1920 (2008) - Movie Review


Movie Name : 1920

Movie Cast : Rajneesh Duggal, Arjun Singh Rathod, Adah Sharma and Lisa Singh Rathod

Movie Director : Vikram Bhatt

Music Director : Adnan Sami

Rating : 4 / 5


If you think Ram Gopal Verma's Phookh scared you to the core, here is a film which will scare you left, right and centre. Vikram Bhatt's 1920 is the sole answer to Verma's Phookh throwing the latter nowhere in terms of horror flicks.

Vikram's 1920 is again an answer to his movie Raaz. People, who got on the edge of their seats while watching Raaz, can be rest assured that 1920 will certainly make them jump out of their seats.

The story encircles a Hindu boy Arjun (Rajneesh Duggal) and an Angelo Indian girl Lisa (Adah Sharma).How they go against their families and get married. Arjun is an architect and is given the biggest task of his life, to pull down a huge house and reconstruct it into a big hotel. Unfortunately there is something in the house which will not allow things to happen the way he wants. A mysterious story unfolds and it is soon realized that the house is haunted. Strange and inexplicable events start taking place. Unfortunately it is something to do with the heroine and then a series of mysteries unfold in gulping them too.

The first half moves like a limping horse, supported only by audio effects as a scaring material. Common unpleasant events take place like 1000 candles getting extinguished in a flick of second, unwanted and unpleasant whispering sounds, automatic operations of gramophone, etc.

But the film actually gallops when the spirit takes over the girl's body. Thereafter, incident after incident catches you unaware. The sequence at the nursing home, when the spirit talks to the doctor is worth a watch. Or recall the spirit's warning to the priest. The finale when Rajneesh chants Hanuman Chalisa is another highpoint.

The special effects of the movie are simply amazing and can give any Hollywood's film a run for money. Lisa climbing a 25 foot pillar backwards gives us a small portrayal of the king size special effects done. Rajneesh Duggal has done great justice to his role. Adah Sharma by her amazing performance has stunned everybody. She is for sure a promising actress and a reliable one too. As a debutant, Adah Sharma has given an amazing and outstanding performance. Anjori Alagh looks beautiful and leaves an impression in the second hour. Indraneel does well. Raj Zutshi (as the priest) is top notch. Vallabh Vyas (doctor) is as usual.

Pandit Jasraj, Asha Bhosle, Kailash Kher, etc have done great justice to the music of the film. The music is soothing to ears and has already made a place for itself in the charts.

Director, Vikram Bhatt has once again proved that he is the jack of all trades (in terms of horror flicks). The location of Yorkshire serves well to the periodic film. The castle chosen is in itself horrifying.

All in all, 1920 is simply horrifying and intensely made to give the audience a real view of proper and genuinely horror flicks. With stunning special effects, compared to those of Hollywood ones, is this the dawn of good horror flicks in the Indian Industry.

A Highly Recommended Movie.