It's
a
film
that
does
the
horror
genre
proud.
It's
original
and
inspite
of
being
a
horror
film,
there
is
not
even
one
creaky
door
in
the
length
and
breadth
of
the
film.
Cast:
Rannvijay
Singha,
Anindita
Nayar,
Salil
Acharya
and
Kavin
Dave
Director:
Vishal
S.
Mahadkar
Some
portions
of
the
film
are
clumsy
and
embarrassing,
specially
the
way
the
youngsters
at
the
prologue
are
shown
to
talk.
Why
must
all
the
19
year
olds
talk
with
"dudes" and
"bros"
thrown
in
like
noodles
in
a
chicken
dish?
Serves
no
purpose.
Fortunately,
3
A.M.
doesn't
rely
on
too
many
external
props
to
wean
us
in
its
favour.
It
stays
true
to
the
horror
genre
without
buckling
under
the
pressure
of
perpetuating
terror.
The
frights
flow
naturally.
I
was
specially
fascinated
by
one
sequence
in
the
beginning
where
Rannvijay,
playing
a
television
software
maker,
wakes
up
in
the
middle
of
the
night
to
see
his
girlfriend
(Anindita)
sobbing
next
to
him.
A
few
minutes
later
he
gets
a
call
saying
she's
dead.
Scary?
Yes,
quite
a
bit.
In
the
film,
the
director
keeps
the
goings-on
largely
edgy
and
creepy,
though
the
one-setting
milieu
does
get
tedious
at
times
there
is
always
something
happening
on
screen
to
keep
us
from
falling
out.
The
film
creates
an
aura
of
foreboding
without
resorting
to
the
cliches
of
the
horror
genre.
The
plot
about
a
chap's
bereavement
and
his
ferocious
encounter
with
the
after-life
is
mainly
restricted
to
a
run-down
(read:
haunted)
mill.
That's
where
the
narrative
lives
and
breathes
to
its
last.
The
camera
circles
the
desolation
eerily.
Trouble
starts
when
the
director
conspires
to
take
the
plot
out
of
its
naturally
chilling
habitat.
There
is
a
specially
intrusive
Goan
episode
pumped
into
plot
at
a
time
when
the
ghouls
get
going
in
a
big
way.
The
problem
with
the
horror
genre
in
Hindi
is
that
it
doesn't
know
where
to
get
off.
This
one
doesn't
overstay
its
welcome.
The
twist
in
the
tale
where
Rannvijay
turns
out
to
be
what
he
doesn't
want
us
to
know,
is
not
novel.
The
treatment
to
a
large
extent,
is.
The
camera
movements
(Vijay
Misra)
in
the
fright-inducing
scenes
are
fluid
but
controlled.
Raju
Singh's
background
score
is
tempered
by
a
sense
of
self-directed
surprise,
as
though
the
music
was
as
taken
by
surprise
by
the
goings-on
as
the
audience
is
expected
to
be.
The
special
effects
are
toned-down
and
done
effectively.
Most
of
the
time
3
A.M.
cruises
along
exploring
the
bond
between
this
life
and
the
afterlife
without
getting
tangled
in
spiritual
polemics.
Miraculously
the
horror
film
avoids
the
excesses
of
the
genre.
It's
done
in
tempered-down
tones
and
the
storytelling
tapers
down
to
a
well
thought-out
finale.
I
have
to
mention
a
shot
where
Salil,
now
royally
possessed
runs
across
the
frame
on
all
fours
like
a
wild
boar.
The
body
language
is
terrifying.
Rannvijay
sells
spook
with
conviction.
He
expresses
the
helplessness
of
bereavement
like
a
man
who
has
seen
mortality
from
close
quarters.
Verdict:
It
delivers
the
fear
quotient
without
resorting
to
cheap
gimmicks
or
excessive
gore.
But
all
in
all
the
movie
is
moderately
scary
and
cannot
be
compared
with
cult
Hindi
horror
movies
like
Bhooth.
I
guess
the
film
deserves
a
one
time
watch.