth story � the most interesting one by far � is the conversation between Vivek Oberoi and Nana Patekar. Standing outside a graveyard for a ride to the city, he gets a lift from a full-of-life youngster Vivek Oberoi. And something wicked happens.
The penultimate story is that of a complex student [Aftab Shivdasani], who wants to commit suicide since he feels neglected by his family and the girl he likes [Isha Koppikar]. But, one fine day, he is 'blessed' with the powers that no ordinary mortal possesses.
Besides the stories the friends narrate, there's one that involves them too.
The USPs of DARNA MANA HAI are the sound quality and the scary moments that have been injected in the stories. Also, the length of most stories is concise, so boredom does not set in at all.
In a film of this genre, there's no place for song and dance numbers and thankfully, the makers have ensured that they don't heap unwanted tracks on the viewer.
But despite so many factors going in its favour, there's one aspect that casts a blanket on the merits of the enterprise � the writing of the film leaves a lot to be desired.
Barring the Vivek � Nana story, none of the remaining stories really look plausible. In fact, a few of them � like the Saif and Aftab stories and even the Shilpa Shetty one � defy logic. The climax [it reminds you of THE SIXTH SENSE] is another drawback, for the viewer does not feel fulfilled with a conclusion like this.
Director Prawaal Raman seems to have grasped the technicalities that go into the making of a slick film and like his mentor RGV, Prawaal also uses sound to his advantage. But he ought to have concentrated on making each story believable or at least identifiable for the common man. For the orthodox cinegoer, a film like this would be too difficult to digest!
Cinematography is striking. The usage of hand-held camera in most sequences gives the film a realistic feel. As mentioned above, the sound designing deserves the maximum marks. Ditto for the background score.
Although the film primarily revolves around the friends [most of them are new faces!], it is left to the stars to give the film that sheen with their performance. Amongst the stars, Vivek Oberoi, Nana Patekar and Shilpa Shetty register some impact.
Aftab is just about okay, while Saif's performance suffers due to the sketchy characterisation. Sanjay Kapoor, Sohail Khan and Antra Mali are so-so. Ditto for Isha Koppikar.
Raghuvir Yadav and Rajpal Yadav are seasoned performers and they use their body language to the fullest. Boman Irani impresses. Sushant is passable.
Amongst the new faces, it's veejay turned actor Gaurav who is the most natural. Sameera Reddy does show improvement over her launch pad [MAINE DIL TUJHKO DIYA], but that's not saying much.
On the whole, DARNA MANA HAI caters to the intelligentsia more than the average cinegoer of today, who may find the concept of the film difficult to digest. At the box-office, the aggressive promotion of the film may ensure a good first three days, but the subsequent fall in collections cannot be ruled out. At best, a film for multiplexes in metros. The reasonable price may help the film sail safe in some circuits, especially in Mumbai and South.
