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Tag: Alia Bhatt

  • Alia Bhatt and Arjun Kapoor most searched emerging stars online

    Alia Bhatt and Arjun Kapoor most searched emerging stars online

    BENGALURU: India’s crazy love for Bollywood stars, movies, and songs is a celebrated and known fact.  With the entry of fresh talent and dynamic performances over the last year, Bollywood buffs across the country have been extending their support to the stars of tomorrow. While some are new to film fraternity, the others hail from filmy homes and have grown up in Bollywood.

     

    Starry kids including the likes of Alia Bhatt, Shraddha Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and Tiger Shroff are leading searches on Google. Although filmy background gives them a clear edge, the other non-filmy newbies on screen including Sidhartha Malhotra and Ileana D’cruz have made their way to fans’ hearts with their performances and talent.

     

    An analysis of recent searches on Google (Google Search trends) takes a look at the popularity of these stars among the fans online. 

     

    Alia Bhatt’s dream launch in Student of the Year followed by blockbuster movies including Highway and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania has gained a lot of interest online as she leads search interest among fans for emerging stars.

     

    Aashiqui 2 fame Shraddha Kapoor with her compelling performance in Ek Villian has also grabbed continuous attention from fans online. Interestingly their standing remains too close as the two continue to work hard to maintain their fast growing fan base.  Among those with no starry backgrounds, Ileana D’Cruz stood out of the crowd with high interest witnessed online.  

     

    Among the male stars, Arjun Kapoor is the latest on the block attracting huge search interest online. While he made his debut in 2012 with Isaqzaade, he took on the spotlight with his blockbuster hit 2 States this year.

     

    Sidhartha Malhothra’s journey with his charming performance in Student of the Year & Hasee Toh Phasee to the thrilling Ek Villian has been followed closely by his fans. The actor has shown steady and charismatic performances that are driving searches online.

  • ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’…Join the party

    ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’…Join the party

    MUMBAI: The title may sound confusing. Who is this Humpty Sharma? He is no legendary lover on whom tomes may have been written. It does not give away much except that the story/ scenario would obviously be set against the background of a Delhi Punjabi family. And perhaps that is something about the Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge to it? Why not. After all, Dil Wale Dulhania… was an all-time hit, so what’s wrong with borrowing a bit from there?

    Varun Dhawan shyly confesses that he was a very fat child and that is how he was nicknamed Humpty. Not bad considering he could have been nicknamed Sweety or Dimppy, which could be gender defying. Varun heads a gang of three including himself in a Delhi college. The other two are Gaurav Pandey and Sahil Vaid. As in all filmy colleges, you only have a campus with a loosely hung signboard declaring that the premises is a college. He is popular with girls around for no apparent reason except that he is the hero of the story. Despite being in Delhi, for a change, he is not the son of a halwai but, as he says, the only ‘waris of the famous Vidhya Book Store’ which caters to college students’ requirements.

    For a change, Varun does not find his lady love from a college coed. She is an Ambala girl, Alia Bhatt, who is in Delhi to attend her friend’s wedding. Actually, no Punjabi love story can be told without involving a wedding. There she meets Varun who wants to date her, which she does not mind until she gets married to an NRI a few week hence. A little net practice never hurt anybody.

    This is the first man Alia has ever been exposed to. All her life she has been brought up to believe in following the family tradition: marry the guy dad chooses. Dad, Ashutosh Rana, himself has had a love marriage but since then, he has had a reason not to trust such a liaison. But apart from that, Rana is okay with giving his daughter all the freedom she wants. So she takes off for Delhi to spend time with her friend, Guncha Narula, who is due to marry soon as well as to buy a Rs 5 lakh wedding dress for herself—because Guncha has bought one worth Rs 2.5 lakh!

    Producers: Hiroo Johar, Karan Johar.

    Director: Shashank Khaitan.

    Cast: Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Ashutosh Rana, Siddharth Shukla, Kenneth Desai, Gaurav Pandey, Sahil Vaid, Mahnaz Damania, Deepika Amin, Guncha Narula, Jaswant Daman.

    Varun, quite popular in college, sees this new girl in town and as is wont of any Delhi boy, piles on. Alia is the kind who can take a Delhi boy in her stride but quite enjoys Varun’s company. Varun, on his part, has fallen head over heels. The happy days are over and Alia has to return to Ambala as her NRI fiancé is due to arrive. That is when Alia also owns up to her deep love for Varun.

    Back in Ambala, Alia has only one option and that is to forget Varun and get ready for her marriage with this NRI doctor, Siddharth Shukla. Varun chases Alia to Ambala only to be beaten black and blue by her brother and his goons. Varun is unrelenting. Shukla is arriving and Rana decides to offer Varun a chance so as to avoid any tamasha during the wedding. It is five days till wedding, Varun’s job is to hang around Shukla and find some fault in him for Rana to call off Alia’s wedding with him. But, one look at the fiancé and Varun loses all hope. He is a perfect stud with no blemish at all. Since Gaurav and Sahil are also with Varun, the fun and repartees continue. 

    Despite the latter half of the film revisiting Yashraj Films’ all-time hit, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, it is all well done. The film’s writer/director deserve all the credit for coming up with a very plausible take on Dilwale…., with a taut script peppered with witty exchanges between characters. There are some loose ends like disappearance of Shukla from the scene suddenly! The film also has the advantage of some peppy numbers in ‘Saturday Saturday’…., ‘Lucky tu lucky me’…. and a melody in ‘Samjhawan’…albeit all with heavy Punjabi flavour.

    Varun along with Gaurav and Sahil make sure one stays entertained. Alia does well, not going overboard in dramatic scenes. Rana is good while Shukla makes an impact despite a brief role. The supporting cast is adequate.

    Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania is a joyride for youth and an entertainer that also caters to other age groups. While its business may be affected to a degree due to Ramzan month, it is generally a moneymaker.

  • Jabong partners with Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania

    Jabong partners with Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania

    MUMBAI: Jabong, partners with the new upbeat movie by Karan Johar under Dharma Production – Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania. A part of the tie-up, Jabong  will unveil an exclusive collection defining the new age fashion exuding elan, a range inspired by the movie and the looks of the lead star cast – Bollywood’s new heartthrobs  – Varun Dhawan  playing Humpty Sharma and Alia Bhatt playing Kavya Pratap at Crown Plaza, Okhla in Delhi.

    Jabong founder and managing director Praveen Sinha said, “We are highly elated to launch this stylish and chic Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania collection on Jabong. We are only growing strength to strength in the e-commerce sector, and this collaboration exemplifies the stature we hold in the market. When such magnum opus brand names show an inclination in getting associated with us, it exudes nothing, but power of e commerce and Jabong. The fashion industry draws heavily from Bollywood; we at Jabong cater to such eclectic needs of people. From international apparel honchos to the classic Bollywood fashion parade, Jabong.com now has everything under one roof.”

    Dharma Productions marketing head Siddharth Kadam said, “Movies and shopping are the two experiences people of India not only enjoy but also celebrate. Witnessing the boom in online retail, such associations are going to become more popular with a Bollywood style collection inspired by the movies. There is a huge market of young, fashionable buyers wanting to dress like film stars. We are happy to partner with Jabong for our film Humpty Sharma ki Dhulhania.”

    Bottomline Media managing director Tanaaz Bhatia said, “Our association with Jabong.com goes far back and it has been a wonderful experience to work with them. We believe the Humpty Sharma collection will create a new trend amongst the youth especially after the movie is proving to be a hit already! We look forward to create many such associations with Jabong.com and our upcoming films.”

    Click here for event pictures

  • Garnier Fructis announces Alia Bhatt as its brand ambassador

    Garnier Fructis announces Alia Bhatt as its brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: Garnier Fructis, a hair care brand, has named actor Alia Bhatt as the new face of Garnier Fructis in India. This is the first time that Garnier Fructis has signed on a brand ambassador in India. Alia Bhatt will feature in exciting Garnier Fructis campaigns this year.

     

    Garnier GM Rupika Raman said, “We’re very happy to welcome Alia on board as the face of Garnier Fructis. Her personality and energy finds great synergies with Garnier Fructis. No other brand is as synonymous with youth and vitality as Garnier Fructis. Alia brings both these qualities to the table with her talent and individuality.”

     

    Alia garnered nationwide praise for her performances in films Highway and 2 States.

     

    Bhatt said, “My hair is very important to me and I only trust Garnier Fructis which has always been my favorite shampoo. I love it’s fruity, long lasting fragrance and the way it leaves my hair feeling nourished and strong. The new Garnier Fructis shampoos & conditioners have been specially developed for Indian Hair. I hope every girl using Garnier Fructis benefits from it the way I have.”

     

    She also endorses the Pure Active range of face washes from Garnier.

  • BO: A disastrous week

    BO: A disastrous week

    MUMBAI: It has been a week of multiple disasters at the box office. Purani Jeans, a youth oriented film shot at scenic locations, has not been able to make a mark at the box office. The film barely manages to cross the one crore mark in its first weekend by collecting Rs 1.05 crore.

     

    Angry Young Man and Kahin Hai Mera Pyar have also failed to muster enough footprints to open screenings at many places. Kya Dilli Kya Lahore has met with poor response with negligible figures of Rs 25 lakh to show for its first weekend.

     

    Kangana Ranaut starrer Revolver Rani added little to its opening weekend collections of Rs 6 crore to finish its first week with figures of Rs 8.8 crore. Samrat & Co. is very poor in its first week with collections of Rs 1.4 crore. Kaanchi fares below the mark, its title failing to suggest its theme adding to generally poor promotion of the film. The film has collected Rs 3.6 crore.

     

    Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt starrer 2 States has sustained very well in its second week as well as it collected Rs 24.1 crore taking its two week tally to Rs 84.3 crore. Bootnath Returns has collected 1.2 crore in its third week to take its three week total to Rs 36.05 crore.

     

    Queen has added another Rs 20 lakh for its eighth week to take its eight week total to Rs 58.2 crore.

  • Reliance MediaWorks partners with ‘2 States’

    Reliance MediaWorks partners with ‘2 States’

    MUMBAI: Reliance MediaWorks, the media and techno-creative solutions provider and a part of the Reliance Group has announced its association with the recently released 2 States.

     

     Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and Karan Johar the film has been directed by Abhishek Varman and stars Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in lead roles. A film that depicts the diversity in the cultural fabric of India, 2 States is set in several parts of the country including Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.  Thus VFX played an important role in easing the logistics and depicting different cities while still being shot at a studio.

     

     Reliance MediaWorks has been offering end-to-end visual postproduction services for films including VFX, DI and Digital Mastering, and 2 States is the latest marquee film that it has worked on. With 250 odd VFX shots, largely for chroma compositing and set extensions, the project entailed around 30-35 minutes of VFX work for the film.

     

    Dharma Productions chief executive officer Apoorva Mehta said, “The team at Reliance MediaWorks has always delivered high quality work at prompt timelines, helping us successfully complete the film and provide a visual delight to the audience.”

     

     Added Varman, “2 States is a very special film for me and in order to deliver my best I wanted to partner with the best creative partners. I’m very happy working along with the team at Reliance MediaWorks on this film.”

     

    To create the visual allure of different cities while maintaining the overall look of the film, the RMW team worked closely with legendary cinematographer Binod Pradhan, thus with his expertise, tactfully bringing together the vibrancy of Punjabi Delhi, the serenity of Chennai and the cultural vivacity of Ahmedabad.

     

     Pradhan said, “2 States is a movie rich in culture, colours and energy. To get a consistent look while maintaining the authenticity of each Indian province was the key focus. Reliance MediaWorks was an important partner in accomplishing this task.”

     

    Reliance MediaWorks senior colorist Ken Metzker said, “Working with an industry stalwart such as Binod Pradhan is always a great experience in itself. 2 States had the perfect balance of vibrancy and subtlety in its look, which allowed us to make the characters tell their story while looking good and not having the images overtake the storytelling. Looking forward to newcomer director Abhishek Varman’s next film.”

     

    Blending the VFX shots with the film seamlessly was an important task. 2 States is a romantic comedy and most of the VFX work involved was on account of logistical convenience for the shoot. So it had to be subtle and immersive.

     

     Reliance MediaWorks VFX head Prasad Sutar, who also headed the project said, “VFX technology today is no longer limited to action flicks and sci-fi movies. Directors today are wisely using it to ease the logistics and facilitate the shooting process, and with 2 States we have achieved that quite successfully.”

     

     Reliance MediaWorks CEO Venkatesh Roddam added, “It is always a pleasure to work with Dharma Productions. The team has worked dedicatedly to achieve the envisioned outcome. We are sure our work would be appreciated by viewers across the country.”

  • Two States, Three Stages

    Two States, Three Stages

    MUMBAI: Romance is between two individuals but marriage is between two families. For many, this is the moment of realisation and the word ‘adjustment’ replaces ‘romance’. This is true even when just about everything matches in the form of caste, community and status but harder when these matters differ and hardest when a romance is between North and South for that chasm is too deep rooted going back to the Aryan-Dravidian era.

    In able hands, Chetan Bhagat stories provide good themes to work on to develop into a film script.  And Two States, based on Bhagat’s novel, Two States: The Story Of My Marriage, aspires to the same feat earlier achieved by the 3 Idiots team. To some degree, it succeeds.

    Arjun Kapoor is Krish Malhotra, a typical Punjabi young man from Delhi pursuing his management programme at IIM Ahmedabad where Alia Bhatt, playing one Ananya  Swaminathan, a fellow student, seeks his help with her studies. Romance is inevitable, and it gets more intense by the day. Arjun dreads the day Alia will call hers a sisterly love and offer to tie a rakhi, which is quite a norm in schools and colleges. He wastes no time in confessing his love for her.

    Arjun has a reason for his deep love; there is no love at home. The atmosphere there is negative with his father, Ronit Roy, being drunk and violent and easily raising his hand on his mother, Amrita Singh. Arjun avoids interacting with his father and makes sure he gives all his attention to Amrita which she does not get from Ronit. The romance of Arjun and Alia has survived the two years of IIM and grown only stronger but it is time to part as the course is over and they must find jobs. Alia finds one in her hometown, Chennai. Arjun too finds a Chennai posting but Amrita, his mother, wants him to be in Delhi with her. Her plans are to flaunt her IIM graduate son to the parents of all the suitable girls. She dreams of dowries better than all others. But, eventually she relents.

    Producers: Sajid Nadiadwala, Karan Johar.

    Director: Abhishek Varman.

    Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amrita Singh, Ronit Roy, Revathi, Shiv Subramaniam.

    Amrita and Alia’s parents, father Shiv Subramaniam and mother Revathi, are introduced at the convocation function and the chance was not worth taking looking at the outcome of that meeting. Now Two States has to go through three stages: Arjun has to win over Alia’s traditional Tamil Brahmin parents. Next, Alia has to come to Delhi and conquer the hearts of Arjun’s family. And, lastly, since marriages are between families, to work on bringing both the families together with positive vibes. Though Ronit is not a party to the events, the third stage, bringing Amrita to like Alia’s parents is the mission impossible because for Amrita there is no girl worthy of her son, least of all a ‘Madrasi’ girl.

    The film breezes through while Arjun and Alia romance stage. It is all light moments and humour. Winning over of respective families is fun as both treat it as their respective challenges. The last part has an element of surprise and rounds up the film aptly. While the aversion of North and South parents for each other is amplified and nearly comes to insulting communities, it is justified in the script as both live in their own small worlds. The script provides a sense of feel-good, music is in measured levels, emotions without melodrama, and intense romance that makes other aspects acceptable.

    The credit goes to director Abhishek  Varman, who has also worked on adapting the Bhagat novel. Varman has done a marvellous job. Music is in keeping with the mood of situations as well as the film’s youth appeal with lyrics contributing in equal measure. Cinematography is pleasing. However, what makes Two States an endearing watch is the chemistry between Arjun and Alia who come up with amazing performances. Alia is suitably apt in all the shades of her character. Arjun gets his first chance to perform in a solo, more serious role and he does full justice. He has finally arrived. While the credit goes for perfect casting, the artistes, Amrita, Ronit, Revathi and Shiv (he should be seen on screen more often) live up to expectations.

    Two States is a youth-oriented entertainer with all the necessary ingredients perfectly balanced to make it a success.

  • Koffee With Karan Season 4 Ends On a High Note After A Successful Run on Star World

    Koffee With Karan Season 4 Ends On a High Note After A Successful Run on Star World

    MUMBAI: Everybody’s favorite Bollywood Celebrity Talk Show – Koffee with Karan,  Season 4, has bid its viewers adieu after a superb run on STAR WORLD. The finale episode of the season aired on 13th April, recapping the best moments from the Season, a befitting farewell for all its fans. Having made it’s spot on GEC mantle amongst the top entertainment shows in India, the last four months saw an all-time rating high.

     

    In the last four months, well-known celebrity filmmaker Karan Johar has featured Bollywood’s biggest superstars, engaging them in a no holds barred dialogue. New and fascinating elements like Karan’s Broadway Music video, a stylish new and improved show set, interesting add on’s to the shows format like the Bollywood quiz gave this season that extra edge.  

     

    The last episode featured Karan Johar revealing  the contents of the Koffee Hamper which the celebrities were competing for in the rapid fire round. One of the high points of each episode was the mock competitiveness of the celebrities vying for the hamper full of goodies. In addition to that, key highlights from the best episodes of the season were showcased. Some of the shocking as well as the humorous moments right from Salman Khan’s  ‘ I am a virgin’ comment, Kareena Kapoor on Ranbir- Katrina wedding plans to speculations on Anushka’s lip job made the cut . Funny antics of the Stars with Akshay Kumar turning the tables on Karan with his own version of the rapid fire round , Alia’s crush on Ranbir confession, Sonam’s plans to enter politics and of course  Nargis and Freida’s PG13 humor were also a part of the highlights.

     

    Koffee with Karan’s unscripted content has garnered high entertainment value that is always making headlines. Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Akhshay Kumar made their debut on the show they were previously elusive to. Upcoming talent like Parineeti Chopra, Alia Bhatt, Nargis Fakhri, Arjun Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapoor, & Sharaddha Kapoor gave audiences memorable conversations to revel in.

     

    The digital sphere was also abuzz not only in India & but also worldwide with conversations on online networking portals. Episodes with Salman Khan, Nargis Fakhri, Arjun Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Sharaddha Kapoor, Deepika Padukone & Priyanka Chopra went viral on numerous social media sites.

     

    On this occasion Kevin Vaz, General Manager, Star India Pvt. Ltd. (English Cluster) said “Koffee with Karan Season 4 has had a great run on our channel and we are proud to say that it was one of our prime properties for the year. The overwhelming response that the show received has surpassed our expectations and that was very encouraging. As we move forward to bring a very exciting content line up this year we also look forward to the next season of the show”.

     

    True to its ethos,  the show did not fail to impress their viewers leading to a high viewership and garnering enviable TRP levels in the process. With Season 4 being such a huge hit, viewers are already looking forward to the next season of KOFFEE WITH KARAN on Star World.

  • Shaadi.com ties knot for ‘2 States’

    Shaadi.com ties knot for ‘2 States’

    MUMBAI: Shaadi.com is all set to be associated with 2 States, the forthcoming movie co-produced by Dharma Productions and Sajid Nadiadwala. The matrimonial site has become the official matrimonial partner for the movie. The movie is based on the book ‘2 States’ authored by Chetan Bhagat.

     

    Commenting on the association, Shaadi.com COO Gourav Rakshit said, “For over 17 years, we at Shaadi.com have been helping people create their own love story, so it is only natural for us to be associated with a beautiful love story like 2 States. We are delighted about this relationship with Dharma Productions and we wish them great success with this movie.”

     

    The film revolves around a Punjabi boy (Arjun Kapoor), who falls in love with a Tamil girl (Alia Bhatt) and all the hardships they go through because of the cultural differences between the two families. The film is distributed by UTV Motion Pictures and scheduled to release on 18 April 2014.

     

    “We are glad to be associated with Shaadi.com. The movie is a love story which revolves around two people and their families who are from two different states. So this relationship with Shaadi.com is a perfect fit,” added Dharma Productions CEO Apoorva Mehta.

  • ‘Highway’…road to nowhere

    ‘Highway’…road to nowhere

    MUMBAI: A road movie is a genre with its roots in the United States (US) where it became more popular with the post World War II auto boom and peaked in the 60s when a lot of things changed in how the youth looked at life. America had the road, the spirit of adventure and the type of cars and bikes coupled with social movements which did not tie one down. In India, road movies are rare and far in-between and gained some momentum only thanks to inspiration through easy accessibility to DVDs. Despite a few attempts in the last decade or so, the only memorable Indian road movie I can think of is the 1972 Mahmood film, Bombay To Goa. (I would even call Mahmood’s Sadhu Aur Shaitaan a road movie; so what if it was shot only within Bombay limits!) Probably because it was not a DVD inspired film and if it was inspired from external forces, it was very well adapted to suit the Indian taste. A road movie formula is one where the lead characters come of age, grow or improve in the process of the journey.

    Highway, going by the definition of a road movie, is a copybook road movie as far as its characters go. The tough as tungsten male protagonist melts like a candle while the female matures enough to break all shackles of social norms and bindings. The problem with Highway is that, while the rules of road movies are already laid down for it, sadly, the content for the length of the film acceptable to Indian audience, where you can’t remain indifferent to romance and fitting in songs, does not come with the formula. Probably, that is why the percentage of Hindi road movies working at the box office is so small. (Some films I can recall: Bombay To Goa, Ginny Aur Johny, Chalo Dilli, Zindagi Na MIlegi Dobara, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahi and Daud)

    Producers: Sajid Nadiadwala, Imtiaz Ali.

    Director: Imtiaz Ali.

    Cast: Randeep Hooda, Alia Bhatt.

    Randeep Hooda works for a gang which is for hire; they commit crimes on contract basis. On a mission to loot a petrol pump, Hooda comes across Alia Bhatt who is out to get some fresh air with her boyfriend. To make good his escape, Hooda dumps Alia’s boyfriend but takes her as a hostage till he reaches his partners and own vehicle. Kidnapping Alia was not on his agenda and why he does not dump her is a question. Alia comes from the house of a very influential man in Delhi and the gang members expect trouble. On account of this, Hooda decides to go on his own and demand ransom for Alia. This is a road movie so instead of cooling his heels in one place, he just takes his truck around the country (except Southern parts). In the era of electronic surveillance, he manages to hide from the authorities merely by changing the number plates of his truck; description of the vehicle does not matter.

    While Hooda may give Alia a slap or two, he never tries any sort of mischief with her. As expected, Alia is drawn towards him and won’t let him go. She does not want to go home where she is being molested by an uncle since she was nine. She wants to hang around with Hooda and keep travelling. They end up somewhere in the mountains, borrow a house and set up a kitchen with Maggi noodles! By now you have had enough and decide that if the police won’t find them, you yourself will call them when there is a bang. The police who did not manage to nab him while he roamed about the highways of India, passing state check posts, finally find him in this remote mountain and without warning just shoot him down.

    There is nothing such as a story in this movie. This has been shown in a number of films where the captive falls for the goon. Otherwise, this film is a kind of Bharat Darshan taking you to places you would not go to otherwise. In a weatherman’s parlance, the film is 133 minutes but feels like 300 and with just two characters to carry it off, offers no distraction except change of scenery.

    Highway is touted to be aimed at the gentry audience but one would assume even gentry go to cinema for entertainment, which this film is lacking.

     

    Darr @ the Mall

    Stolen ideas…

    Horror has not really been a favourite Indian genre and neither are there original writers for this breed of film. The preference here is mainly feel good fare or soaps or romance. Obviously, the ‘inspiration’ has to come from Hollywood films. Horror movies don’t have repeat value, in most cases does not even gain a first-time audience, provides no scope for music which is a must in Indian movies and, generally, don’t entertain. In which case, why would anybody want to make one is a mystery! As suspected, Darr @ The Mall comes from a 1989 Hollywood film called Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge.

    Contiloe Entertainment is a TV content providing company making a foray into film production and the film will be learning experience for the company.

    Producers: MSM Media Motion Pictures, Contiloe Entertainment.

    Director: Pavan Kriplani.

    Cast: Jimmy Shergill, Nushrat Bharucha, Arif Zakaria, Asif Basra.

    Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge was about one Eric Matthews who lives in a huge house which burns down; Eric is reported dead but he has been able to save his girlfriend. Soon, a mall comes up where his house was. Eric is not dead though badly burnt. He haunts the mall, killing people, especially those who set an eye on his girlfriend.

    Darr @ The Mall is about a mall, ironically called Amity Mall, that has come up at a location where an orphanage run by a kindly nun stood once. The orphanage burns down killing the nun as well as all the children save for one child who, though wounded, manages to escape. A mall has come up where the orphanage stood. Soon, the mall is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Workers and sentries get killed at random at the mall. As a result, nobody is willing to take charge of the security at this mall when Jimmy Shergill, an ex-army man, gets an offer he can’t refuse. He accepts the job at the mall.

    Even as Shergill takes charge, the killing spree continues though no harm comes to him. From the sundry staff, the killing progresses to the families of the owners. To salvage the reputation of the mall, the owners decide on an evening party at the mall paving way for an item number too! That evening, which is never-ending for the viewer in this film, lasts most of the film. There are purposeless killings and illogical incidents. Why, when the culprits are available for the picking, does the revenge seeker kill innocent sentries and others?

    Darr @ The Mall is a poorly written horror film where nothing works. While in the original, it was a private property, an orphanage is not owned by the orphans, and just by killing its inhabitants one can’t take over the premises! This is a pathetic effort by Pavan Kriplani. There is no horror, only gore to pass of as horror. Writer director Kriplani is totally at a loss with this project. While the rest are caricatures, it is sad to see Shergill being totally wasted in this whim of fancy. Excuses have been created to fit in a few songs but in vain. Editing is poor. Photography is passable. Background score is jarring.

    Darr @ The Mall stands no chance at the box office.