Indian movies

The two aspects you look forward to in a horror film are [i] The thrills-n-chills should scare the living daylights out of you and [ii] The story should’ve something new to offer. Sure, GAURI – THE UNBORN has a new story to tell, but the chills-n-thrills don’t give you the jitters and jhatkas, barring a scene or two.

On the contrary, what you carry home is a socially relevant message: Say ‘No’ to foeticide.

Sudeep [Atul Kulkarni], an architect, lives with his wife Roshni [Rituparna Sengupta] and their daughter Shivani [Baby Rushita Pandya]. The family decides to go for a holiday to Mauritius, but the daughter insists on going to their ancestral home.

The parents agree half-heartedly, but decide to visit the ancestral home nonetheless to keep their daughter happy. But an incident from the past comes back to haunt them. And the unseen force threatens to take their daughter away from them.

GAURI – THE UNBORN had the potential to work big time, but the screenplay has its limitations. The moment the aatma of the unborn kid swears revenge, you expect the sequence of events that are to follow to give you gooseflesh. But what unfolds is hardly spine chilling. Besides, the pacing slackens in the second hour, which is a deterrent.

However, the concluding 20 minutes are the best part of the enterprise. The climax is indeed novel and the end drives home the message effectively. Another aspect that catches the eye is the visual effects, which are skilfully executed and smartly integrated in the narrative.

Director Aku Akbar makes a promising debut. He’s a proficient technician, but he should’ve emphasized on a far more convincing script. There’s just one song in the narrative [a lullaby], which is strictly okay. Cinematography is up to the mark. Background score enhances the impact at places.

Atul Kulkarni is plain mediocre. Rituparna Sengupta has her moments. However, their intimate scenes seem forced in the screenplay. Baby Rushita Pandya is the real scene stealer. To see a kid carry off a tricky role is wonderful. Anupam Kher is passable.

On the whole, GAURI – THE UNBORN is an okay fare that may find its share of advocates in those who tilt towards the horror genre.

Anuranan means 'resonance' in Bengali and this movie is about the story of two couples, each with their own struggles to survive as a couple and as individuals. These individuals can be distinctly seen as four separate entities, with their own dreams, desires and emotions. Fate and circumstances bring them together.

After living in London for a few years, Rahul and Nandita have recently moved back to Kolkata. The Kanchanjunga project is what brings Rahul and Amit together. Friendship eventually blossoms amongst both the couples - Rahul & Nandita and Amit & Preeti. As time flies, lot of events unfold and the relationship these friends share creates a resonance, a chord - that echoes through their present and future.

Rahul, Nandita, Preeti and Amit are seen walking through life, each of them going through a different phase. They bump into each other and their life takes a subtle turn. Rahul and Nandita strike a chord at a different level which continues to reverberate. They experience a unique bond and emotionally connect with each other in a significant plane of their journey in life.

The understanding between Preeti and Nandita at the end of the story when their individual worlds are broken to bits and pieces also signifies a new resonance that has been struck. It signifies a new beginning for two people who will grow and nurture each other meaningfully in days to come.

This movie shot in London with some brilliant photography, has very beautifully portrayed relationships. The sensitivity with which the emotions have been captured is commendable. The film contemplates how at various moments and thresholds of our life we experience different kinds of bonds and emotional attachments with different kinds of people.