The horror genre has made great strides in the West and new concepts have been experimented to maintain interest in the genre. Bollywood, however, has lagged behind. Most horror movies follow the template set by game changer RAAZ [2002]. But now, Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions is set to unveil BHOOT: PART ONE: THE CHARMING SHIP, and it promises to be a one-of-a-kind horror movie. Additionally, it stars Vicky Kaushal, who has become extremely popular following the box office success of her latest film, URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE. [2019]. So, BHOOT: PART ONE – THE ENCHANTED BOAT manages to scare the viewers? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyze
BHOOT: PART ONE: THE ENCHANTED BOAT is the story of a man facing a terrifying situation while fighting the horrors of his past. The year is 2012. Prithvi (Vicky Kaushal) is a widower who lost his wife Sapna (Bhumi Pednekar) and daughter Megha in a strange accident. He is depressed and is avoiding medication. In the midst of all this, an abandoned ship called Sea-Bird is stranded on Juhu Beach in Mumbai. Prithvi works for a shipping company that is asked to bring this ship to the sea as soon as possible. On his first visit to the ship, strange things happen and it makes him feel like the ship is inhabited.
However, it does go through your hallucinations and side effects of your mental state. However, subsequent visits assure you that all this is not the product of your imagination. During the third visit, he sees a girl in the ship’s hull. He also comes across log books and some videotapes dating back to 2001. Looking at the tapes, he realizes that the captain’s wife (Meher Vij) and daughter Meera were also present on the ship. Little by little, Prithvi realizes that the girl he found on the ship is Meera. He returns to the ship and this time is face to face with Meera. But this time, she is in a ghostly avatar. What happens next forms the rest of the movie.
Bhanu Pratap Singh’s story is decent and could have been a terrible scare. Bhanu Pratap Singh’s script, however, is not impressed overall. You get the gear ratio right in a few scenes. Even in the main story, things are barely convincing. Bhanu Pratap Singh’s dialogues are passable.
Bhanu Pratap Singh’s direction is nothing great. He makes good use of his knowledge to create a terrifying atmosphere. Some scenes are well executed. But most of the scenes fail to impress. Problems start in the first 15 minutes when a random couple is shown venturing into the huge ship undetected and playing hide and seek. The ship is ten stories high and this information is given by the manufacturers themselves a few minutes before this scene.
But it is not explained how the lovers manage to go up to the deck, which is at such a height. This scene actually gave a clear indication that logic and common sense will not be the strengths of this movie. And indeed, the absurdities continue in the second half, especially the climax. Many questions remain unanswered and will surely baffle viewers when they leave theaters.
BHOOT: PART ONE: THE ENCHANTED BOAT begins on a fair note as Prithvi’s past is shown and what transpired on the ship in 2001 looms. The first half doesn’t have much of a history as such, but it keeps you intrigued as the atmosphere of fear is well created. Some jump scares also serve the purpose. The interval comes at a great point. After the interval, there is some movement in the story and you really get to know where the movie is headed.
Still, there are some unwanted scenes, like Prithvi imagining that he is talking to his dead daughter on the bank of a river. On the positive side, the scene in the church is excellent and one hopes that the film will reach its highest point from here. Sadly, the climax is riddled with cliches and flawed developments that completely kill joy.
BHOOT – Part One The Haunted Ship | Public review | Vicky Kaushal | First day First show
Speaking of performances, Vicky Kaushal is in great shape. He looks very handsome and acts well, without exaggerating in any scene. Bhumi Pednekar is decent in a cameo. Ashutosh Rana (Professor Joshi) is fine and gives one a déjà vu of his previous performance at RAAZ. Her character, unfortunately, gets a raw deal in the end. Akash Dhar (Riyaz) plays Prithvi’s best friend and has an important role. It’s decent but, again, it doesn’t have much to do later. Meher Vij has an excellent screen presence, but his performance suffers due to poor writing. Sanjay Gurbaxani (Agnihotri) is average. The actor who plays Amar looks a little creepy, which works well. The actors who play Meera and Megha do it very well.
Akhil Sachdeva’s music has no scope. ‘Channa Ve’ is played on opening credits. Ketan Sodha’s background score is horrible and it works. Pushkar Singh’s cinematography captures the mood very well. Aditya Kanwar’s production design is top-notch. The abandoned ship is especially well designed. The costumes of Natashcha Charak and Nikita Raheja Mohanty are realistic. Vikram Dahiya’s action is sharp and takes away its authenticity. The Redefine VFX is top-notch and adds to the horror factor. The Bodhaditya Banerjee edit is dragging and could have been sharper. Ideally, this movie shouldn’t have lasted more than 90 minutes.
Overall, BHOOT: PART ONE: THE ENCHANTED BOAT suffers from a half storyline and flawed narrative that leaves viewers confused. The end result is completely unconvincing, save for a few scenes that provide some chills. At the box office, it will be rejected by the public. Disappointing!
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She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.