‘Bhoot Returns’ review

Is it a remake of ‘Vastu Shastra’? Or rehash of ‘Paranormal Activity’? Or is it a spoof of all RGV films? These questions pop up in the mind while watching ‘Bhoot Returns’. The auditorium appeared spookier than the film, with mere six to seven people seated – two at one corner, two on the opposite and two at the last row. Now I understood director Ram Gopal Varma’s caveat: Don’t watch ‘Bhoot Returns’ alone!

The film begins with a line that elicits laughter than shock – ‘Some people can’t wait to move into new houses and some houses can’t wait for new people to come in’. Tarun (JD Chakravorthy), his sister (Madhu Shalini), his wife (Manisha Koirala) and their two kids move into a new house. There’s also a younger version of Ramu Kaka – a servant who warns them of ghostly consequences (Now I know he was warning the audience, suggesting a quick rush towards exit door).

The entire family does nothing but play hide and seek all night and discuss the servant’s involvement in playing the spooky guy. One wonders how the family manages to pay the rent and do up their home with those scary artifacts!

The story is as invisible as the film’s ghost, the screenplay goes for a toss and plot is thrown out of the window. The camera work gets shaky at one time and grainy at the other, which confirm your suspicion that it was shot by film school students or perhaps the bored spot boys.

Sandeep Chowta tries to scare you with his eardrum splitting background score – doesn’t work. The point where you find the film interesting is precisely where the film ends. The bhoot hints a comeback, but the audience surely won’t. The scariest part of ‘Bhoot Returns’ was that I chose to watch it.