Haunted 3D: Echoes Of The Past Review {2.0/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Mimoh Chakraborty, Chetna Pande
Director: Vikram Bhatt
Haunted – Echoes Of The Past Movie Review Synopsis:
HAUNTED – ECHOES OF THE PAST is the story of a man caught in an unexpected situation. Devadutt Choudhary aka Dev (Mimoh Chakraborty) is a reputed filmmaker whose film, Laila Majnu, is up for release. He is in love with the film’s actress, Sonali (Aradhna). Days before the release of Laila Majnu, he catches her with the film’s male lead. A devastated Dev leaves Mumbai without informing anyone, along with his cousin, Titu (Gaurav Bajpai). They keep travelling until they reach a hill station named Maniktal. Dev finds peace and solace there and decides to look for a place on rent. A local broker shows him pictures of Maniktal Palace. Dev likes the property and becomes a tenant. As soon as he and Titu enter the palace, they realize that something is amiss. All the doors and windows of the right wing are shut, while those in the left wing are wide open. The palace caretaker, Trilok (Hemant Pandey), claims that the right wing has been shut for decades and that the keys to the section are missing. On the first night, Dev wakes up after hearing an eerie noise. He steps out of his room and sees that the doors of the right wing are wide open. Dev enters the section and encounters an evil spirit as well as Sunheri (Chetna Pande). He is pained to see the spirit harming Sunheri. Dev is also confused about why the doors opened and how the girl is living in an area that has supposedly been shut for more than a century. Soon, Dev realizes that she belongs to a different era. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Haunted – Echoes Of The Past Movie Story Review:
Vikram Bhatt's story is promising. But Vikram Bhatt's screenplay is not up to the mark and as it doesn't pack the required punch. Vikram Bhatt's dialogues are normal, but a few one-liners are over-the-top.
Vikram Bhatt's direction is alright. To give credit where it's due, he keeps his execution simple and old-school. Hence, he doesn’t hurry and takes his time to build up the tension and horror. The scene where Yamini Jairam breaks the window of the right wing and what happens thereafter is quite intriguing. The audiences get a bigger jolt when they realize that Sunheri is trapped in a different century; this also ties well with the HAUNTED series, since the first part was also on the same lines. There’s a BHOOL BHULAIYAA and BHOOTH BANGLA-style flashback sequence that adds to the intrigue value.
However, the film suffers massively as it appears to have been made using excessive AI and VFX. It also gives the impression that not a single scene was shot at a real location, making the visuals an eyesore. What will shock viewers is that in a crucial scene, one can easily spot the logo of an AI software on the bottom right corner, which is a dead giveaway. In another scene, a shot freezes while the dialogue keeps playing. The 3D is not up to the mark either. Moreover, the idea of two lovers existing in different eras sounds interesting, but it is also a bit puzzling and silly. The climax, too, is underwhelming. In the first part, HAUNTED [2011], it took a while for the protagonist to defeat the evil spirit. Here, it happens rather conveniently. The songs, meanwhile, are forgettable.
Haunted – Echoes Of The Past Movie Review Performances:
Mimoh Chakraborty seems quite stiff and goes overboard while playing the role of a depressed man. Chetna Pande looks great and delivers a first-rate performance. Praneet Bhatt (Vikrat) is a great find and is the surprise of the film. Shruti Prakash (Yamini Jairam) has an important role and is dependable. Gaurav Bajpai and Hemant Pandey lend able support. Sunil Shakya (Thanedaar) hams. Krutika Desai’s (Madara) role is in the same zone, but she keeps her act controlled. Aradhna doesn’t get much scope.
Haunted – Echoes Of The Past movie music and other technical aspects:
None of the songs manages to work, which is disappointing since the first part is also remembered for its music score. The Rajasthani-style folk song, however, stands out. Vikram Bhatt and Arhavirr Singh's background score adds to the scare quotient.
Naren A Gedia's cinematography is decent. Rajarshi Mukharjee's costumes are stylish while Naushad Memon's production design is theatrical. Abbas Ali Moghul's action is cinematic. As for Reflection Pictures Studio Pvt Ltd’s VFX and AI-generated visuals, the less said about them, the better. Kuldip Mehan’s editing is functional.
Haunted – Echoes Of The Past Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, HAUNTED – ECHOES OF THE PAST rests on a promising story but suffers due to a poor climax, underwhelming music and the excessive, tacky use of VFX and AI.