Producer: Ashish Patil (for Y-Films) Director: Bumpy Cast: Star: Shraddha Kapoor, Taaha Shah, Shenaz Treasuryvala, Jannat Zubair Rahmani

MUMBAI: Some of the major studios have launched sister concerns to promote new talent in acting as well as creative sides of film making. Made on limited budgets, these films assure a certain return from non-theatrical sources besides launching new talent. Luv Ka The End is one such film from Yash Raj Films stable, made under its Y-Films label.

Luv Ka The End is an all contemporary ‘love gone sour’ film which is youth oriented and deals with how gadgets and gizmos like cell phones and laptops are used for purposes other than normal communication needs.

Shraddha Kapoor is head over heels for Tahaa Shah, her high school mate. She would rather keep looking at him and dream about marrying him than concentrate on her exam paper. It is the eve of her 18th birthday and she agrees to Tahaa Shah’s idea of crowning the celebrations by sleeping together.

But before any such mishap happens, Sharaddha learns that Tahaa is a womaniser and she is just another conquest for him to top some billionaire club website which would award him 1000 points to take a virgin, innocent girl; all activities are duly uploaded on the website for all members to see and endorse. Livid on being cheated, Shraddha decides to get even with Tahaa rather than sulk and sob. Her two friends join her to help her achieve her goal. What comes out finally is an eventful birthday eve for Shraddha.

Written and treated as a no stress film, despite being a revenge film, it is mostly fun. If any comparison is to be made, it could be with Jane Fonda-Dolly Parton starring 9 to 5 where three working women join hands to get even with their boss. While Bumpy’s direction is good, the soul of the film is its dialogue, mostly mouthed by Pushtie Shakti, the girl playing Sharddha’s friend, Jugnoo. Shraddha Kapoor does well while Tahaa Shah is okay. Music needed to be better with a couple of catchy numbers instead of noise. Supporting cast is okay with no one getting any scope to go overboard.

Luv Ka The End has opened with poor collections, thanks to new faces and lack of promotion, but can be expected to do better over the weekend.

 
  
                   A film that makes the most of technique

 

Producers: Vikram Bhatta, Arun Rangachary Director: Vikram Bhatt Cast: Mahaakshay Chakraborty, Tia Bajpai, Achint Kaur, Arif Zakaria, Mohan Kapoor, Sanjay Sharma

Horror films do not have many takers among Indian cinemagoers; their idea of a film being mainly to entertain and not strain. Also, the imagination of horror movie makers has stayed limited to a haunted house/haveli usually by someone betrayed.

Haunted 3-D is also one such film about a haunted house on a hill somewhere. The norms are set for such films and Haunted surely adheres to all of them, including staples of the genre like the old house, strange sounds, lights play and creaky fixtures. What sets Haunted apart from the usual formula horror films is that it is made in 3-D with Stereophonic sound (India’s first) and that certainly adds to the effects and efforts to scare.

Mahaakshay Chakraborty is in the process of completing a deal to sell a mansion on a hill side left incomplete by his estate agent father. But, he discovers that the place is haunted and decides to get rid of spirits before he can complete the deal. The usual story follows dating back eight decades.

With no novelty in story, the film makes the most of technique, 3D and stereo sound and comes into its own in the last few reels leaving enough impact. Vikram Bhatt being a veteran does a good job with ample contribution by cinematographer Praveen Bhatt. Music, as is the need, is effective. Performances by Mahaakshay and Tia Bajpai are passable while the saving grace is Arif Zakaria and Achint Kaur. Rest are okay.

Haunted seems to have generated enough curiosity as India’s first 3D Stereophonic film to manage a decent opening, it being better at cinemas screening the 3D version.