Kaun? (1999) User Reviews

It happened one night... when RGV's brilliance sparkled!

[Peter_Young · 8/10 · 15 July 2009]

Ram Gopal Varma is according to me one of the finest filmmakers India has seen. The artistic excellence of his works, the originality of his scripts, and the general unique finesse of his style are extraordinary. "Kaun?" is one of his better works. It is a very unconventional Hindi film for its time (or even today). It is a small, relatively short thriller, and as a thriller, it is simply superb.

It is atypical in that it is only one hour-and-a-half long, it has no songs, there are only three characters, and the entire story takes place in one house during one rainy night. This may resemble in many ways Yash Chopra's classic Ittefaq, and Varma might have taken some inspiration from Chopra's classic, but mind you, just inspiration; "Kaun?" is very much a film of its own.

The story develops at a steady pace and focuses the viewer's attention on every tiny detail. The background score, the taut, unpredictable script, the fairly peculiar characters, all contribute to the film's suspenseful mood. Every scene in the film is relevant, interesting and thrilling, never letting the viewer get distracted for even one minute right until the rather shocking end.

The film's main protagonist is played by the absolutely fantastic Urmila Matondkar, who displays fear, confusion and total madness through her ever so intense facial expressions and body language to create a memorably ambiguous and freaky lady. The two co-actors support well, and it's rather unusual to see the wonderful Manoj Bajpai playing the typical moronic fellow.

"Kaun?" is an honest attempt by Varma which works very well for various reasons. The film provides chilling entertainment, and its intensely dark proceedings as well as its surprising ending make it one of the greatest thrillers made in Hindi cinema in recent times. Sadly, not enough films of this sort are being made in India, and when they are, they get little notice. A must-watch.

Loved this movie! What Hollywood is missing is this!

[gokashilean · 9/10 · 1 May 2003]

After watching his film COMPANY, I thought I should check out another Ram Gopal Varma film. I found this obscure film of his, KAUN? With only three characters credited, I wasn't really sure what to expect. Boy was I surprised, in a somewhat typical plot that really doesn't go anywhere, there is humor, wit and solid character development. It's a small film that resonated even stronger with me than COMPANY. The woman Urmila is fantastic in the girl-woman role and she truly is quite remarkable. In a film like this, it shows how much the director has a part in shaping the project. This movie just on plot would have been nothing, but Varma's direction is first rate and it shows. An interesting Indian film for sure, without any songs, the film is still somewhat Bollywood with the forced elements.

Simply Superb, mind blowing

[ajugeorge2001 · 9/10 · 28 January 2006]

"Kaun" is the classic "Who is the murderer?" Urmila is alone in her house on a rainy night. The TV news warns that a serial killer is on the prowl. Suddenly Manoj Bajpai knocks on the door . She is scared but he manages to convince her to let him in. After entering the house he behaves weirdly. He has a sinister look and she senses that Bajpai is the psychopath. Horrified she tries to escape but then Sushant appears. He too enters the house. The terrified Urmila with two strangers in her home does not know whom to trust while Sushant & Bajpai assumes the other as the serial killer. The shocked Urmila, now a prisoner in her own house waits for a brutal death,. It's the ending which truly astounds the viewer - the hallmark of a true classic. There are two corpses and one murderer (the serial killer).

"Kaun" is without doubt the best suspense film that has originated from Bollywood. Credit should be shared equally by the Director, Ram Gopal Verma and the script writer Anurag Kashyap. Urmila as the meek & terrified Ms Malhotra, and the menacing Manoj Bajpai are brilliant.

A must see, my rating is 9.5/10

Urmila all the way

[vijee_r2001 · 10/10 · 17 June 2005]

I am posting this review 6 years after watching this movie at Chennai's second rate theatre. Though I did watch this movie recently on DVD. I went to watch this movie just sheer out of ignorance as this movie did not have any publicity. I went to kill my time and was surprised by the movie. It is a great movie because of Urmila and Manoj Bajpai (Bhiku Matre of Satya). Both have acted well, and the Verma has build the errii atmosphere very well. Background score keeps you at the edge of your seat. This movie deviates from Ramsay world of horror movies and makes you feel as if you are watching best of bollywood horror movies. I must say Verma deserves kudos for making a brilliant movie. There will be very few who are not aware of the climax of the movie, but even then this movie deserves a watch. If otherwise, you are in for a surprise.

This movie haunted me

[dhruvdude · 4 January 2004]

I was 16 years old when I went to see kaun in theatre and because the movie was rate adult I had to buy the ticket in black but even then the theatre owner wouldn't let me go in and so I had to request him to let me go in and so he let me. All the trouble I took for watching kaun was worth it. The ending was so surprising that after watching kaun I couldn't sleep at night. What haunted me was Urmila's performance. She was absoloutely brilliant. This one of RGV's best movie and is a must watch for anyone who likes thriller movies. My rating - 10/10

value thy scriptwriter and director

[anjshaik · 10/10 · 18 December 2005]

Ram Gopal Varma and Anurag Kashyap make a good team when Ramu is the director and Anurag the writer this was was really a great movie a simple movie with a surprising ending that knocks you off the chair it's about a girl home alone and how she confronts the 2 intruders that come into the house Manoj Bajpai is a great actor provides humor and frightens us it's superior dumb fun at it's best Ramu is a good director and will always be the " WHO'S THAT" song at the beginning is very nice and fits the theme perfectly really a great movie with actors that have a hidden talent to act you just have to bring it out and the director and scriptwriter are just the people needed to bring out the hidden talent thumbs up to the writer and director hope you continue to entertain us the way you have

A Lonely women.... A Killer... One Rainy Day.... One Empty House

[utpal_das · 10/10 · 23 July 2006]

In one line.. The best Thriller from Bolly/ Hollywood. Yes! You have read it right. Not even Hollywood has ever done a movie with such a superb script. I am sure no one from Hollywood has seen the movie, coz if I was a producer, that would be the first thing I would do. Without giving anything away, just let me tell you, how much can you do with a real time movie, with just two characters inside a house and a radio which says that a killer is running free in the city. JUST WATCH IT! I saw it back in 1999-2000, and I saw it yesterday and though you know the ending, you just cant get out of the movie, its so gripping. Ram Gopal Verma is undoubtedly the best director India has right now (Shekhar Kapoor doesn't make Hindi movies). Its not your "keep your brains out" typical 'Mass' movie directed by the Johars & Chopras with the Khans running around the Zintas and Mukherjees, its a thinking man's movie. No matter who you are, if you are reading this which means you KNOW MOVIES, you will enjoy this movie.

Great thriller from RGV

[mbanwait · 8/10 · 3 June 2003]

Ram Gopal Varma is definitley my favourite indian film director. His movies are now highly anticipated in India similar to a Spielberg or Kubrick flick.

Kaun is only 90 minutes long, has no songs, only three characters and takes place entirely in one house. All Indian movie conventions are thrown out the door. But, Kaun may be one of the best cult movies to come out of India. (RGV also directed the amazing modern gangster classic Company in 2002)

Kaun could easily be made into a Hollywood ala the recent horror flick The Ring. I will not give away the ending, but suffice to say it will catch you off guard, blow you away but still leave your head scratching.

If RGV had added a few songs, some additional characters and a love story into the mix, Kaun may have had better recognition. But it would have also been a film much weaker in narrative scope. RGV has said many times that, he will only place songs in his movies if the situation warrants it (thats the reason for almost 7 songs in his film Rangeela, a story about a girl making it as a star in Bollywood)

If you have not seen Kaun, do yourself a favour and rent it, then watch all of RGV's films and see a true talented Indian filmaker, trying to elevate Bollywood commercial cinema to a new level

If you can sit through the first half hour, this is a great movie.

[Tintin a Tokyo · 7/10 · 5 November 2000]

The story is very simple: one afternoon a young woman (who just happens to be beautiful) is alone in her luxurious home. She learns from the TV news that a killer is on the loose and becomes nervous at being alone in the house. A heavy storm begins and a man turns up on her doorstep asking for shelter until the rain stops. Being far wiser than the average Hollywood heroine, she politely refuses to let the stranger in as long as she can. When she does let him in, his odd and threatening behaviour convinces her he is the murderer... until another odd and threatening man also turns up.

In any movie, the film-makers have an unspoken contract with the audience. For example, high-pitched violin music at a moment of tension in the story signifies that moment and reinforces it. Either something happens, or the director subverts expectations when something pointedly does not happen. Another example regarding camera technique is when all shots are from a very low angle looking upwards at characters, as in the Shining where the technique lends the constant apprehension that someone or something is about to strike from behind. Directors can play with such conventions and invent new ones, but the fact remains that there are rules as to their use, and abuse of those rules alienates the audience.

This is the reason I nearly didn't make it past the first half hour of Kaun without walking out. The first 30 minutes consist almost entirely of the young woman looking in closets, flinging open shower curtains and looking under the bed, while the musical score is reminiscent of the moments of greatest tension from movies like Aliens or 2001: A Space Odyssey. In those movies the score rises to a thrilling crescendo as, respectively, Ripley et al escape from the exploding terra-forming site, and Dave encounters the Monolith and it transports him to parallel universes. In those movies, the directors used the score to heighten the images and move the audience in conjunction with the story - they played by the rules.

In Kaun, the young woman has no reason to be scared (yet) and her behaviour is as psychotic as the murderer she fears (notez bien!). To have a blaring soundtrack raise and disappoint expectations so many times in a row outside any real plot context so early in the movie - it was tiring and annoying. In addition, first person shots of the "camera as murderer", racing up the stairs, in this part of the movie also failed to play by the rules when the young woman looks directly into the "eyes" of the camera, then still doesn't see and has to look under the bed. Tiring and annoying.

However, the movie begins to take off when the first stranger arrives. He doesn't look like a murderer, bespectacled and in his business suit. He could be a young Indian dotcom businessman the way he spouts English catch-phrases casually inbetween his Hindi - but then what does a murderer look like? He asks after a name the young woman doesn't know, although the address is correct. The woman tells him there is no-one by that name and he goes away, to come back in a couple of minutes, knocking again. And then again when he says he has locked himself out of his car. And then again for something to eat. And then again to complement the lady on her cheese sandwiches. And then again to watch MTV through the window, passing comments all the while. His behaviour becomes more and more hilarious and disturbing at the same time.

When he tricks his way inside, the audience, like the young woman is kept wavering between the two ideas that he is in fact the murderer, and that he is simply a man who wanted to get out of the rain. Is his increasingly erratic behaviour simply a response to hers, feeding off each other's paranoia? When the young woman is certain he is he murderer and runs from him to flee out the front door - there is another man waiting there. This one is somewhat dishevelled, butwhen she says the other man is a murderer, he reassuringly, and oddly, immediately levels a gun at the other man. This second man claims to be a policeman.

After the humour of the business-man standing outside in the rain asking to come in, then the fright once he was inside, the interaction of the two men, neither of whom can account for themselves convincingly, is once again a source of humour to the audience. Until, after both being held at gunpoint by the woman trying to argue their case, convinced the other is the murderer endangering himself and the woman, a brutal attack takes place, convincing the other one remaining that the attacker is the murderer and leading to a further circle of horror.

Without giving away the story, other facts become apparent, other attacks take place and another person, asking for the same name as the businessman asked after comes and goes. From a poor, overblown and heavyhanded beginning, Kaun (subtitled in Japanese as "Who?") develops into a fine pyscho-thriller which keeps the audience by turns amused, terrified and grasping at straws..

It's fair to compare Kaun to the original Scream in that they both add a new self-reflexive dimension to the horror-genre. However, what Scream accomplishes with improbable plot twists and snappy Friends-like characters and writing, Kaun achieves in a completely credible story with only three unfathomable characters and a single set.

This is a movie well worth watching on a stormy night with the lights out.

Great Suspence from RGV

[hutbay · 8/10 · 26 June 2003]

I have seen many RGV films and this one could be put as one of his best movies other than classic COmpany. If you haven't seen this movie, i will recommend this movie. This movie has no songs and running time of about 100 minutes. The first 20 or 30 minute of the film is kind of slow, so if you can make it through it you will be up for a plesant surprise. Great acting by Urmila and Manoj Bajpai.

4/5

Possibly Bollywood's Greatest Attempt in Psychological Thriller Genre but fizzled due to unrealistic and unplanned theory.

[SAMTHEBESTEST · 6/10 · 20 June 2020]

Kaun (1999) : Brief Review -

Possibly Bollywood's Greatest Attempt in Psychological Thriller Genre but fizzled due to unrealistic and unplanned theory. I still remember watching Alfred Hitchcock's thriller "Psycho" (1960) which is considered as One Of The Greatest Thriller of all time and Hitchcock's Best by Most people including me. RGV's Kaun came after 40 years and it was somehow familiar to it, not similar i said. The real killer in the film was a psycho but he always had plans, similarly the Killer in Kaun is also Psycho but lacks that planned vision. It was quite predictable though, don't know why but in first 30 minutes i knew that Urmila is the one because the circumstances were opposite to her and in most of the thrillers that opposite theory works. I don't want to spoil anything but i got many questions which are still unanswered after the film. Not to reveal much, after the end i just had first 30 minutes of the film in my mind and realised everything just happen coincidently whereas the real motive of the film was a Planned theory. Juust try to imagine in realistic conflicts what if Manoj and Sushant had not entered the house? What was the plan then? Why didn't Urmila kill them when she had gun? What did she do with the dead bodies? And lastly what about the famous Serial Killer? Where was he or she? These questions remains unanswered and Kaun somehow fizzles to gain a Cult status. Nevertheless, it is a Great attempt and possibly Bollywood's best attempt to achieve something in this genre. Urmila Matondkar and Manoj Bajpayee give outstanding performances. Sushant Singh does well in limited screenspace. BGM is good and promising but unnecessarily loud at many occassions. RGV could have made this much better and more logical thriller set in realistic theories but let it be. His diversionsal vision couldn't keep it concerning to the real content in the first half but covered a lot in the second half. Overall, Kaun is a Fine thriller and a top class for those who haven't seen many classics in this genre.

RATING - 6/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Your Vice Is A Locked Door...And Only I Have The Key.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 10/10 · 8 April 2012]

Despite my intro to his work being the 2007 movie which would lead to him getting the "badge of honour" of being the first Bollywood director to have a film on the IMDb's "bottom 100" list, I have always been interested in taking a look at the films of Ram Gopal Varma,due to him being a director whose chosen genres seem to be at odds with the current trends taking place in Bollywood.

Having had some trouble on deciding where to start with his films,I was thrilled to discover a movie of his,which sounded like a Bollywood Giallo!

View on the film:

For his wonderfully stylized directing, Ram Gopal Varma cleverly creates a Horror "character" that almost everyone can relate to,thanks to Varma taking full advantage of the terrific,brightly lit Dario Argento's Suspiria (also reviewed) style set design by Karm Singh which allows Varma to show the house filled with vast empty spaces,that are strangely filled with some unexplained "creaking" sounds that help to send a shiver down the spine.

Along with the set design,Varma also includes a number of spooky winding staircases shots and also makes the conversations that the un- named woman has from the peephole with Sameer A. Purnavale (played by a wonderfully creepy Manoj Bajpai) feel very claustrophobic,thanks to the only light in the scenes coming from the "unknown" that the terrifying Sameer A. Purnavale is standing behind.

Although the fantastic screenplay by Anurag Kashyap only features five characters (and that's including the cute little fur ball!), Kashyap impressively stops the film from feeling "stagy" thanks to mixing a creeping paranoia mood that gets its grip tight round the characters and also having the films shocking twists established in a subtle way right at the start of the film,to only be slowly unraveled as the tension in the film starts to reach a truly nerve wrecking point.

Whilst the Giallo-style twist ending can be seen as a bit of a rug-puller,the excellent performance by Urmila Matondkar really helps it to just about be pulled off,thanks to her making the woman feel like someone,who whist terrified about the events taking place around her,is also someone hiding a secret burred deep within herself.

Good Clean Fun

[SangamYadagiri · 7/10 · 23 October 2008]

It's a good clean fun to watch this thriller. No story there... only the narration is what you see and listen to. It was a surprise from RGV right after Satya. Those times, the bollywood is running around trees singing songs, these guys made a 1 hour 40 minuts song-dance-less Hitchcockian thriller.

Need to watch this movie 10 times... once for direction, once for each actors acting, once for story, narration.....

Urmila's active tops in the movie. Anurag and Rgv have shown how a movie can be made with just 3 live characters, 1 dead character , and 1 out of the frame not-heard-to-the-audience voice character.

So, it's good clean fun to watch this movie any time.

RGV misses this time

[AnonymousbutDilpreet002 · 5/10 · 21 June 2018]

The movie which seems to be horror in first 20 minutes lost it's horror touch in the middle. Urmila's sudden turn as a villain is completely ridiculous . If she is the killer, then why she got frightened when heard about that on TV and why she refuses to let samar enter the house. And if she wanted to kill both men , what was she waiting for. Her character is poorly written. We don't know at what point of time she was normal and when she was mad. While other two characters were well written, Urmila's character single handedly destroyed the film.

Urmila's movie all the way

[Majid Khan · 30 August 2003]

This is quite a good thriller starring Urmila (who plays a scared girl alone at home) and how she confronts the 2 intruders into her home (manoj Bajpai and Sushant). Background music is chilling. Overall a very good movie and quite short with no songs. Like most RGV movies the other characters are completely overshadowed by Urmila who is the cynosure of the film and has come up with a knock-out performance.

Movie that changed my life

[arun-kadavil · 10/10 · 12 January 2007]

If anyone asks me which is the movie that changed my life I will certainly say that it is KAUN. I saw this movie when i was 14. What caught my attention about this movie was the distinct and innovative approach that varma and team took.

To make a full length movie with just 3 characters for instance is something really special. Can u imagine a Hindi movie taking place completely inside a house?? and no songs or romance for that matter. The script keeps it simple and engaging till the end. The direction is truly amazing. It never keeps you boring . It entertains you and keeps one guessing...

To add on to all these excellent performance from the 3 actors - urmila was really superb...she always is in ramuji's movies , manoj was at his excellent best and sushant singh completed the perfect cast. In my opinion varma and kashyap were the real stars . It was an audacious attempt which will be remembered for a long long time.

The climax was the best part of the movie and is a stroke of genius. After seeing this movie I was so impressed that I became a fan of Ramuji from then on. The fact that so much can be done with direction and scripting in a movie impressed me the most.

I think this movie should have affected some others too. Please try the movie if u haven't

One of the best thrillers of recent times!

[snprabhu · 10/10 · 3 May 2002]

A house. A stormy evening. A young paranoid girl alone in the house. A TV report about some serial killer on the loose in the city. A stranger knocks the door.... The movie begins like this and the gripping suspense does not waver a bit throughout the movie. The whole movie has only three characters - one paranoid girl and two guys who both appear weird and capable of being a serial killer. The ending is guaranteed to throw you off your chair... It's been ages since I saw a brilliant movie like this. Scream, I know what you did last summer all pale in comparison to the gem that Ram Gopal Varma has directed. While the movie seems to be a tad bit slow in the first twenty minutes or so, it gains pace after that and never stops to surprise, shock and thrill us until the end. I simply cannot give away the end - it is too good! The movie has no songs and is less than 2 hours long - a novelty for an Indian movie.

I personally feel that it's the best Indian thriller to date, and one of the best thrillers in the world!

Cant believe

[flcarlo · 10/10 · 15 October 2020]

I cannot believe this movie was made in 1999.such a perfect writing Everyone should watch this once in their lifetime. Wish more movies were made in bollywood like these.

A masterpiece

[sorwar-ahmed · 10/10 · 20 November 2007]

I was never fond of Urmilla's acting, therefore, comfortably avoided watching 'Kaun' for a very long time. It was not well publicised and the director and the cast was not very appealing at the time.

On a very lonely and quiet Sunday night, Channel 4, broad casted this film, as I had nothing better to do or watch, I decided to watch it hoping it would bore me to sleep.

The first 20-25 minutes the plan was starting to take affect, watching a home alone scared and annoying little girl (Urmilla) prance around; my eyelids were feeling heavy and then suddenly Sameer A. Purnavale (Manoj Bajpai) knocks on the door. Man, after that my plan failed horribly and it's the first time I was glad it did.

The intensity in which Urmilla, Manoj Bajpai and the débutant Shushant Singh played their characters were superb. I couldn't take my eyes of the telly. The direction by RGV was fantastic and the eerie atmosphere created by him was never experienced by me from any Bollywood movies.

I have always rated the movies which have great ending and 'Kaun' certainly doesn't disappoint in that department.

I will have to say this is the best Bollywood movie in this genre. I will put it up there with the likes of 'The Ring' – Japanese version.

If you have not seen it yet, what heck have you been doing? Don't be stupid as I have or else you will miss a classic Bollywood thriller.

10/10.

Average classic thriller movie..!

[kamalbeeee · 6/10 · 8 September 2023]

Who's There? (1999) A girl who stay alone in her house and saw news regard serial killer... Soo she closed all doors and make sure she safe until a stranger visit her home... Totally 3 main characters in this movie but it's good to watch... In climax they didn't answer for everything but unexpected climax... One time watchable movie..!

Other reviews...

It's a rainy day and a young woman is all alone in the house. She is shown talking to her family on the phone, anxious for them to come back to the house. Adding to her anxiety is the television, which announces that a killer is on the loose. And then, the doorbell rings. Who could it be?

______ is the murderer in Kaun

[sayontan · 10/10 · 8 February 2008]

If I was told that I was going to die soon and that there was only one Urmila movie that I could see again before I kicked the bucket, I would pick Kaun. Any day.

Back when it was released I had a tendency to watch movies only after hearing reviews from friends. This movie made such a big splash in terms of its shock value that people at that time tended to greet you with a line revealing the suspense of the movie. And even bigger spoilsports sent out emails with the subject "______ is the murderer in Kaun", obviously filling in the blank with what would take you the 90 minutes of the movie to figure out.

Having been thus spoilt several times over I went to watch Kaun - and spoiler or not, it really, really spooked me. Obviously, a movie with only 3 characters is bound to rely heavily on dialogue. To make sure that the dialogue did not get soporific there were occasional chilling scenes accompanied by a burst of brilliant background score. During those days Manoj Bajpai was basking in the success of "Satya" and it was expected that he will garner all the praise in this movie. However Urmila completely stole his thunder. This is her movie through and through. Her facial expressions towards the end ... well, you have to see the movie to experience the feeling.

So go ahead and grab a copy from your nearby rental - this is one suspense movie of RGV that should not be missed.

R.G.V's Thriller Suspense

[Hysteria28 · 6/10 · 20 January 2010]

This was the first time that Ram Gopal Verma had attempted to make thriller suspense movie. The outcome was a big surprise. Much credit goes to Anurag Kashyap who wrote the script as well as conceiving the original idea. His ideas on the characters are fantastic. When I heard about the movie ten years ago I was very anxious to watch it. Even at present day the movie has not lost its appeal. Yes the movie was on a low production value and the actors do look younger, but this does not deter one from enjoying this experience.

With a duration of 95 minutes this movie progresses at a fast pace. However the first 15 minutes can test the viewers patience as nothing practically happens. In that portion we are given a basic introduction to Urmila Matondkar's paranoia in the house. Many perceived this movie initially as a horror movie, but it does not fall in to that vain. The movie is very effective in its intentions to subdue the viewer in to mystery field. The characters behave and respond to situations which would not be considered normal and expected. But its the performances that is the centre of attraction. They make the movie worthwhile to watch. What can really dazzle the viewer is the fact that the three characters are not what we assume them to be, but their true identities are revealed in a stylish manner. Shot on a extremely low budget value, the picture quality is very grainy at times and the dubbing was not completed. However the surround sounds were captured wonderfully.

***Urmila ia woman all alone in a house and news breaks out that there is a killer on the loose. As a result of this she wonders around the house feeling scared. A while later manoj bajpai who proclaims to be a sales man constantly disturbs urmila to gain access in to the house because he wants to meet a guy who lives there. She is not willing to let him in because she is afraid. Eventually he enters and a conflicts occurs between the two after she thinks he is the killer. After Urmila's failed attempt to escape she runs in to Sushant at the door. He too enters in the house and states that he is a undercover cop. However he later admits that he was a thief. Eventually a struggle for power occurs between the three characters as a phonecall to the police precient was made. However the truth turns out to be something else. This leads to the identity of the true killer to be revealed.**

The movie makes a sincere effort to sustain the viewers attention. The background score is well in tune with the movie's atmosphere. However in the initial moments when we are introduced to Manoj's character, the music is incorrectly used. The score was also overused in many other portions. But in the second half it improves. The interactions between the characters are another highlight. The performers react in situations in realistic manners. It did not seem like they wee instructed to act. Sushant and Manoj's interactions was a highpoint in the second half as they add a sense of comedy to the seriousness. Verma has directed the movie well in accordance with the type of subject. I do feel that the lighting was over used at certain times. Many close up shots of household ornaments have been involved to create the atmosphere of fear in the house as well possibly the existence of another individual.

The collaboration of Urmila and Ram Gopal Verma were part of many projects. This was one of the best. Urmila gives a fine performance. However there did seem to be a slight few hitches in her acting in the climax. Manoj Bajpai was perfect and Sushant Singh give good support. This is highly recommended if one is a fan of thrillers.

One of the best Indian psychological drama

[suryanmukul · 8/10 · 27 July 2020]

Kaun? - 1999

Wait and watch! ...Yes! ... A psychological thriller worth waiting and watching.

Ram Gopal Varma and Anurag Kashyap did amazing teamwork once again in creating a thriller with just 3 characters and a house, thats all! Interesting? Yes! There is something more special and interesting that will keep you on the edge of your seat followed by an extraordinary piece of work done by Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpayee, and Sushant Singh, performing 3 characters in the movie.

The first 30 minutes of the film will test your patience and feel boring but are actually making the base for an upcoming thriller ride for the next hour and so which will surely make sense to create a horrific environment. The movie is very well balanced by the twists and turns which leads to a thrilling climax that will make you go "Oh My God"!

A psychological horror-thriller is never complete without proper and well-planned cinematography, editing, background score, and use of props. Which are up to the mark and successfully created the required work of appreciation.

Kaun? sets a benchmark as one of the best psychological thriller ever created in Indian Cinema.

Not so clever

[shirinmalik · 6/10 · 25 June 2018]

I think I've seen too many movies in my lifetime cause I figured it out and without reading any spoiler. Still good acting and suspense creation for most of the movie, the rain helps with the latter.

Kaun? Should be Kyom?

[homegnome1 · 2/10 · 6 June 2013]

Who? Should be Why? Why would Ram Gopal Varma make yet another ridiculous "horror/comedy" movie? Why would Urmila agree to take this horrible role? Why did I waste several hours of my life watching this? There were too few characters in this movie(three)and it was limited to one set, which made it more suitable for a stage play versus film. That alone did not make it a bad movie, the plot alone would probably make an incredible stage play. However, Urmila's bad acting (this coming from a big fan) and the ridiculous script made it insufferable. And of course, RGV's insistence on atrociously bad "horror movie music", you know the kind that -bump bump bump, thump- shakes you up waiting for something bad to happen and it's just the wind. It's not innovative, not thought provoking, not even interesting. Plot twists abound to the point where you don't even care. Halfway through the movie you hope everyone dies so you don't have to suffer anymore.