There have been very few horror films in Bollywood that are worth remembering. Bhoot Part One – The Haunted Ship is definitely not one of them. The film, directed by Bhanu Pratap Singh, talks about a haunted ship called Seabird which gets mysteriously docked on Juhu beach. The mystery deepens when a couple disappears from the abandoned ship. A naval officer, Prithvi (Vicky Kaushal) gets entangled in the mysteries of the ship and decides to find some truths out. Prithvi is in the meanwhile fighting his own demons as he battles with the guilt he feels at the untimely demise of his wife (Bhumi Pednekar) and young daughter. For Prithvi, the lines between the illusions and reality become blurred as he gets more and more into solving the horrific truth surrounding the ship.
Well, Bhoot Part One has all the ingredients to make a good horror film. An able performer as its lead protagonist, fantastic cinematography (Pushkar Singh) and just the right kind of background sound (designed by Anish John), but unfortunately it still doesn’t end up being a memorable film, thanks to the dull and unoriginal screenplay.
The producers have gracefully thanked Ram Gopal Verma in the film, (perhaps for his contribution to the horror genre through excellent films like Raat and Bhoot), but unfortunately this film is nowhere in that league.
Vicky Kaushal has a lot to do in this film, physically and otherwise. He does a brilliant job of someone who’s forever in a grieving mode, even when going about doing his daily duties. Ashutosh Rana plays professor Joshi and his character is as predictable and cliched as they come.
For horror film freaks, this film is bound to disappoint as it offers very few chances to get scared, and by the time it reaches the last leg, it loses steam. The title suggests that this might be the first in a series of horror films to come. We really hope the next one is better.
Film: Bhoot Part One: The Haunted Ship
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar, Ashutosh Rana
Director: Bhanu Pratap Singh
Rating: 2.5
