With great expectations I sat down to watch Darna mana hain and just like Bhoot ones again I was disappointed. While watching the promos, I felt wow what a novel idea. Yes it is indeed a novel concept , not seen at all by me before. 6 stories 1 ending. The concept was great, I wish they had spent some time in putting the stories and making them somewhat believable. Some of the stories are totally bizarre. Okay let me give you a brief description on what goes on without revealing too much coz I don’t want to be a kill joy.
6 friends are on their way to Goa after exams. they take a short cut and in the night their car stops in the middle of a jungle. They need to kill time till it is dawn so off they( all but 1) hop to a clearing with a lantern. They decide to spend the time telling each others stories which are scary.
The stories are
1) A newly married couple Sohail Khan and Antara Mali are oof on a journey and their car stops in the middle and then suddenly Sohail Khan disappears and then appears. What going on.
2) Saif Ali khan stops at a hotel called Good health hotel. The owner Boman Irani hates cigarettes and stops Saif from smoking. When Saif resist he is not allowed to leave the hotel. he has 2 choice stay for 6 months and change himself or die. what his choice.
3) Raghuvir Yadav is a school teacher who likes to punish children who doesn’t do their homework. Everyday he canes a girl called Pramila who doesn’t do her homework. One fine day things change as Pramila starts doing her homework . The teacher is scared and calls Pramila’s mother played by Revathy. He disturbs Revathy by coming to their house. There are skeletons in his closet which come tumbling out. 4)Shilpa Shetty is a housewife who lives with her hubby Sanjay Kapoor. One day she purchases apples from a roadside vendor . He sells 3 kilos of apples for Rs 15. as soon as she is about to depart he starts selling for Rs 10. Shilpa is suspicious and throws the apples away. but they reappear in her fridge. Whats the mystery of these apples. What sinister plot is being hatched.
5) Vivek Oberoi is passing in his car through a cemetary and gives lift to Nana Patekar. Nana informs him that he is dead and is going to enjoy with his friends. Vivek is amused. But what happens next when tables turn.
6)Aftab Shivdasani is a good for nothing chap with no talents . He is infatuated with Isha Khopppikar. he tries to commit suicide but he is not courageous. He confronts God and then he discovers he has a secret gift. he can still anybody who listens to him by saying STOP. Is this is a boon or a bane.
While these stories are being told one by one the friends are being killed. Why and whom. Is it fatal to get scared.
Well that forms the cruz of the story.
Acting by all is competent as they don’t have to do anything special. Specially noteworthy are Boman Irani and Raghuvir Yadav. Saif Ali Khan, Shilpa Shetty, Nana Patekar, Vivek Oberoi and Aftab show spark. Sohail and Antara don’t have enough screen time and they are just about ok. Why did the director take a talented actress like Revathy(Anjali, Love and Raat) to play Pramila’s mother I have no clue. She is thoroughly wasted in a role anyone could have done. To her credit she does her part with dignity. Sanjay kapoor has less screen time makes faces and disappears. Isha Khoppikar has no scope to perform and hence is so so. Sameera Reddy looks fabulous and acts well. VJ Gaurav is natural same is the case with VJ Peeya. The others are ok. Sushant Singh is good in his cameo.
The director has chosen a novel concept but he should have presented better stories. And thats what the movie lacks. It doesn’t scare but atleast it should not bore. Thankfully the director has not included any songs. All in all an ok experimentation. Please do not go with any great hopes and you won’t be disappointed. Heard Ramu is making another movie called darna jaroori hain. Hope it is better than this one.