Marks

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DES682A: DESIGN PROJECT II

Instructor: Dr. Ritwij Bhowmik
Design Program, IIT Kanpur
Semester: 2018 –2019 (II)

FILM-APPRECIATION:
TASK No. 1 (5 Marks)
FILM NAME: Darna Mana Hai

STUDENT INFORMATION

Name: - Shubham Khatri

Roll No: - 18119006

Department/Program: - M. Des, Design Programme

E-mail: - sbmkh@iitk.ac.in
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1. Write the “Movie Details” – Title of the film, director, script/story writer, release date,
country, language, and length of the film.

Title of the film: Darna Mana Hai

Director: Prawaal Raman
Script/Story writer: Atul Sabharwal, Rajnish Thakur, Abbas
Tyrewala
Release date: July 25, 2003
Country: India
Language: Hindi
Length of the film: 121 Minutes

2. Why do you think it is a good example of movies of this genre?

A movie to be termed as a horror movie when it has an element of negative emotional reaction from
viewers by playing on audience primal fears. Here for this movie, is a good example for horror. This
movie comprises of seven different stories. And through all these stories in altogether have
successfully exploited five basic primal fears of the audience.

The movie justifies it being a horror as it satisfies most of the basic characteristics of a horror i.e.
involving a supernatural being, intrusion of evil forces, using witch crafty. The directors in some plots
of the movie have successfully made the horror a realistic to make it more horror just in accordance
to the thumb rule “More realistic, more horror.”

Apart from these exploiting primal fears the supporting elements like cinematography, sound effects
and existing beliefs of the society were utilized in the movie to add on to the horror.

3. How the movie of your discourse complies with the genre conviction?

The movie is divided into 7 plots, one main and 6 sub stories. I have summarized
some of the plots and provided an explanation for the same as follows: -
Plot 1: - On the Way
The main story spins around a wedded couple, Karan (Sohail Khan) and Anjali (Antara Mali), who
stall out amidst a forest. After their vehicle suddenly stop, Karan gets out to research the issue. After
his vanishing and his consistent sobs for assistance from the destroyed timberland, Anjali gets out
and keeps running into the backwoods to protect him. She discovers Karan's light canvassed in
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blood and is stalked by a concealed individual or otherworldly being. Freezing, Anjali goes around
and finds a hand connecting of a marsh. She at that point winds up startled to find that the hand is
wearing a watch indistinguishable to her husband's. After fizzled endeavors to protect him, the hand
vanishes. Somebody crawls up on her and as Anjali shouts, it ends up being Karan. Karan appears
to be typical and fine while Anjali, whining, endeavors to reveal to him that she heard him shouting.
In any case, Karan discloses to her that he heard her shouts from the forest when he went to recover
water. She takes a gander at the light she discovered, which is abruptly spotless of the blood it was
canvassed in. She at that point hustles back to the vehicle with Karan, instructing him to get them
both out of there. After rapidly settling the vehicle issue with the water, Karan and the terrified Anjali
move into the vehicle and drive off. In the wake of seeing Anjali's restless and stressed state, Karan
puts his arm around her as she inclines toward him and shuts her eyes. He at that point smiles and
investigates the rearview reflection of the vehicle, in which his appearance isn't noticeable and Anjali
is by all accounts inclining toward nothing.

Explanation: - Here in the movie when the scene begins Karan tries to scare his wife Anjali. He
does so by turning off the headlights of his car. This seriously scares Anjali not just because she
had any pre-implants of any supernatural creature but also because she was afraid of any mis
happening that might occur because of this action of Karan. When she passes through the forest it
triggers the first and foremost primal “fear of death.” Also we can see here that there was a “fear
of mutilation” through Anjali as she sees a hand getting sunk into quicksand.

In Another scene of this plot we can see that when Karan screams to her, she is afraid he is in
danger and thus runs towards him and there she sees his torch canvased with is blood (of course)
and then she sees a hand sinking in quicksand with his wristwatch. She is unable to help him. Here
the movie seems to be exploiting the primal “fear of separation”, but when Karan returns, we sigh
a relief that it might me some supernatural creature but at least as of now Karan is safe and they
leave unscathed. It is then when Karan looks into the mirror when he is seen to be missing. Thus,
horrifying the audience again. With the fear of existence of a supernatural creature near to the
subject here Anjali.

The Plot here is somewhat horrifying as the cinematography does its work. We can see that death
by a Quicksand pool is obvious and no evidence of any supernatural stuff was seen before the last
scene.
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Plot 2: - No Smoking
The second story is about a photographer, Anil (Saif Ali Khan), who registers with a motel while on
his way to Mumbai. The chief and proprietor (Boman Irani) of the hotel is an unusual and erratic
man who demands that smoking is firmly denied in his motel. At the point when Anil endeavors to
go outside for a smoke, the man limits him, educating him regarding the maladies that join smoking.
The proprietor at that point locks Anil inside the cabin and reveals to him that in only months, he can
fix his smoking dependence. The proprietor takes Anil to a storm cellar of sorts and shows him
heaps of dead bodies, disclosing to him that he attempted to stop them however these individuals
would not quit smoking. Following a couple of months, Anil is presently observed working at the
hotel, acting weird and erratic himself. At the point when a client strolls in smoking and approaches
him for a room, Anil reveals to him that smoking is firmly disallowed. At the point when the client
shows lack of interest, Anil continues to shoot the man with a firearm. The story closes with Anil and
the proprietor sitting together, grinning, and viewing an advertisement about the impacts of smoking.

After this story, a second companion in the gathering around the campfire goes to the vehicle
searching for a cover. When she leaves, the body of the previously leaving companion appears
mutilated by an unknown. The second young lady is pursued around the forest, got, and wounded
by the unknown.

Explanation: - Here in this plot the main idea to make it horror was to touch the primal fear of
“Death of Ego,” as the central character/ subject Saif Ali Khan is addicted to smoking and the
secondary character here being weird and strange makes the scene intense.

Also, when the character shows the dead bodies of the people who did not followed his advice,
triggering the “Fear of mutilation” among the audience of their subject.

This plot of the movie is basically a psychological horror because of the strange behavior of the
owner.

The film in this plot has worked quite good on the expectation part reason being in the previous part
it had shown a supernatural force inaction, to which being an audience I was expecting this part to
be another act of supernatural being but it turns out to be a psychological horror. Its kind of becomes
successful in holding the audience to their chairs by making this part unpredictable.
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Plot 3: - Homework
The third story is that of a teacher (Raghubir Yadav). He goes up against an understudy, Pramila,
who is constantly rebuffed for not finishing her homework. One day when the instructor requests
that her hold out her hand for discipline (expecting she didn't get her work done), the understudy
delivers her homework. Yet, her homework evokes an unusual response from the instructor. Regular
after this, the occurrence rehashes itself making the instructor progressively on edge. Upon a
recommendation from a collaborator that she may get assistance from guardians or an educational
cost, the educator calls upon Pramila's mom. She denies about helping her girl. He at that point gets
some information about the Om sign Pramila draws on each page of her homework. The mother
disregards it which powers the instructor to drop the theme. Afterward, he chooses to go to Pramila's
home. The instructor stands up to her and he clarifies that he once killed his clever companion called
Varun in envy and thinks Pramila is a rebirth of his companion. He says that he attracted the Om
sign to demonstrate it. He understands he is slipping into madness and leaves saying 'sorry' In
transit back home, he is stood up to by the soul of his cherished companion Varun, who tells him,
"You are not crazy [yet]. Be that as it may, you will be." By the following morning, the instructor loses
his rational soundness and he continues jotting fundamental arithmetic out and about.

Explanation: - The plot here again changes it direction form psychological horror to this time
supernatural horror. Here the kind of primal fear exploited is basically in indirect form. The director
has tried to scare the audience by using the most basic “fear of death” and to some extent “fear
of autonomy” here. The fear of death was conveyed by the prime actor Raghubir Yadav when he
is afraid of his student Pramila completing his homework. Here Pramila is thought to be inhibited by
some evil supernatural being, which wants to kill him. All of this was conveyed through the
expressions of the actor. Also, it was never shown what was written on the notebook, after which
the teacher got frightened, I guess this was done to spike up the suspense.

This part of the movie can also be said to be of a psychological horror, as the teacher goes crazy
when his students are completing the homework, which isn’t obvious. Also, when he tries to sneak
through the house to see what’s happening, he trespasses the student’s house. All these activities
led to development of the fact that he is losing his mental balance, which he eventually does.

Plot 4: - Apples
The fourth story centers around a homemaker (Shilpa Shetty), who goes to a market and runs over
a seller moving apples for Rs. 20 when contrasted with every other person moving apples at Rs. 60.
She purchases the apples from the seller (Rajpal Yadav) yet his disposition and conduct agitate her.
When she returns home, her significant other (Sanjay Kapoor) eats one of the apples and thinks
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that its scrumptious. The spouse stresses that something may transpire in the wake of eating the
apples, as she harbors doubts about the merchant. The following morning, when she awakens, she
is stunned to discover an apple beside her rather than her husband. In a while she notices that each
and every individual has eaten the apple has transformed into an apple. The merchant at that point
shows up with a shrewd look, offering her his last apple for nothing.

Explanation: - The plot here turns from the supernatural intrusion to black magic and such evil
stuffs. Here the subject buys apples and realizes that something is wrong with the apples. Here
comes the exploitation of first primal fear i.e. “fear of losing autonomy.”

4. What ideology/doctrine/propaganda/notion was conveyed through the

film?
The major ideologies/propaganda conveyed through the movie are:

a. Ghosts are real. Main Plot, Plot 1, and Plot 5

In the main plot towards the end scene we see that along with the serial killer, rest 6 people
have died and are sitting next to their dead bodies. They are here shown to be invisible to
the people around them. Their existence goes unnoticed.

Counter to this in plot 1 and plot 5 the ghostly existence is noticed and is shown to be visible
to people around them.

b. Extreme Psychopaths
Boman Irani, as the owner is shown here to be a psychopath here. He is so adamant about
keeping people away from smoking. He does this either by hook or by crook. This can be
shown as when he locks the hotel and points a revolver at the tenant asking him to quit
smoking. Another point of him being an extremist is when he shows him the dead bodies, he
had stored in the basement of those who didn’t quit smoking when he asked them to do so.

Also, from the main plot which runs parallel to these stories we can see that the serial killer
confesses that he has killed all the previous people who went out and after that he kills the
guy next to him.

Here we can clearly see that Both the characters are an extreme psychopath and aren’t afraid
of committing murders with no serious intensions.
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c. Plot 3: - Reincarnations
The belief of reincarnation can be seen getting firm from the movie’s plot 3 Homework
where the teacher is afraid that suddenly, his student Pramila is completing her homework
and on top of her page she writes “Om”. He on seeing this is frightened as it reminds him of
his previous sin, which he committed when he was in his second standard.

Here, we come to know that he is afraid that Pramila is possessed by the spirit of his dear
friend Varun, which he killed when he was of her age. Evidently proving the concept of
reincarnation.

d. Black Magic
When our subject here Shilpa Shetty hears that he is selling at 10 Rs a kg, she gets
offended and asks him why he sold her at 20 Rs, he returns her an evil smile which
upsets her. She senses something strange. That’s why she comes to home and
donates one apple to a beggar in front of his house. Also, she tried to keep those
apples away from her husband as she suspected something is wrong. Although this
doesn’t give away the fact of black magic but it triggers a reaction making audience
think what’s with the apple, which settles when towards the end part of the plot.

5. How it carried such matter (continuation form Question 4). Provide a scene to support
your theory.
a. Ghosts are real: -
In part 1, in the last scene when we see that Karan has returned. But as soon as
camera cuts to the review mirror Anjali is seen to be inclined to nothing, symbolizing
that Karan is no more alive rather his ghost is driving the car and is with Anjali. His evil
smile although frightens audience but also leaves them in dilemma of whether they
should now be afraid about the subject or not as she is with her love but the love is
now a ghost.
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As the game is entirely of the screen play , attached here a screenshot to support the
above explanation.

In plot 5 when the driver asks his co passenger to get off the car and the lift (Nana
Patekar) tells him that he isn’t a ghost rather it was a prank and his friends are coming
and was part of a shoot. To this the driver replies,

Driver:- Mai janta tha ki tum bhoot nahi ho.

Actor:- Kaise?
Driver:- Kyuki mai bhoot hun or John bhoot gayab hota hai.

And then with a road kind of sound the camera closes and when it opens the actor is
found dead on his seat and the driver is missing, clearly leaving audience with the fact
that ghosts do exist and are real.

b. Black Magic Practise:

This can be observed in plot 4 when she asks her husband whether he ate
any of those apples and he replies in affirmations to which she responds as
Wife:- Tumhe maine seb khane se mana kiya tha na
Husband:- Lekin kyun ?
Wife:- Wo mai kisi aur ke liye layi thi.
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At this moment the audience realizes that there is something wrong with the
apple, which gets confirmed at the later part of the story when the subject
realizes that eating that apple has made everyone an apple. Thus, confirming
some evil practice most probably Black magic.

c. Reincarnation: -
The teacher was afraid of his student getting incident from the movie when
he arrives to their house saying

Mother:- Aap itni raat ko Pramila ka homework dekh ne aaye hain.

Mr. Panday: - Nahi, mai dekhna chahta hun ki koi uski madad kar raha hai
kya?

From the above dialogue the teacher is afraid of something unknown yet.

Another incident dialogue when Raghubir Yadav confesses his crime to

Pramila’s mother

Mother:- Aap Kehna kya chahte hain.

Mr. Panday:- Pramila phele homework nahi karti thi, ab karti hai. Or wo apne
notebook ke har panne pe Om bhi likhti hai. Varun bhi apni notebook ke har
panne pe Om likhta tha.

The above dialogue clearly indicates the audience that his friend Varun has
reincarnated through his student Pramila and is there to take his revenge of
his death.

6. Identify the primary audience base for this film.

The primary audience for this film is the Bollywood movie fans basically Hindi speaking audience.
To attract more audience the film features actors like Nana Patekar, Sanjay Kapoor ,Sohail Khan
,Saif Ali Khan, Shilpa Shetty, Vivek Oberoi ,Raghuvir Yadav,Rajpal Yadav, Boman Irani,
Sushant Singh.
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The plot uses almost all primal fears and has a flavor of supernatural, body, romantic, psychological
horror, to make it suitable for almost all kind of horror movie lovers.

The movie seems suitable up and above the age of 12. The act of bloodshed, murders might be
disturbing for some people but works fine with the movie genre.

5. Any other analysis/statement that you want to contribute to help your discourse.

There aren’t evil spirits shown in the movie but the use of scenes, sounds, and cinematography has
made the movie a good horror, at least to the Indian context.

The movie tries to be as realistic as possible and some of the parts like homework and on the way
were successful in doing so.

Another point is the main story line could have been more horror rather than being a direct.