REVIEW: Gauri, when horror is funny

What is the film all about
When Roshni (Rituparna Sengupta) and Sudeep (Atul Kulkarni) arrive with their nine-year-old daughter, Shivani, at their ancestral home, little do they know what is in store for them. It is Shivani's summer vacation and the threesome plans to spend a good time together. But things go terribly wrong from the moment they reach the place.

Sudeep and Roshni are at their wits' end when they see their little child behaving abnormally. Spooky incidents keep happening as they realise their child is possessed. Sudeep and Roshni’s past haunts them. It so happened that Roshni became pregnant soon after marriage. But at that point both of them were more concerned about their respective careers and therefore got their child aborted. The act now threatens their daughter Shivani’s life.

What we liked about the film

Nothing really. The only good thing about the film is its star cast comprising Altul Kulkarni, Rituparna Sengupta and Anupam Kher. Atul and Anupam were at their usual best. Rituparna was just about okay. Audience expected a lot more after her powerpacked performance in Main Meri Patni Aur Woh. The actress should seriously try to improve on her accent and Hindi diction.

What we didn't like

Since the film was being touted as one of the good films of the year, it was rather disappointing to see Gauri… coming nowhere close to Bhool Bhulaiyaa in terms of showcasing horror/supernatural. Director Aku Akbar should have done his homework before dealing with a genre like this. Although the film carries a social message, it misguides the audience into believing in certain forces in the name of horror. The child artiste almost looks like an animated character. The editing is shabby and so are the special effects. At times, the characters came across as caricatures that would make the audience burst into laughter, when they were actually meant to scare them. We wonder what enticed actors like Atul Kulkarni and Anupam Kher to sign on the project, which neither has a good script or scope for performance.

Verdict: You can surely give it a miss.

Rating: 1/ 5