Shock but no awe

After Raaz, Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt have decided to cash in on the title of the 2002 film by coming up with Raaz: The Mystery Continues (RTMC).

The Bhatts seem to have succeeded to an extent, as RTMC has some good spooks. But it still fails to make the cut.

The flaws can be traced to the film's second half, which is saddled with a weak climax, spoiling the eerie atmosphere the first half builds.

Spooks galore

Nandita (Kangana Ranaut) decides to move in with boyfriend Yash (Adhyayan Suman), a presenter of a TV reality show. But she soon starts having life-threatening experiences.

Enter Prithvi (Emraan Hashmi), a painter with a gift of being able to see the future. And through his paintings, he sees Nandita's.

When Yash doesn't believe Nandita, Prithvi and Nandita set out on a journey to unravel the mystery.

After Woh Lamhe and Awarapan, director Mohit Suri displays his flair for storytelling again. But despite an interesting plot, Shagufta Rafique's screenplay is riddled with clichés and doesn't hold.

Early in the film, Suman is shown shooting a video of a Caucasian man sitting among sages to ward off evil spirits. Later, however, Suman is shown to be associated with the same man.

Masala climax

There are many scenes which appear to have been inspired by Hollywood horror flicks such as Stigmata and The Ring.

A horror film should make you break out in cold sweat. But here you tend to laugh at the typical Bollywood-masala climax.

Yet there are some chilling moments, such as the bathtub and the mirror sequences.

The scene in which a hand pops out of the ATM is a true jump-out-of-your-seat moment. In retrospect, however, it adds nothing to the story.

Suman's character behaves irrationally till the climax, when he goes berserk. I think it's about time Bollywood horror flicks started discarding the theme of believers versus non-believers and looked for novel plots.

Hashmi has a brooding presence and does well in a role that doesn't require too much of him.

Ranaut again excels in the role of a disturbed woman — playing such roles seems to have become her forte.

Nevertheless, her performance keeps the audience on edge. Suman gives a confident performance and Jackie Shroff, in a key role, is average.

The film's music, with tracks such as Maahi and Soniyo, is the high point. Ravi Walia's cinematography, backed by effective background music, adds the necessary eerie feel to the film.

RTMC is a mixed bag of high and low moments but gives us reason enough to watch it.

— Abdulla Mahmood is a UAE-based freelance writer