Ram Gopal Verma's Factory does not seem to run out of anything. Films after films and experiments after experiments, 'Vaastu Shashtra' is the fourth venture this year and whatever has been the fate of all his films, there is something exceptional about Verma. He not only has faith in himself, he also has courage to keep on doing what he believes in. He loves the horror genre like a child loves chocolate. His films 'Raat' and 'Bhoot', which were his passions, may not have clicked with the ghastly and ghostly audience who love ghosts on screen but his latest protégé Saurabh Usha Narang (another director who adds his mother's name with his name, the first one being Sanjay Leela Bhansali) succeeds in what his mentor failed not once but twice. 'Vaastu Shashtra' gets along with the catchy line, 'If 'Bhoot' sacred you, this one will kill you.'
They have also published statutory warning with the ad of the film, 'Producers are not responsible for the consequences while watching this film.' All said and done, 'Bhoot' in fact did not succeed to be a scared-to-death one, so getting 'killed' was out of question. The end result of 'Vaastu Shashtra' is that it never scares you. It may not have an excellent and a novel story line but the way debutant director Saurabh Usha Narang (he made an impressive serial named 'Haqeeqat' few years back) has handled the subject, 'Vaastu Shashtra' not only leaves an impression that boasts of a good narrator in him but it also sets a path in Hindi Cinema that many are going to follow soon.
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'Vaastu Shashtra' is set in the outskirts of a crowded city. Chakravarthy plays Viraag who is a writer and has a plum assignment from a publisher. As he needs peace to complete his work, he shifts to a lonely house in a nearby locality. His wife Jhilmil (Sushmita Sen) is a doctor and the family has a cute little boy Rohan. The couple is busy with their work and the little boy has not much to do he neither has friends around nor has he a playground nearby.
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So, what does he do? He sets about to explore the mansion and the area surrounding it. He encounters new faces that are visible only to him. In the meantime, the couple hires a maid who is more a thief than a caretaker of Rohan. The child notices it and tells the maid that he will divulge everything to his parents. The maid threatens. Rohans parents do not believe him. Rohan's friends do not like the way, the maid behaves with him. Then she is found dead next morning on the road. Police recover stolen belongings, which were actually stolen from the couple's house.
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They are in a dilemma now whether to believe Rohan or not. One night when Rohan asks his parents to take him for a movie, Jhilmil's sister (Peeya Chaudhary) invited her boy friend (Purab) to this place. They try to make the most romantic out of it and erotic too but their love story ends tragically as both of them see the cruel face of fate. Everyone is disturbed now. Police Officer (Sayaji Shinde) too is perplexed, he deputes his men at the mansion, but it is too late. Jhilmil comes to know about the reality of the mansion from a mad man (Raghuvir Yadav). It is too late. Viraag too starts to believe what Rohan says, he even starts seeing the unknown people in his new mansion, and it is really too late.
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The film is Saurabh Usha Narang's from the start till it finishes. He has matched the experience of likes of Chakravarthy and Sushmita Sen with the rawness of Peeya and Purab. The story moves on... Actually it is the story line that is supreme. The surroundings where the story is set comes to help the narration and above all camera piece has worked wonders, making one see the film from his perspective. Saurabh seems to have gone deep before the actual shoot. He has created an adequate set up for the film. 'Vaastu Shashtra' as an horror film where most of the things take place very smoothly and even then it scares you. The sequences of finding Rohan on the branches of the tree in midnight is very well executed sequence and even Peeya's meeting with Purab in candle light home is well penned and well planned. The little child who plays Rohan gets all the support from the lead performers.
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'Vaastu Shashtra' does not have any song and films like this hardly have any good ones, (from the past experience). There is hardly any scope for songs. Veterans of the genre may not agree with this but every time you see a white chiffon clad woman singing a haunting song it gives you a feel of watching a horror movie, whereas 'Vaastu Shashtra' is not. It is closer to reality. The basic plot of 'Vaastu Shashtra' may be similar to 'Bhoot' or many may find some sort of resemblance with Sixth Sense, it would seem unfair judging the credentials of a new director on the move.
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Saurabh has been successful in extracting very fine performances from his performers and Sushmita Sen can feel proud about adding another film to her catalogue. In fact, it is her progression that keeps her a step ahead of her contemporary Aishwarya Rai. 'Vaastu Shashtra' is a must see for those who have not seen befitting horror films since a long time…..and don't worry …paisa wasool,
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