Horror genre no longer carry the stigma of a B-grade outing delivering ample skin show under the hoods (yup, read that Ramsays). Thanks to continuous patronage from industry stalwarts like Ramgopal Varma and Vikram Bhatt who elevated the genre to a different level. Over period of time the horror genre has developed a substantial fan-base in India and movies like "Kaalo" precisely caters to this niche audience.
Using darkness is a standard scare tactic in any horror/ slasher movie. The USP of "Kaalo" is the ability to send the shiver down the spine in the broad daylight (the term "scaring the living daylights was never so apt!). This in itself deserves a big kudos!!
The characterisation of "Kaalo" bears resemblance to quite a few. The underground movements are akin to "Screamers". The flight and swoop is inspired from "Jeepers Creepers". In close-up it bears similarity to "Darth Maul" (hey, no complaints!!). Introducing "Kaalo" to the audience seemed rushed. And yes, the weapon used by "Kaalo" is quite unique.
The sepia tone neatly blends into the deserted sandy backgrounds of Rajasthan. Camera work is one of the important tool in horror movie and in the case of "Kaalo" the DOP has done a fine job. Background score is kept at optimum level not loud or jarring. The CGI adequate considering the budgetary constraints. The editing gives a slick feel to the movie though there was scope to calibrate it at few places. And yes, attempting Indiana Jones to recover the cap and the ball of wool when your pants are on fire was silly.
The only major shortcoming I found was the lack of depth in the characters. For instance the protagonist barely has an introduction. The honeymoon couple & the photo shoot couple hardly strikes a chord with the audience. Same with the priest and the rest of the star-cast. Coen Brothers/ Guy Ritchie/ Tarantino have displayed histrionics in this regard and our very own Ramgopal Varma/ Vishal Bharadwaj/ Anurag Kashyap have pushed the envelope.
Performance wise Swini Khara was good. Its good to see the "Cheeni Kum" girl after a long gap. I consider Aditya Shrivatsava to be a powerhouse of talent and found the potential was not tapped. Aditya Lakhia was okay'ish. The Laloo accent conductor linger in the head for a while. Paital as usual was dependable.
Lack of publicity made "Kaalo" get lost in incognito (sad!). Nonetheless a definite watch for a horror enthusiast! Looking forward to your next outing Mr. Wilson Louis.
PS: Its "Bombay to Goa" on the road to hell!!
Using darkness is a standard scare tactic in any horror/ slasher movie. The USP of "Kaalo" is the ability to send the shiver down the spine in the broad daylight (the term "scaring the living daylights was never so apt!). This in itself deserves a big kudos!!
The characterisation of "Kaalo" bears resemblance to quite a few. The underground movements are akin to "Screamers". The flight and swoop is inspired from "Jeepers Creepers". In close-up it bears similarity to "Darth Maul" (hey, no complaints!!). Introducing "Kaalo" to the audience seemed rushed. And yes, the weapon used by "Kaalo" is quite unique.
The sepia tone neatly blends into the deserted sandy backgrounds of Rajasthan. Camera work is one of the important tool in horror movie and in the case of "Kaalo" the DOP has done a fine job. Background score is kept at optimum level not loud or jarring. The CGI adequate considering the budgetary constraints. The editing gives a slick feel to the movie though there was scope to calibrate it at few places. And yes, attempting Indiana Jones to recover the cap and the ball of wool when your pants are on fire was silly.
The only major shortcoming I found was the lack of depth in the characters. For instance the protagonist barely has an introduction. The honeymoon couple & the photo shoot couple hardly strikes a chord with the audience. Same with the priest and the rest of the star-cast. Coen Brothers/ Guy Ritchie/ Tarantino have displayed histrionics in this regard and our very own Ramgopal Varma/ Vishal Bharadwaj/ Anurag Kashyap have pushed the envelope.
Performance wise Swini Khara was good. Its good to see the "Cheeni Kum" girl after a long gap. I consider Aditya Shrivatsava to be a powerhouse of talent and found the potential was not tapped. Aditya Lakhia was okay'ish. The Laloo accent conductor linger in the head for a while. Paital as usual was dependable.
Lack of publicity made "Kaalo" get lost in incognito (sad!). Nonetheless a definite watch for a horror enthusiast! Looking forward to your next outing Mr. Wilson Louis.
PS: Its "Bombay to Goa" on the road to hell!!