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| Director
: |
Ravi Shankar
Sharma |
| Starring
: |
Amitabh Bachan ,Dimple Kapadia,Dharmendra,Moushumi
Chatterjee,Baby ansika,Master Amman |
| Hum
kaun hai Photo gallery : |
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here |
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| Hum kaun
hai Movie Review : |
A
rehash of director Alejandro Amenábar's eerie
flick THE OTHERS [2001; starring Nicole Kidman], Soni
Juneja's HUM KAUN HAI? is intriguing and engaging in
parts. A film on supernatural forces like HUM KAUN HAI?
does defy the stereotype and for those who haven't watched
THE OTHERS, it's indeed a novel experience.
But how one wishes the
makers would've stuck to the original in entirety, instead
of changing the story towards the pre-climax and climax
[Dharmendra-Amitabh sequences]. That takes away the
sheen from the enterprise, to an extent!
In an isolated brick
mansion set amidst thick woods and mist, Sandra Williams
[Dimple Kapadia] lives with her two photosensitive children
Sarah [Hansika] and David [Amman]. David is a mama's
boy, whereas Sarah is headstrong in character. Sandra's
husband, Major Frank John Williams [Amitabh Bachchan],
is at war. But there has been no news of him for a while.
Sandra employs three
domestic helpers, Mrs. Pinto [the nanny; Moushumi Chatterjee],
Edgar [the gardener; Abhijit Lahiri] and Maria [the
cook; Seema Rahmani], who are briefed about the quaint
rules of the house and told to obey the orders diligently.
These include moving around the house silently and making
sure that all curtains are drawn at all times.
It is at this point that some strange things happen
in the house. Sandra's daughter Sarah starts hearing
bizarre things. Sandra doesn't hear it, or at least
she claims not to, which slowly but surely leads to
the questions: Are these domestic helpers creating the
disturbances for some sinister purpose? Is Sarah creating
them herself? Or does something really lurk within the
walls of the manor house, something long-dead, something
evil..
Sandra decides to consult
Father D'Souza, but on her way through the woods, she
runs into her husband Frank.
Frank appears to be
in a daze. The family is thrilled on Frank's return,
but Frank seems uncomfortable in the scenario and decides
to leave the house. With the help of his friend Viru
[Dharmendra], Frank takes it upon himself to get to
the bottom of the mystery..
Indian audiences normally
associate eerie films with skeletons, skulls, graveyard,
blood and gore. In that respect, HUM KAUN HAI? comes
as a welcome change. Without doubt, it's an experiment
of sorts!
HUM KAUN HAI? relies
on mood, atmosphere and the cast to create the spookish
mood. The plot is well thought-out and its secrets and
mysteries are unveiled gradually. The film has its share
of supernatural moments and a few sequences, although
a direct lift from the original, make for interesting
viewing.
HUM KAUN HAI? moves
at an unhurried pace from start to end. Thankfully,
there are no songs [one doesn't miss them either] or
the mandatory romantic interludes. But the film loses
its grip towards the post-interval portions. Although
the story gets interesting, it's not involving.
The sequences between
Amitabh and Dimple are just not exciting. It gets very
talk-heavy at this point. Also, Dharmendra's character
in the plot looks completely forced, while the Dharam-Amitabh-Vikram
Gokhale scene, when the mystery unfolds, suddenly looks
like some new story happening. Even Amitabh's reappearance
towards the climax appears unwarranted [deviates completely
from the original again!].
Director Ravi Shankar
Sharma has handled the eerie sequences deftly. But writers
Talat Rekhi and Soham Saha should have stuck to the
original ending. That would've uplifted the film enormously.
Cinematography [Ishwar Bidri] is inconsistent. The lighting
in a few scenes should've been dim/dark, in keeping
with the demand of the story.
HUM KAUN HAI? revolves
mostly around Dimple Kapadia's beliefs and perceptions
and the actress is up to the task of making it look
one thousand per cent convincing. Undeniably talented,
Dimple's performance can be rightly referred to as the
soul of the enterprise. In short, she shines through
like a champion.
Amitabh Bachchan enacts
his part with conviction. Dharmendra fails to impress,
partly because of the forced characterization. Moushumi
Chatterjee is first-rate, flashing the evil smile and
mysterious look fluently.
Baby Hansika shows both
strength and vulnerability with a powerful range, rarely
seen in child artistes today. Master Amman looks cute.
Prem Chopra, Vikram Gokhale and Suhasini Mulay have
a scene each. Abhijit Lahiri and Seema Rahmani are alright.
On the whole, HUM KAUN
HAI? is more of an experiment that may find its share
of believers and non-believers. At the box-office, the
film caters to the multiplex-going audience completely.
However, the sudden release and lack of promotional
build-up will curtail its prospects largely
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