Covering Bollywood and the Hindi Cinema

Ram Gopal Varma after the debacle of Aag last week is back again with Darling. Fortunately for him Darling doesn’t suffer the same fate as Aag and has been getting positive reviews. Here is a review of the movie by Taran Adarsh

it’s difficult to slot DARLING in any one category. It's eerie, it's humorous, it has the song-n-dance routine [well knitted in the plot], it doesn't belong to any particular genre. Actually, DARLING is a novel experience since Hindi films have rarely combined horror and comedy -- two diverse ingredients -- in one film. Trust RGV to think out of the box and fortunately, it works!

The eerie moments before the ghost appears don't make you break into a cold sweat, but they do make your heart beat faster. Similarly, there're ample moments in the narrative [Fardeen, Isha visiting the hospital to meet Zakir Hussain; also Isha wanting to make love to Fardeen on their anniversary and the ghost is watching it all] that are thoroughly interesting. The final scene, of course, is a brilliant stroke, with the viewer not being prepared for the turn of events.

In a nutshell, RGV can heave a sigh of relief this weekend. Last weekend was dark and depressing, this weekend should bring in sunshine for this maverick film-maker.
The USP of DARLING is its unpredictability. Had it been an out-and-out horror flick, you'd have guessed the sequence of events sooner or later. Had it been the story of a man torn between two women, again, it wouldn't have taken much time to guess what's in store next. But RGV steers clear of predictable stuff from the start itself.

Fardeen Khan is a revelation. The actor catches you with complete surprise as he enacts a difficult role with panache. Esha Deol is excellent in a role that's nothing short of a challenge. It would've boomeranged had it been entrusted to any inferior actor, but Esha is in terrific form here. This should be the turning point in her career. Isha Koppikar doesn't have much to do in the first half, but more than makes her presence felt in the second hour.

Upendra Limaye is fantastic. And so is his colleague [a character called Malati]. Zakir Hussain is superb.On the whole, DARLING is a well-made product that will find flavor with the multiplex audience mainly. Has the merits to grow with word of mouth!