Darling (III) (2007) User Reviews

Comedy of Horrors..

[salilgoyal · 5/10 · 9 September 2007]

Well, the previews said the movie will not only thrill you but also make you laugh. Problem is- Not only comic scenes are funny but horrifying scenes also belong to the same genre (Comedy).

The scenes that were intended to be thriller for the audience were either not horrifying or if they were, they were overshadowed by poor dialogs. Other problem is the performance of the lead cast. Isha does well but not esha. Though her acting looks improved but she is not a good ghost. She should have been made to see about 10-15 good horror movies before acting here. She looks totally out of sorts as a bhootni.

Other disappointment is Fardeen. Though body language is good. Dialog delivery and lack of emotion problem is still very much there like his previous movies. Also, the film is quite slowly paced. I believe such film should not exceed more than 100 minutes. and it was about 150.

Despite that, I've to admit that the film was somewhat entertaining. The Fardeen's friend was quite good with his catchy and entertaining one-liners. Moreover, the movie does manage to keep you interested to an extent.

So, a good time-pass flick for a boring evening but would be better off if you can wait for it to come on a movie channel. But one thing's for sure, this low budget entertainer from RGV will earn more money for the makers than his previous high-profile b-grader (Aag).

Close your eyes when people look at you

[ayan-8 · 5/10 · 18 September 2007]

Like his earlier movie "Bhoot", RGV exploits the idea of ghost in the background of a society which is apparently rational, doesn't believe in ghosts but believes in ghosts. The Bengali children's fiction writer Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay has exploited in many of his ghost novels for children the contradictory urban mindset which refuses to believe ghosts, but can't stop being afraid of it. In RGV's "Darling", the fear is coupled with the protagonist's helplessness where he knows that neither his wife nor a psychiatrist will believe that a ghost is troubling him. And that fear is spiced up with his consciousness of his guilt.

Aditya's behaviour after the discovery that Gita has got slightly killed reminds one of RGV's controversial Telugu thriller "Madhyanam Hathhya" where the protagonist Ravi kills his suspicious wife equally accidentally and struggles to dispose off the mortal remains. The tension that followed, starting from the stone that sparks off Aditya's wheel, the axe that lands up in front of their door that doesn't puzzle Aswini and the cool questions of his perverted office mate makes one suspect that Gita didn't actually die. Maybe her pregnancy story was a prank, she hold an oxygen inhaling device in her underwear before she was carried to the grave and maybe Aditya's friend and wife are all aware of the events and are trying to collectively play a game with Aditya. A surprise. That belief was almost a conviction when Aditya and his kid could listen to the "bees saal baad" song, but Aswini said that she couldn't hear anything of that sort.

After few minutes when we see Geeta again, as the ghost, we understand that RGV is going supernatural keeping the background rational. I didn't understand why the psychiatrist was shown in such a bad light. Srinivasa Rao Kota was a real bad choice for a psychiatrist, if RGV's aim was NOT to put the profession in bad light. Was he ever treated like this by a money-mongering psychiatrist when he needed some real help? Maybe. But it was a poor joke.

For Esha as Geeta it was probably a remake of the 2006 Vikram Bhatt movie "Ankahee" where her character Kavya used to say, "This life is not working its time for a fresh start". So, the Darling "fresh start" wasn't that unpredictable.

Interesting concept, disappointingly slow pace

[GPSohal · 5/10 · 7 September 2007]

The movie starts out well, but around the middle part starts to falter. You realize that the director had a thread-bare plot which he tries to stretch out to the maximum, causing the film to feel begrudgingly slow.

The performances are okay. Fardeen Khan does well as the man in over his head. Esha Deol was interesting and a convincingly good antagonist. Isha Koppikar, unfortunately, was not up to the mark. Fardeen's friend, Sameer, had an interesting role, but it feels like his role was chopped up at the editing table.

The two police characters - Bhaskar Reddy and Malti - were terrific every time they were on screen. He the talkative one, she the stone-faced silent one.

I wasn't exactly bored by the film, but I was aware of the slow pace.

Fakal Attraction with a Ghost: I should have closed my eyes...

[Chrysanthepop · 6 January 2008]

...instead of watching this horrible film. Even Esha Deol repeats a line to Fardeen Khan, telling him to close his eyes like a dumb ostrich. I tell people now to close their eyes if this film is anywhere in sight. The reason why I decided to give it a go was because it was a Ram Gopal Verma film. I haven't seen 'Ki Aag' and I didn't expect 'Darling' to be this bad. It is quite known how Ram Gopal loves the Hollywood film 'Fatal Attraction' (which is a terrible film IMO) and 'Darling' falls on the same line...except this time it's with a ghost. The film itself is painfully slow paced. The story isn't interesting to begin with (though there is a twist in the end) and I wonder how drunk the writer was in order to come up with such tripe. The performances are miserable. Fardeen Khan just doesn't know how to act. He should quit asap. Esha Deol is quite bad as usual (this time she's a loud zombie) and Isha Koppikar is miscast. The love scene with the three of them looks as if it's handled by an amateur and there are some unintentionally funny moments e.g. Esha Deol slapping Fardeen Khan around. Zakir Hussain clearly shows his lack of interest. The songs are terrible (thanks to Himesh Reshamiya's horrible voice) and they only slow things down in what is already a boring movie. What happened to Ram Gopal Verma? He seems to have completely lost it and how will he ever re-emerge from his self-created mess? Avoid this one at all costs.

Not the worst, but not a good one either.

[imspellbound7 · 4/10 · 10 September 2007]

Here the movie starts with the very good song. Then suddenly the story changes with the death of the heroine("I don't know how did she die just by pushing"). Fardeen khan then gets scared always and i doubt how come the police did not recognize when he is behaving in such a manner?

K fine cut it out then comes the boring part of hero scaring for every thing and actually nothing is scary even i felt it sometimes to be a comedy movie. After first half Esha Deol comes as the spirit and at that time the movie catches some speed and we could see some interesting scenes and moments.

The best part of the movie is the scene in the hospital in which Fardeen khan and his wife go to see his friend and there by the time he is lying Esha Deol beating him. She even beats his friend when he lies to help his friend.

Overall the movie is not as good as RGV's Bhoot and not as worst as Ramu ki Aag.These points are only for Esha Deol who has done exceptionally well and Fardeen khan and Esha Kopikar have done a good job.

All in all it's not a worst movie but it's not a good one either.

Comedy? Horror? Drama? Where did RGV's talent go?

[simian_ninja · 2/10 · 24 November 2007]

I kind of like Darling, I love it when direction and writing is so shoddy that I can tell what's going to happen and instead of insulting my intelligence the director makes me feel special by doing everything that I thought would happen (ie the ending). RGV has lost the plot, he needs to go into hiding and think of something special and even when he does that, his film will still tank simply because the audience isn't going to trust him anymore. It's going to take at least two or three films (even if they are all good) before the audience touches his films once again.

The film itself is dreadfully slow paced. I have no idea what genre the film is (even after watching it) so I think I'll view it as a comedy/horror/drama. The writing is rushed beyond belief and is hindered by the non-acting of Esha Deol and Fardeen Khan (they should stop and find something else to do), when they look like they're supposed to be passionate and kissing each other they come off looking as two drunken teenagers stumbling around. Another thing is that Esha's character is hardly established, so – there's no real reason for the audience to feel anything for him. Khan's character is a boob that cheats on his wife (without any reason, so without providing one – there's no room for him to be a sympathetic character, why even bother if you're not going to have at least one sympathetic main character?). Though the film starts to pick up pace once Deol's character is re-introduced in the film as a ghost.

Break down is like this.

Deol is pregnant but Khan is married. Khan wants an abortion. Deol wants the baby and attacks Khan in a rage. Khan protects himself by shoving her, yes by shoving a pregnant woman. She trips and falls, hits her head and dies. With her eyes wide open.

End breakdown.

I didn't mind the music; the videos are introduced through fairly interesting but used ideas such as a dream and watching a film within a film. Either way, they brought nothing to the story.

The writing makes me wonder what the person was smoking. It kind of reminded me of some play by Noel Coward that I can't remember (in which a man is haunted by his dead wife, so if you know what I'm talking about please say what it is). There are a couple of hilarious scenes such as Deol's ghost hiding under the table and touching Khan's new secretary on the leg making her think that Khan's character is …well…molesting her. Other than that, the laughs come from the dismal direction and awful writing and horrendous acting.

One thing to watch out for…Deol's ghosts father comes to pay Khan a visit, he begs him to use his power so they can find Deol's character. And RGV decides that it's an episode of NYPD Blue and begins to zoom in and out of close ups like the world is going to end tomorrow (either that or the camera man had taken some sort of illegal substance before the scene was shot).

Overall…2/10. One star is because you have to vote a one, and the second is because the film provided some unintentional laughs.

So this, I'd actually say watch it if you want to see something so horrible that its actually strangely…passable (hope you take note of the fact I didn't use good).

Something new to Bollywood and OK to watch

[manoj-ransing · 6/10 · 11 January 2008]

Before I saw this movie I was having a faint idea about what to expect. I watched the movie with my fingers crossed after reading the reviews in news paper. Especially after Nishabd, Aag and Shiva I was expecting this movie to be another thrash by RGV. But at the end I like the overall movie and here I am giving 6 rating to it. What I like about the movie is it finds comedy in horror. I don't remember happening this before in Bollywood movies. (Chamtkar may be ..) With the humor in it the movie makes the audience tickle. Better not to watch it by keeping any expectations in mind.

It has very simple story line as of other RGV movies. A well settled married man (Fardeen Khan) accidentally kills his secretary come girlfriend (Esha Deol). The girlfriend then comes as a ghost to haunt her killer. And in all this the wife (Isha Kopikar) is confused because of her husband's weird behavior.

The simple story line is no doubt has stretched by Director and script writer. Especially at the beginning, before Esha dies and then she comes as a ghost, the movie goes with a low pace. But after that I think it gets the grip.

The movie is rather funny because of some unique characters. Specially the character played by Zakir Hussaina and Inspector Reddy. Also the lady inspector character is unique and the way it has been used it is funny.

Othre than this, I also like the things Fardeen tries to get rid of ghost, but fails. It is the overall presentation of scenes and their arrangements makes the entire movie fun riding horror experience.

In all, it was a good try to give something new to Bollywood audience, and I as one will accept it. May be some time later, we see more of such experiments done, and getting success at box office.

This movie is terrific! "Fatal Attraction" pales in comparison!

[punzelle-1 · 10/10 · 12 May 2009]

This fast-paced film will have you on the edge of your seat, and totally blown away by the ending. The realism is convincing (not the usual melodrama one might expect for a plot involving adultery and deception), and Fardeen, Esha, and Isha all deliver excellent performances.

The errant husband (Fardeen), living is his own fantasy world of having the perfect wife at home (Isha) and the sexy mistress on the side (Esha), soon finds 'reality' crashing down around him, and his world becomes a living nightmare, with a vengeful ghost only he can see -- and she terrorizes him mercilessly, in every part of his life, no matter how personal or intimate the situation; amazingly-crafted scenes throughout the film.

The climax, totally-unexpected, is jaw-dropping -- don't miss this movie!

If you've seen RAAZ and YAKEEN, you've seen this movie!

[Sherazade · 7/10 · 5 January 2008]

Happy New Year all, I'm not nagging. Watch this film and tell me it's not a mix-bag of RAAZ and YAKEEN. Fardeen Khan plays Aditya Soman, a man having an office affair with his tempestuous secretary Geeta Menon played by Esha Deol. Isha Koppikar (in one of her best roles to date) disappears into a traditional sari and mangal sutra to play Aditya's unsuspecting yet inexplicably sexy wife, Ashwini. The Soman household is then thrown into peril upon the accidental death of Geeta during a fight with Aditya, when she returns from the grave to haunt them.

Sometimes in Ram Gopal Varma's films I usually find myself wondering why one character or the other has to inexplicably high on something. This particular film had one too many. The best thing about Darling is that no matter how boring is gets even after the plot twist, it still mysteriously keeps you watching. It's not a horror film, it's scary in a very psychological way. Khan does his best to keep us interested in whether or not Aditya finds some absolution following his philandering ways. Deol is as wicked as she was in Ankahee but Koppikar as the refined Ashwini stands out and makes you wonder what her Aditya must have been smoking to go out and cheat on her with Geeta.

I liked the songs (there were just three of them but oh! well...), and my only complaint about the film is that is dragged on and on at some points. The ending was explosive but kind of predictable. What a great punishment for a man hopelessly devoted to two women.

Scary Comedy, new genre for Bollywood maybe?

[AvinashPatalay · 4 January 2008]

Post RGV Sholay, I dreaded to watch another Film Factory product. With expectations pined below zero, I begun watching the movie.

Should the ghosts and spirits movie necessarily scary? RGV seems to have been inspired by Shaun Of The Dead which was a horror flick loaded with comedy.

Fardeen Khan's role is akin to Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya only more sleazy husband.

Isha Koppikar doesn't have much scope as a doting housewife and obviously running on older version when it comes to matters behind the closed doors. Seriously if you put the jigsaw pieces together it reveals what RGV is fetish about!

Eesha Deol gets the meaty pie and this time she dons the Urmila's role in Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya. Only more freer, vengeful and spirited.... literally and figuratively.

Zakir Hussain (a RGV regular) gets it wrong completely this time – he irritates. And so does Kota Srinivas Rao, both the roles should have been chopped completely.

Upendra Limaye role should have been given more depth. And her killer-looks assistant was hilarious.

Background score adds to the eerie atmosphere.

The RGV style of camera-work is predominant here. Thankfully not struck (permanently at least!) to heroine's back as in his earlier works. Seriously is the cinematographer partner in crime too?

Last but not the least, stop the close-up camera work. We have had enough!

Darling does invoke good laughs thanks to the efforts by the lead actors. Though the end is contrived.

Film not available.

[prasantanayak-33041 · 10 September 2021]

Darling, road like film by ram gopal verma not available. Please make available.