Producers Ekta Kapoor and
Vishal Bhardwaj collaborate
for a unique and never-
touched-before concept with
Ek Thi Daayan. Directed by
Kannan Iyer, the movie is a
supernatural thriller starring
Emraan Hashmi, Konkana Sen
Sharma, Huma Qureshi and
Kalki Koechlin in lead roles.
The film is set to hit the
theatres tomorrow and let’s
see whether it manages to
horrify as expected.
Story:
The movie starts off with Bobo
(Emraan Hashmi),a world
famous magician who is stuck
amidst frequent horrific
illusions from his childhood.
His condition forces him to
visit his childhood
psychiatrist. During one of his
hypnosis session, Bobo
recollects his terrifying past,
where his sister and father are
killed by a Daayan, named
Daayana (Konkana Sen
Sharma).
His girlfriend, Tamara (Huma
Qureshi) doesn’t believe in his
illusions and helps him to
carry on in life. As soon as he
tries to forget his past, Lisa
Dutt (Kalki Koechlin) enters
the scene who reminds Bobo
of Daayana. Is Lisa too a part
of Bobo’s illusions or is she
for real? How does Bobo get
rid of his hallucinations ? That
forms the rest of the story.
Positive Points:
After all the bollywood horror
flicks revolving around
aatmas, ghosts and black
magic, the makers of Ek Thi
Daayan add a new genus of
Daayans to the league. Kannan
Iyer brings a new form of
horror to Indian cinema with
a concept as unique as this
one and manages to terrorize
the audiences brilliantly.
The movie revolves around
Emraan Hashmi and he doesn’t
let the viewers get their eyes
off him. The actor’s
performance is par
excellence. Out of the three
Daayan’s, Konkana Sen Sharma
excels in her role. Even
though the movie is her debut
in the horror genre, she
manages to play her character
terrifically.
Kalki Koechlin doesn’t have
much to do in the film, but
manages to portray her
character well. Huma Qureshi
gives an endearing
performance. Special mention
goes to Rajatava Dutta
(Emraan’s doctor) and Vishesh
Tiwari (the young Emraan),
who have depicted their parts
extremely well. The small girl
playing Emraan’s childhood
sister is simply adorable.
Negative Points:
The movie is an adaptation of
Mukul Sharma’s (Konkana’s
father) short story and it
would have been more
convincing if it was made any
shorter. Even though the film
has a few extremely spooky
moments, a few scenes just do
not go with the flow. The
movie gets confusing as it
processes and goes completely
out of track by the climax.
Huma Qureshi is a zilch as
compared to her previous
acclaimed performances. The
movie could have done better
without Kalki’s character,
which doesn’t have much to
do. The climax of the film is
confusing and the second half
is elongated to an extent that
it takes the viewers interest
off.
Technical Aspects:
The music of the film given by
Vishal Bhardwaj is definitely a
plus. Yaaram, Kali Kali and
Lautungi Main go with the
flow and act as refreshments.
Totey Ud Gaye is an appealing
number. Saurabh Goswami
handles the camera in a
marvelous way and captures
the spooky sequences
extremely well.
Clinton Cerejo’s background
score gives a horrific effect to
the film. While the first half of
the film is informative and
interesting, the second half
becoming dreary by the end.
Kannan Iyer manages to
indulge the viewers in a new
genre pretty well. His
screenplay is tight and doesn’t
let the film wander.
Verdict:
On the whole, Ek Thi Daayan
is a distinctive and unique
addition to the horror genre.
Apart from a few confusing
scenes, the movie will be liked
by all types of audiences,
whether or not one believes in
Daayans. This one is
unquestionably worth a shot.
Movie Rating : 3.25/5
