Post
R
aaz
and
1920,
you
expect
an
enthralling
horror
film,
with
chills
aplenty,
from
Vikram
Bhatt.
You
presume
his
third
horror
film
Shaapit
would
be
even
more
scarier
than
his
earlier
works,
mainly
because
Bhatt
is
now
a
seasoned
player,
as
far
as
this
genre
is
concerned.
Shaapit
also
makes
a
startling
promise
in
its
adverts
-
'Warning:
Extremely
frightening'.
Now
that's
quite
a
tall
claim,
isn't
it?
Scary
movies
made
in
Bollywood,
generally,
have
two
stories
rolled
into
one
film:
The
past,
when
the
wrong
was
committed
and
the
present,
when
the
past
comes
to
haunt
the
young
couple.
Coincidentally,
both
Raaz
and
1920
followed
this
concept
and
so
does
Shaapit.
Only
this
time,
the
story
dates
back
to
300
+
years
and
then
comes
back
to
the
present
day.
The
unspoken
and
unwritten
rule
for
horror
films
is
simple:
They
ought
to
scare
you
at
the
right
places
and
also,
the
culmination
ought
to
be
the
best
part
of
the
story.
Shaapit
succeeds
in
giving
you
those
jhatkas
at
several
points
[there
are
some
genuinely
chilling
scenes]
and
the
culmination
to
the
tale,
although
a
bit
lengthy,
keeps
you
involved
in
the
proceedings.
Final
word?
With
Shaapit,
Vikram
Bhatt
raises
the
bar
for
horror
films
made
in
India.
Full
marks
to
Bhatt
for
making
that
one
kick-ass
horror
thriller,
which
easily
ranks
amongst
the
best
in
this
genre
in
terms
of
plot,
setting,
technique
and
performances.
Go,
get
scared!
When
Aman
[Aditya
Narayan]
proposes
to
Kaaya
[Shweta
Agrawal]
and
as
soon
as
Kaaya
wears
the
engagement
ring
and
the
couple
drives
off
together,
their
car
takes
a
spin
and
bounces
off
the
road,
almost
killing
both
of
them.
When
Kaaya's
parents
[Murli
Sharma,
Nishigandha
Wad]
hear
about
their
daughter's
accident,
they
rush
to
the
hospital
to
find
an
engagement
ring
on
their
daughter's
finger.
Distraught,
the
father
explains
to
the
young
couple
that
three
hundred
years
back,
their
family
had
incurred
the
curse
of
an
angry
Brahmin
and
that
curse
did
not
allow
the
daughters
of
their
family
to
be
married.
Aman
meets
Pashupathi
[Rahul
Dev],
the
master
of
the
ways
of
the
spiritual
world.
Pashupathi
tells
Aman
that
in
some
cultures,
there
was
a
belief
that
a
generational
curse
worked
much
after
even
the
person
who
had
uttered
the
curse
was
dead
because,
it
was
believed,
that
an
evil
curse
when
uttered
stuck
to
an
evil
spirit
and
the
spirit
then
became
the
keeper
of
the
curse
and
it
was
the
duty
of
that
evil
spirit
to
make
the
curse
come
true
generation
after
generation.
Aman
asks
Pashupathi
if
there
was
a
way
to
destroy
the
spirit
and
get
rid
of
the
curse.
Pashupathi
tells
him
that
there
was
a
way,
but
it
was
filled
with
peril.
If
he
sets
about
to
hunt
and
destroy
a
spirit,
then
the
spirit
would
also
know
that
it
was
being
hunted.
Aman
tells
Pashupathi
that
he
would
fight
for
his
love...
and
so
begins
their
journey.
Vikram
Bhatt
merges
the
past
and
present
beautifully.
The
explanation
offered
at
the
very
start
-
a
spirit
continues
to
safeguard
the
curse
for
centuries
-
is
something
that
Indians,
generally,
would
relate
to.
A
number
of
sequences
bear
the
unmistakable
stamp
of
this
refined
storyteller
-
Vikram
Bhatt.
Sample
these...
*While
returning
from
a
late-night
party,
Shweta
watches
an
old
woman
sleeping
in
the
middle
of
the
road;
*Aditya's
efforts
to
get
a
particular
book
from
the
library;
*Aditya
and
Shweta's
encounter
in
a
dilapidated
cinema
hall;
*Shweta
waking
up
in
the
middle
of
the
night
and
not
finding
Aditya,
Rahul
Dev
and
Shubh
Joshi
in
their
respective
beds;
*The
interaction
with
the
maharaja's
soul;
*Shubh
Joshi
going
back
in
time;
*The
entire
climax
sequence.
On
the
flip
side,
the
portions
depicting
Shweta
slipping
into
coma
and
her
subsequent
revival
towards
the
end
looks
formulaic.
Ironically,
Shweta
continues
to
wear
the
engagement
ring
in
a
chain
[in
the
neck],
even
while
in
coma,
which
would've
made
it
easier
for
the
spirit
to
eliminate
her,
but
it
doesn't.
Also,
Bhatt
and
the
writers
should've
established
in
a
sequence
or
two
about
the
step-wife
of
the
king
vowing
to
take
the
angry
Brahmin's
curse
forward,
since
both
were
different
stories.
Yet,
despite
the
minor
hiccups,
Bhatt
keeps
you
hooked
to
the
proceedings.
Those
looking
for
chills,
well,
Shaapit
has
it
in
plenty.
Also,
his
storytelling
is
super-stylish.
Chirantan
Bhatt's
music
is
tuneful,
although
one
misses
the
haunting
tunes
of
Raaz
and
1920.
The
background
score
[Raju
Rao]
heightens
the
impact
of
the
chills.
Pravin
Bhatt's
camerawork
is
eye-filling.
Dialogues
[Girish
Dhamija]
are
appropriate.
The
production
design
[Rajat
Poddar]
is
excellent,
especially
the
set
of
the
palace.
Special
effects
are
amongst
the
best
we've
seen
in
Hindi
movies.
Costumes
[Rahil
Raja]
are
in
sync
with
the
demand
of
the
characters.
Aditya
Narayan
is
a
show-stopper.
It's
hard
to
believe
that
someone
can
be
so
natural
in
front
of
the
camera
in
his
very
first
outing.
Given
the
right
roles,
there's
no
stopping
this
bundle
of
talent.
Shweta
doesn't
really
get
the
scope.
Besides,
she
is
sidelined
in
the
second
hour.
Rahul
Dev
is
wonderful,
underplaying
his
part
with
restraint.
Newcomer
Shubh
Joshi
oozes
tremendous
confidence.
A
fine
actor!
Murli
Sharma
and
Nishigandha
Wad
are
decent.
Natasha
Sinha
excels.
On
the
whole,
Shaapit
is
truly
a
scary
movie,
which
comes
across
as
a
worthy
follow
up
to
Raaz
and
1920.
If
you
are
a
fan
of
ghost
stories,
Shaapit
should
be
on
your
list
of
'things
to
do
and
watch'
this
weekend.
Go
for
it
and
be
prepared
to
be
spooked!
Directed
by
-
Vikram
Bhatt
Starring
-
Aditya
Narayan,
Shweta
Agarwal,
Rahul
Dev