Ek Thi Daayan makes us take a walk in the world of black magic, myths, witches and of course, the stories which were told to us by our parents or grandparents throughout or childhood.
I remember they used to tell us these stories when we were very mischievous, out of control and refused to sleep at bedtime. Do ghosts, spirits, witches really exist though? What is black magic? Some might believe it, but some may not.
The film tells the story of Bobo (Emraan Hashmi) who is India’s leading magician. But unknown to even his girlfriend Tamara (Huma Qureshi), Bobo’s life is falling apart. His regular hallucinations leave him with no option but to seek psychiatric help.
Bobo had a dark and spooky childhood past. A terrifying story about his childhood surfaces involving a powerful witch called Daayan (Konkona Sen Sharma). She has not only destroyed his family, but also promised to return to haunt Bobo. They say her life lived in her long hair!
Bobo chooses to ignore all the warnings and move on with his life. Bobo is having a wonderful love-life and amazing career. Then enters the gorgeous and breathtaking Lisa Dutt (Kalki Koechlin).
Bobo is convinced that she is the same Daayan from his childhood memories. And this time she is back to take everything that she left behind earlier.
Emraan Hashmi rocked as usual, despite of the presence of three other female actresses. The actor only grows in every film with his wonderful performances. But the film totally belongs to both Daayan’s.
[easyreview title=”EK THI DAAYAN” cat1title=”Story” cat1detail=”The story has a good mix of magic and life’s challenges.” cat1rating=”2.5″ cat2title=”Performances” cat2detail=”Both Emraan Hashmi and Konkona Sen Sharma stole the show. Huma Quershi over-confident whilst Pawan Malhotra and Rajatava Dutta shone.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Direction” cat3detail=”Despite a great script Director Kannan Iyer did not make it look convincing on the screen.” cat3rating=”1.5″ cat4title=”Production” cat4detail=”The background score enhanced the spooky atmosphere and the camera-work was stunning” cat4rating=”3″ cat5title=”Music” cat5detail=”The songs Yaaram, Kaali Kaali and Main Lautungi stand out in the music by Sohail Sen” cat5rating=”2″ summary=”Review Scores by Faisal Saif”]
Konkona Sen Sharma is just amazing and superb. This is her first film in the horror genre and she is terrific. Kalki Koechlin looked perfect in her character with the right kind of attitude.
The only irritating actress in the movie was Huma Qureshi. Somehow, the actress looked far too over-confident in the majority of her scenes. Pawan Malhotra and Rajatava Dutta (the one who played Emraan’s doctor) were also remarkable.
Director Kannan Iyer chose a wonderful script but somehow it did not look convincing on the screen. There were lot of confusions with Kalki Koechlin’s character towards the climax of the film. The film is too long after the interval.
A film maker loses his battle when the audiences begin to wonder when the film will end! This is what exactly happens when Ek Thi Daayan proceeds into the second half.
On the musical side, all of the the songs of the film are good and enjoyable to hear and watch. Most especially ‘Yaaram’, ‘Kaali Kaali’ and ‘Main Lautungi’, which sound out of this world.
The background score of the movie also deserves a special mention. It helps create the spooky atmosphere and tone of the entire film. The camera-work of the film is of a first rate quality.
On a realistic level, Ek Thi Daayan only works for the superb performances of Emraan Hashmi, Konkona Sen Sharma and Kalki Koechlin. I have my own doubts if the film will become a cult or a classic that will be remembered in years to come. The film may identify with viewers but the confusing second half will make the viewing uneasy for some cinema goers.
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