Dekhna Mana Hai. Review on Darna Mana Hai

Friends, countrymen and MSians. One word at the onset: KEEP AWAY FROM DARNA MANA HAI.

I know I am going to be nailed to death for having said this, but this is the truth. Akhir, maine Gita ke upar haath rakh kar qasam khaayee hai ki main sach aur sach ke siwa kuch nahin kahoonga. Darna Mana Hai is a bad movie – no two ways about it. It has a whole lot of things going against it – poor subplots, flimsy characterizations, predictable background score, obdurate and wishy-washy climax, a director - Prawaal Raman – who tries to imitate his producer (Ram Gopal Verma), and above all, a producer, who (probably) in turn, has started considering himself a great filmmaker. Experimenting is fine, but experimenting just for the heck of it can be disastrous, as proved hy Darna Mana Hai. The current craze of the film is, according to me, media generated and will soon die a natural death. Even at MouthShut, I think it has become a trend to uphold a RGV film and denigrate one made by Aziz Mirza and likes.

Darna Mana Hai is about a group of friends who find themselves stranded in a forest. To kill (the pun is unintentional) time they start narrating spooky stories to each other. As the stories start unfolding, members of this unsuspecting group start being killed. I normally would have praised a film with this storyline. But Darna Mana Hai ensures that your interest is killed by the time the film comes to an end.

Why am I so offended with Darna Mana Hai?

The six stories prove to be the undoing of Darna Mana Hai. Agreed that the characters are concocting stories – but wasn’t it the duty of the director and scriptwriters to ensure that the six stories narrated by the friends made sense? They were so juvenile. Oof! I wanted to take home the apples shown in one particular story. That one was actually the limit. Also, one wonders, for how long will RGV try to scare his audience by using mirrors? Boss, it has become very routine.

Saving grace – if any

The performances by all means save this film from getting a zero star from me. Everyone has enacted his or her part with great conviction. Special mention must be made of Saif Ali Khan, Boman Irani, Aftab Shivdasani and of course Raghuvir Yadav.

I am usually never too harsh with movies since I know the amount of hard work that goes in composing one simple shot. But dearies, Darna Mana Hai has disappointed me big time. It is cinema that rides on the reputation of its producer. But believe me, Bhoot, despite its tepid second half was far more engrossing.

Will someone tell these filmwallas that the audience does appreciate a change in form, but ultimately it is good old content that sees you through.

However, at the very end let me say one thing in favor of the movie. Darna Mana Hai is like Shahrukh Khan. Didn't get the connection? Well like him, you can either hate it or love it, you simply cannot ignore it. I, as you by now, may have noticed, have hated Darna Mana Hai from the bottom of my heart.