Thanks to Ekta Kapoor and her team, Horror/ thriller
cinema has a new face- ‘Ragini MMS,’ and it’s nothing like the age-old
Ramsay staple. This film under review is a low budget, starless venture
but that is not a handicap at all. Despite the recent downers at the
box-office low-budget films continue to be made and there are quite a
few of them creating a buzz. Foremost among them, ‘Ragini MMS’ with a
budget of just over a crore and just two characters played by little
known fresh faced actors, does the trick with a great deal of
conviction and pizzaz. The central idea looks similar to that of the
sleeper hit “paranormal Activity’ but you cant take away the credit for
sheer distinctive effort translating into a film that appears
thematically different from it’s inspiration and also keeps you glued
to your seats right to the very end.
Ragini(Kainaz Motivala) and her boyfriend Uday(Raj Kumar Yadav) plan a
dirty weekend getaway in a isolated bungalow in Dahanu.
Uday a wannabe actor has been convinced by his mentor Punditji to film
the action so that he could sell it via the internet. So Uday carries a
handycam and the unsuspecting Ragini buys his deceit without question.
Once at the getaway and with all the technology set-up and working, the
two lovebirds engage in several sessions of heavy petting. In between
they are plagued by an unholy presence that keeps interrupting their
weekend fun. The gore rises as friends and other holiday seekers are
murdered.
Director Pavan Kripalani dots the narrative with interesting and
intense moments. The atmosphere turns eerie gradually and the
characters are spontaneous in their reaction to the fear factor
inherent the desolate bungalow. Ragini is framed as a fragile looking
independent girl who might seem a bit uppity, but she knows her own
mind and is quietly expressive about her sexual needs. Uday on the
other hand is a crass desi who is unashamed to wear his libido on his
sleeve and unafraid to speak a lingo liberally dotted with cuss words .
The two make an unlikely couple and it’s clear right from the start
that they are in it together for the fun of it. Both characters typify
the urban demographic in cities of today and are therefore quite easy
to identify with. The scares are built up with a lot of care and the
music makes the experience just that little bit more daunting. When the
ghost begins to make her presence felt , it’s time to race to the
climax with a lot of blood letting. Of course quite a few of the scares
were predictable, the music heralding their appearance before the
actual occurrence. The scariest bit though is the fact that the couple
are so vulnerable and alone. It makes for a great set-up. The grainy
tones, camera-in camera set-up and dark atmosphere lend a great deal of
authenticity to the entire experience. The pure reactive performances
of the two lead actors added to the gravity and charm of the unique
experience. Watch it for sure!
Rating: * * *
Johnson
Thomas
