Raat

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Moviecut—Raat

I had started to become a fan of Ram Gopal Verma when I saw this movie. And I was all the more impressed by this talented film maker. The movie can remind us of Exorcist. But only as far as the main theme goes. Otherwise it is shot completely differently. Believe me, you will be kept on the edge of your seat if you see it in full attention. The atmosphere is kept tense all the time from beginning . The movie has many innovative scenes which I had never seen before (the one in the theater, and the one in the jungle off a road for e.g.). Not to mention, the background score, Revati's performance, and Om Puri's role. The possessed Revati's expressions really scared me. Final note : See it !! (Actually I was disappointed when I saw Bhoot recently. Why did he have to make a not-that-good horror movie when he had already accomplished more successfully in Raat ?)

Although it can't be said about Ram Gopal Varma's subsequent and recent works, especially in the horror genre, Raat is one of those movies that changed the tide of the horror cult in mainstream Indian cinema. It's a movie RGV made for which I can ignore every cinematic misadventure he has done otherwise. It made directors bid farewell (albeit decades later since the movie was so much ahead of its times) to the cliched deformed bodies and disfigured faces as the only means to scare the audience and opt for more realism, focus on odd camera angles and focused music as a means of fear. The movie makes you uncomfortable right from the word go. You feel the scares under your skin, even after rewatching it and it definitely stays with you for long; the hallmark of a great horror production. A case can be raised that Raat can scare you even with your eyes closed, that's how eerily good the background score is. I haven't seen her other work much but Raat puts Revathy in the orbital of magnificent acting. Raat is a must have in a horror movie collector's library. Most modern Hindi horror movie directors should revisit the movie as a case study and learn the art of minimalism when it comes to perpetually terrorise even the most sceptical of the audience.

"Raat" has its moments that could be called creepworthy, but while not necessarily formulaic in the sense that it follows the pattern of most Indian horror movies it certainly IS formulaic for Ram Gopal Varma. The "family-moves-to-a-new-house-and-guss-what-it's-haunted" theme is a staple of Varma's, but was much better done in "Vaastu Shastra". But if you want to see the "finished" version of Raat, watch Ramu's 2003 offering, "Bhoot". Still, it's difficult to flatly dislike "Raat" if for no other reason than it displays some talented lesser-known players. Of the featured cast only Om Puri could be considered a marquee actor (though Revathi, who stars in the role of Minnie and Anant Nag, the psychiatrist, both have a long list of films to their credit). But perhaps the best feature of "Raat" is the cinematography. Varma is masterful in his use of camera angles in virtually all of his films and this one is no exception. The "first-person" angle is a trademark of his and he uses it to perfection in the opening sequence and multiple others. This simple technique not only creates a good deal of suspense, it allows the director to do so without blowing a fortune on special effects. In sum, "Raat" is entertaining, avoids too many serious plot holes and is capably staged and lit. But I would recommend either "Vaastu Shastra" or "Bhoot" over it for pure horror value.

Raat review : The Ramsays dominated the 80s so much that horror genre got synonymous with them. Scary movies meant Anirudh Agarwal with a mud pack on his face, a bath happy heroine and a religious symbol or idol which turned savior in the end. Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) tried to do something different with Raat - a film having none of the above elements - which paved the way for the future horror movies in Bollywood. Revathy played Mini who gets possessed when her family shifts to a new house. Without relying on a hideous looking ghost, RGV evoked tremendous fear in minds of viewer through effective camera angles and sound effects. Revathy was outstanding in the lead role and she reportedly, faced lot of anxiety issues during the filming. Om Puri's tantrik was memorable too. He only appears at the end but makes his strong presence felt. "Darkness never vanishes, it's only diminished by light in a particular radius" is his interesting explanation to the paranormal. Raat was released with much publicised 70MM print and 6 track stereophonic sound at Mumbai's New Excelsior cinema. Taking cue from a stunt employed by certain Hollywood film, the makers had parked an ambulance outside New Excelsior for any exigency emerging to weak hearted viewers while watching the film. Sadly, the film didnt work at the box office but later caught on in the video circuit to emerge a cult classic. In one of his later interviews, RGV admitted that the publicity of film should've focused on its good content rather than the 70MM stereo. He remade Raat (with minor changes) as Bhoot in 2003 which became a super hit. But Raat will always remain special as the one which ushered in a new change in Hindi horror. Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

Pick anything out of Ramgopal Verma Part I and you will find a gem mostly, as was Raat, which to my mind is the best ever ghost movie Bollywood has produced. Revathi is the star of the show, stupendous acting, and the eeriness felt throughout is unmatched in even the directors's later movies. 8/10

The movie ,still, is creepy after all these years...this is a highly underrated work from rgv ,it is better than all his crime films combined. revathi gives a stellar performance...the movie is gripping till the end...i hope rgv revisits this genre athough 'bhooth nd icecream' shud be better ignored as aberrations...