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'Phoonk' Review: Not In Tune With Hype

'Phoonk' Review: Not In Tune With Hype
Film: Phoonk                            
Rating: 2.25/5

Banner: One More Thought Entertainment Pvt. Ltd
Cast: Sudeep, Amruta Khanvilkar, Ahsaas Channa, Kenny Desai, Ashwini Kalsekar, Ganesh Yadav, Anu Ansari, Shankar Sachdev, K K Raina, Madhuri Purandare, Zakir Hussain, Bharat Kaul and others
Cinematography: Savita Singh
Music: Bapi-Tutul
Director: Ram Gopal Varma
Producers: Azam Khan & Parvez Damania
Theatrical Release: 22nd Aug 2008
 
Story:
Rajeev (Sudeep) is an Engineering Contractor who lives with his wife Aarthi and two kids. He happens to develop strife with two of his business partners and kicks them out of his house publicly when a party was going on. This pumps in a fire of vengeance in the woman Madhu (Ashwini) who gets kicked out by him. She takes revenge on Rajeev by spelling black magic on his school going daughter Raksha (Ehsaas). Rajeev is an atheist and his wife is theist. Struggle and friction of opinions arise in his house as Raksha becomes the victim of black magic. Both medical science and occult science compete with each other to protect Raksha. Finally, who wins-the medical science or the occult science? That becomes the climax.
 
Performances:
Sudeep's screen presence is wonderful and he perfectly tuned to the role and delivered right expressions at right time.
 
The best performer in the film is child artiste Ehsaas who excelled on par with Urmila Matondkar in Bhooth. Even the lady villain Ashwini proved to be best in delivering horrifying performance. Bharat Kaul also did his role well as the person who combats black magic and protects Raksha and puts and end to evil.
                            
Others are just ok in their shoes. Cinematography deserves good mention while other technical departments gave a beaten track performance. Direction by Ram Gopal Varma is sensible this time but not beyond previous flick 'Bhooth' or 'Vasthu Sastra'.
 
Analysis:
The film is about 'Black Magic' that goes on the lines of Ram Gopal Varma's earlier film 'Bhooth'. With that every scene goes much into prediction of common audience. Varma's trade mark horror was dealt in satisfactory level with narration style. The camera work deserves first mention and back ground score is just ok. That could be little better to bring in right punch. The acting credit in this film goes to child artiste Ehsaas who marveled up to perfection. The end line in this film is that the believer of 'Black Magic' stops believing in that and starts believing in medical science, while the non-believer of 'Black Magic' starts believing in 'Black Magic'. The punch line of this film is 'Black Magic is Superstitious-till it happens to you'.
 
First half of the film goes with some fear factors till the interval and the second half starts pumping in shocks here and there. But they could have been more and recorded better. The film was hyped in big way and RGV has also announced an award for the audience those watch the film in full alone. But with this type of product even teenagers can go and watch without feeling horror to shocking level.
 
On a whole it is an average show by RGV.
 
(Sira Sri can be reached at [email protected])
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