Phoonk 2: Movie Review

Director: Milind Gadagkar

Cast: Sudeep, Amruta Khanvilkar, Ashwini Kalsekar

Rating: *

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Ram Gopal Varma seems to be hell-bent to break his own records. When we were convinced that horror films can’t get horrible than Agyaat, RGV clears our misconception with Phoonk 2. In this horrendous attempt, Ramu pays a homage to all his earlier made horror flicks, extends the tribute to Ramsay mould of face horror and ends it on the note of (believe it or faint) his arch rival Karan Johar’s template of tearjerkers.There is absolutely no regards to the story and the focus is merely on resorting to as much technical gimmickry as possible from standard sound effects, shocking shot-takings and gyrating camera movements. To get the dead of the prequel, back to life is the most lifeless way to start a sequel and Phoonk 2 does exactly that.

The story starts on the same old grounds of a family shifting to a new bungalow which is haunted. Rajiv (Sudeep) and Aarti (Amruta Khanvilkar) venture into new verandah with the premise(s) not being much different from RGV’s Vaastu Shastra. Their kids get home a doll they find in the woods but scaring through such plastic faces in present times is no child’s play. Further a couple runs helter-skelter through jungle as if they have seen Ramu’s Agyaat. Finally the filmmaker seeks the spirit from Bhoot as Aarti is possessed by the ghost of Madhu (Ashwini Kalsekar) who was killed in the prequel.

An owl-eyed exorcist (Jeeva) is added for no good reason. Amidst most predictable proceedings a wife wakes up from nightmares screaming ‘koi hai… koi hai’ and the husband keeps repeating ‘just relax… just relax’. The concluding reels are a tiresome hide-and-seek game between the ghost and the gharwale where a white-faced, white-eyed banshee follows every family member walking in robotic steps like Ramsay’s zombies.

Suddenly the family starts mourning on the death of their female head and after ten minutes of this emotional trauma, the end credits roll. And you keep wondering… What happened to the evil? What happened to good ole Ram Gopal Varma? What happened to the basic cinematic belief of victory of good over evil? If the makers want to extent the answers in another sequel, that thought is scarier than this entire film.

Phoonk 2 could win an award for the most long-drawn-out sequences ever with practically nothing happening in most of the scenes. The lethargic pace doesn’t add to the effect but only tests your patience levels. Milind Gadagkar’s screenplay is as much disappointing as much as his direction. He tries to tune himself in Ram Gopal Varma’s technique of horror-thrillers but sadly RGV has become so repetitive that he no more seems to be a trendsetter. Gadagkar employs every cliché from spooky dream sequences, unreflecting mirrors, blood-gore to face horror but fails to impress with his lack of innovation. The only residual redeeming scenes include minced-murder of a domestic help, a kitchen-sequence and termination of the tantric.

Sudeep just repeats his act from the first part. Amruta Khanvilkar was better off without the plastic makeup. Ashwini Kalsekar could have been used to more spooky effect. Child actor Ahsaas Channa doesn’t get much scope this time. Neeru Bajwa and Amit Sadh are wasted.Phoonk 2 literally blows things out of proportion. Watching this film is like indulging in two hours of foreplay with no sex.