JOIN USDarr @ the MallHindi (A) **Director: Pavan KirpalaniCast: Jimmy Sheirgill, Nushrat Bharucha, Arif Zakaria, Asif Basra, Nivedita Bhattacharya, Shradha Kaul, Neeraj Sood
Either Bollywood has a tried-and-tested formula for horror films, rarely breaking stereotypes (think old spooky mansions, and films like Purana Mandir, Purani Haveli, and Darwaza) or we have borrowed hijacked models of Hollywood films tuned and adapted to suit Indian sensibilities. Nevertheless, the Phoonk, Raaz, Murder and Bhoot series of films are some of the lot that have attracted urban multiplex audiences to an extent. On similar lines, Darr @ the Mall, a film by Pavan Kirpalani, who directed the horror-thriller Ragini MMS, (inspired by Paranormal Activity), is no different, as it seems to have certain borrowed elements from Hollywood flicks like Mirrors 2, The Conjuring, and Insidious.
Yes, the title is a giveaway, we have a haunted mall, which has witnessed numerous deaths since its construction and opening, a newly employed security-in-charge Vishnu, (Jimmy Sheirgill) and mall owners who refuse to acknowledge supernatural presence. One night, a party is hosted at the mall by the owners, where among other guests, a group of youngsters turn up. As the night begins, things get spooky, people fall prey one after another and Vishnu gets trapped in the mall with the others. Were the deaths accidents, or is there a mysterious past connection to all the events? Will Vishnu decode the mystery? Well, the answers are predictable. To carve a niche in the genre of horror, there is a need for more originality and less of a hackneyed approach. Wait up horror buffs!