Darna Mana Hai provides Indian viewers a refreshing change from the staple fare that Bollywood has been churning out year after year.
It is a novel attempt at making a different kind of cinema and the brave effort immediately endears the director to the audience.
The direction is brilliant. This coupled with the great sound effects, make one sit at the edge of their seats.
The performances , by a galaxy of film stars, has been more or less up to the mark.
The film,as most of you must know by now, comprises 6 totally different stories woven into one.
Seven friends are on their way to Goa when their car tyre is punctured. They have forgotten to bring a jack (how idiotic !!!!!!!).
They see a light in the surrounding jungle and all but one head towards that place, which they find to be a ruin lit by a lantern.
Unfortunately, none of them notices the blood stain on it.
To pass the time they start telling stories to each other. But they are unaware that something scary is happening around them. After each story, atleast one of the friends go out for some reason and is brutally murdered.
Here are the stories, in no particular order.
Story 1.
Husband and wife (Antara Mali) are driving through a highway surrounded by thick forests. The scene is much the same as in the original plot of the 7 friends.
It is night. The husband tries to scare the wife by switching off the head light (what a fool he is !!).
Anyway, the car duly breaks down. The wife hears her husband's shriek.
She sees someone drowning in quicksand. But the husband comes back. Scared, the wife asks him to take her away.
So she goes away with her husband,who is now not visible in a mirror. (bhoot !!)
Nice one actually.
Story 2
SMOKING IS INJURIOUS TO HEALTh. So believes the owner of a non descript hotel on the Mumbai -Nasik road. (i don't know why someone would like to stay in such a place)
You don't believe him. He will make you believe by killing you.
Poor Saif Ali Khan is caught in the trap.
Brilliant concept.
Story 3
Nana Patekar is the new anchor for Bakra. He tries to scare poor Vivek Oberoi by trying to make him believe that he is dead.
Mr Oberoi is not scared. Why ? Because he himself is a bhoot. ''Aur haan, bhoot gaayab ho sakte hai.''
Mr Patekar is dead (of fear that is).
God, but expected twist.
Story 4
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, goes the old saying.
But poor Shilpa Shetty is terrified. he find that everybody who ate an apple, including her husband Sanjay Kapoor, is turning ino apples.
This is the most stupid and laughable and disgusting of all the stories.
Story 5
The change of a student from bad to good stokes some secret fear in school master Dayashankar Pandey.
The ghost of his childhood ''friend'', whom he murdered as he was jealous of him, comes back for his revenge.
He completes his childhood homework on the roads of the city.
Only slightly better than the last one (apples).
Story 6
Aftab Shivadasani wishes to be different, and his wish is granted. He can STOP anybody.
He was getting dangerous. He forced his long time crush to acknowledge her love for him. Planned to rob, loot and be rich.
All that he needed was to say ''Stop''. Alas! He was looking in the mirror.
STOPPED finally.
Very good story, especially the ending.
But the main story is not that good. The murderer comes. He has killed all but 1 of the 7 friends.
He confesses that he is killing them because they are scared, and he wants the world to be free from fear ( imagine the notion !).
He kills the final remaining girl, but she has just enough time to kill him.
She wakes up the next morning, sees the police, but is unable to communicate with them.
Then she sees her murderer ahead, who is pointing downwards, towards her own body.
Now that they are all dead, the ghosts (including the murderer's) become friends.
But one friend's ghost is not shown. Is he still alive ? Will he play an important part in the sequel ?
Well, we will have to wait to know that.
