Do you like Novels? Or you like story collections? If you like story collections, Darna Zaroori hai is a film for you.
The movie starts with some self criticism by Ram Gopal Varma, about Darna Mana Hai. One who want to see the first day last show of Darna Mana Hai, go through a cemetery pretending he is confident. He challenges the evil. He is late anyway. In the lonely theatre except a sleeping fellow and a couple who is spending time as their own, nobody is there. He is asleep by the time the film ends. He is returning through the same cemetery, the sound of coins in the pocket was wrongly judged by him as the walking of the 'Atma'. By the time he escape from the cemetery in relief, he saw Darna Zaroori hai and ...... that poor chap is been killed out of fear. Meaning? Fear..... all is in your mind.
Now, 5 confident children, came from mumbai to a rural village, walk through the jungle and reach the old devil house. They were about to return without entering the house. Then the rain push them to the house and an accidental opening to the house enter the children to the house. There they were greeted by the grandma who is testing the confidence of the children. She tells the confident children that she will tell 6 stories, by the end of the 6 stories they will of course be in fear. The children take up the challenge.
The grandma tells story one by one. Children one by one getting in to fear. Darna Zaroori hai is all about these 6 stories.
Grandma tells stories of fear in mind, fear of atma, fear of guilt, fear by innocence, fear of accidents and all...
All stories are so thin. So, it is not correct to explain the stories now. It is upto you to find out what are the stories are. I may be giving few hints in the coming lines, but that might be because it is essential to say a point.
Technically the film is brilliant. Sound effects are top class. Cinematography is excellent. Editing is ok. The single item number, is good and choreography is fine.
Overall, the film is a visual treat for eyes and your ears.
Star cast is perfect. Ram gopal Varma managed to rope up many of the top class actors and it add to the colour.
Amitab Batchan and Riteish Deshmukh performed well in the professor student mini story. I only thought the director could have made some extra length to this story. Amitab is super as the professor and ritesh is showing us another face of him as an innocent and fearful student.
Arjun Rampal, Bipasha Basu and Makrand deshpande performs well in the 2nd episode. Bipasha is hot as said in the movie and Arjun and Makrand is adequate.
Sunil Shetty and Sonali Kulkarni is ok, where Rajpal yadav is good in the 3rd storyline.
Anil Kapoor is back in form as Karan Johar (Sorry, Karan Chopra) and his chemistry with Mallika Sharawant worked well in the 4th episode.
However, it is Randeep Hooda and Zakeer Hussain episode unleash a real acting exhibition, where Rasika Joshi's performance is adequate in the short role.
Manoj Pahwa win the mono act prize in the first episode.
Story line
Episode 1 - (Manoj Pahwa episode) - It is often treated as a comedy and it end up as a comedy.
Episode 2 - (Amitab Episode) - There is no story, but a small try to test your capacity, plus a hypnotic try on the fear. This episode could have been made better.
Episode 3 - (Bipasha Episode) - Calling the Atma and.... There is some story here but darna zaroori nahi hai. You will be confused more than 2 times.
Episode 4 - (Manoj Bajpai Episode) - Good, but the subject not synch with other stories.
Episode 5 - (Anil Kapoor Episode) - Another humour episode, end up in accident. Another light story. Hope Karan will not sue the producers.
Episode - 6 - (Randeep Hooda Episode) - The story of revenge executed well, but the story could have been narrated well. And some cruelty could have been added into the episode.
The collection of stories - the 5 children and grandma (Need to mention all of them performed well) episode is however failed to give a meaning.
Directors Ram Gopal Varma, Jiji Philip, Sajid Khan, JD Chakrabarthy, Vivek Shah & Parwal Raman executed their roles good.
Having said all above, I have to say that all the above is not a substitute for a good script. Ram Gopal Varma should have tries a good story with one soul where people can synch with the fear. Here the comedy is mixed with fear and it is not a perfect mix. The film may be liked by the children, but the film got an A certificate, unfortunately. Where the directors (or Producer) depended heavily on the sound techniques, the visual effects been totally ignored. I think the Vastuhara outing has taught RGV a lesson or two. Directors not made any attempt to make you fearful. The small efforts tickle your born often. May be the directors mean that we should throw away our fears out of joke.
Moreover, the film failed to give any message. Whether to believe or not to. Whether the fear is only in mind or not only in mind. Atma is there or not? The entire episode of grandma telling stories to children were not explained, so is the closed doors of the old villa.
There is a scene in the film, where the children walking through the jungle and a python is around. The children didn't see it and they walked without fear. It is a really good way of explaining points. But, the stories let the film down to an extend. Not the stories itself but the selection of stories. Had the directors explained mystery behind the stories, it would have been much better. Otherwise they should have skipped the light episodes and selected few horror filled stories.
In a 2 hour or 5 minutes less movie, 20 to 25 minute is been wasted in the first episode which is of purely comic in nature. 2 of the stories could have been improved much better and 2 of the episodes may be developed little further.
In brief, Darna Zaroori Hai is a technically brilliant film. Performance by almost all actors are perfect. There is nothing much to hype about the stories. The roping of stories also not performed well. It is definitely not a must watch movie, but a movie which you can watch if you are interested in some kind of variety. And don't worry, Darna Zaroori Nahi hai.
I believe this is the first Hindi film which is directed by 6 directors. In Malayalam, there has one film called Manichithrathazhu, directed by 5 directors and it become a classic. Even after 10 years, the film is worth a re-watch. Recently the film is been remade to Kannada and Tamil and both become superhits. It is not a matter of how many people direct a film, but whether it have one soul or different soul, which count.
There is a scene in the film, Manoj Pahwa, after seeing the film Darna Mana Hai and coming out of theatre. He is checking with the gateman, what is the address of Ram Gopal Varma. Gateman ask, ''Why he want to know that''. Got the reply''To reclaim the ticket money''. I am sure, few of you watching this movie may ask this question. But I will not say don't see the movie, because chances are that many of you may like it. And I am sure some of you will not like the movie as well. So, it is upto you to decide.
Now about my tastes. I like Novels than short stories. What did you like?
