Movie Review: Shaapit – Go, Get Scared

Posted by admin on Mar 23rd, 2010 | 0 comments

Vikram Bhatt who has given two of the best horror films in the past decade, Raaz and 1920 has come up with a movie that manages to outdo them both in fear value: Shaapit. Since he is now a veteran in this genre and does more justice to this theme rather than any other, he has done quite a convincing feat in the third installment of horror.

Story of Shaapit: Aman (Aditya Narayan) proposes to Kaaya (Shweta Agrawal) and as soon as Kaaya wears the engagement ring and the couple go for a spin, the car turns turtle and bounces off the road, almst killing both of them. Kaaya’s parents rush to the hospital and find the engagement ring on their daughter’s finger. The distraught father tells the young couple that 300 years back, their family had incurred a curse of an angry Brahman which did not allow daughters in their family to be married ever again.

Aman meets Pashupathi (Rahul Dev), the expert in the ways of the spiritual world. He tells Aman that in certain cultures, there is a belief that a generational curse works even after the person who utters the curse died. According to him an evil curse when spoken stuck to an evil spirit and the spirit then became the custodian of the curse and it was the responsibility of that evil spirit to make the curse come true generation after generation.

Aman asks Pashupathi if there was any means to obliterate the spirit and get rid of the curse. Pashupathi tells him that there is a way, but it has destruction written all over it, if gone awry. If he sets about to pursue and destroy a spirit, the spirit would also recognize that it was being hunted. Aman tells Pashupathi that he would fight for his love, and thus begins his journey to do so.

What’s hot in Shaapit

Vikram Bhatt manages to do a great job in blending the past and present. As it is, in Bollywood horror films, the horror element in the present is due to something done to a character in the past. The same thing was there in Raaz and 1920; it is there in Shaapit too. But in this movie, it is quite relatable, because the explanation offered at the beginning of the film, start – a spirit continues to safeguard the curse for centuries – is something that Indians, generally, would relate to.

Mr. Bhatt manages to spook you at the right places, the climax is superb as well. It manages to keep the viewer hooked in most parts. The story telling is deft and Chirantan Bhatt’s music is melodious though the ‘haunting’ element is woefully missing. The background score (Raju Rao) heightens the element of chills. . Pravin Bhatt’s camerawork and Girish Dhamija’s dialogues are worth-recommending Believe it or not, Shaapit has one of the best special effects ever in Bollywood. Sad that the movie wasn’t marketed enough

What’s not hot in Shaapit

There are too many songs in the film, which could have been restricted. The characters should’ve been better established. It’s uncertain why the professor and Aman’s friend follow the protagonist for finding out the evil spirit, though their lives are at stake

Performances in Shaapit

Shweta Agarwal does not have much scope in her role but she does a good job. Newcomer Shub Joshi and Natasha Sinha are brilliant. Rahul Dev underplay his role with restraint. Murli Sharma and Nishigandha Wad are decent. But the one person to watch out for is Aditya Narayan. He is a complete natural in front of the camera and performs as if it was his sixth or seventh film. He is definitely an actor to watch out for

Conclusion: Shaapit is among the best horror films in Bollywood. Miss it at your own risk