Movie Review - Pari: Not a Fairytale – by Suhel Johar

Pari: Not a Fairytale Is A Decent Horror Film

Pari: Not a Fairytale is a supernatural horror film directed by debutante Prosit Roy. We have not seen a really good Indian horror film since long and though Pari does not entirely fit the bracket it is quite close to it with its perfectly scary, sleek appeal. Pari as the title insists on warning you that it is not a fairy tale while announcing that it is a horror film at the same time. But there is more going on in Pari than it wishes to let on, initially. There is romance, emotional drama and even a female bonding saga all rolled into one.

The makers were extremely careful so as to not let any plot details out before the release and hence went easy with their promotions. The film set in Kolkata, is about Rukhsana (Anushka Sharma) an orphaned woman whose mother, Rubina, was killed in the accident while Arnab’s  (Parambrata Chatterjee) father was in the driver’s seat, falls into his lap, literally. The story builds on the mystery about Rukhsana who seems to have had little contact with the outside world.  Rukhsana is like an animal – she sniffs new things, she’s never seen a television, even the way she chews suggests a life spent far away from civilization. She is afraid of incense and even when given a medicine, she takes it close to her nose. She's been held in captivity, to save her or to torture her, we don't know and we are left perturbed thinking if she is the ghost, or its victim?

Arnab, a loner, provides shelter to her given that she is distressed and has no one to look out for her. Arnab teaches her how to brush her teeth and eat food off a plate. Despite many warnings and family opposition, he develops a liking for her but little does he know that she has an evil, supernatural power. As the story movies forward, we are introduced to more characters. Rajat Kapoor is the spooky, blood thirsty professor in the film, who torments the thoughts of the lead character constantly. He belongs to a controversial exorcists’ group and is hunting down Rukhsana. Arnab is filled with speculation but is enamoured by the wild and vulnerable Rukhsana. As the film progresses, Arnab goes through a tumult of emotions and is sucked into this mess. The film then answers the most vital question: Is Anushka the tormented or the tormentor? And also explains us the title in the process.

Director Prosit Roy starts the film along the right lines as Pari follows the horror tropes with jump scares and music that lets you know when you should be expecting something. But beyond that, there is little to feel scared about. There is killing of progeny, and a call to spread the bloodline.

The makers have worked on creating atmospheric horror and are largely successful in doing the same. As a horror film, Pari has the right amount of chills and thrills that will spook the viewer. Despite quite a few positives, Pari also comes with a baggage of some serious drawbacks. One of the major problems with the film is that it has a very slow pace and a weak first half. Though there are series of events happening in the first half, as an audience, one wonders where exactly is the story going. The second half tries to explain what we’ve seen so far and gives answers to all the questions. Prosit Roy, carefully mounts the story, creating a lot of suspense and intrigue about the lead characters in the minds of audiences. However, due to a weak screenplay, the film falls weak at many places and finally culminates in a climax that redefines the word Sisterhood.

In Pari, we keep alternating in our opinion whether what we are encountering is a good spirit or an evil one. Arnab has a similar problem and he is a stand-in for the collective, who has a good heart but lacks the patience to deal with something that lives in his house now. Pari, ultimately, has its heart in the right place and chooses to celebrate life, and for that, every jump scare and horror film cliché can be forgiven.

Anushka Sharma, the producer, continues to be cautiously radical in her choice of scripts - from slasher NH-10 to Phillauri where she played another fairy from the past, and now in Pari - where, between jumping windows and climbing walls like Spiderman - she's green signalled a horror film that might not be all that scary but is thoroughly satisfying in its reimagination.

Direction by Prosit Roy is a big collapse, many portions are badly transferred to screen. The director is Prosit Roy is let down by the writer in him to make a perfect horror film. Story writers Prosit Roy and Abhishek Banerjee have a good concept but they fail to write a fully engaging screenplay. There are countless irrelevant sub plots, unwanted characters and dramatic deviations.  The scenes do create a lot of intrigue but a lot is held back from the audience for far too long. Anvita Dutt does a good job with the dialogues, maintaining a much needed restrain.

Jishnu Bhattacharjee’s cinematography is impressive. He creates a world which is very creepy and bone-chilling without using any artificial lights in most of the shots. His cinematography has a strange beauty, allure and mystique to it. Editing by Manas Mittal is decent. Anupam Roy’s music is average but the background score by Ketan Sodha is effective. Sound effects by Debajit Changmai and team which does the trick to spook the viewer! Sunil Rodriques's action sequences well executed.

A special mention to makeup artiste Clover Wootton for transforming Anushka into a hollow eyed possessed victim Rukhsana on one hand and creating a totally different bloody, creepy look, a drastic change from her original appearance. The prosthetics and make up done for other characters in the film is also very impressive

Performancewise, Anushka Sharma springs a surprise with her portrayal of Rukhsana. Her performance is outstanding. She is at once, scary, strange and strong. Parambrata Chatterjee as the male lead is subtle and plays his part with conviction. Together, they create many innocent romantic moments, giving a much needed relief from all the gore in the film.

Ritabhari Chakraborty is efficient as Param’s somewhat possessive fiancée. Good to see Rajat Kapoor in a unique character with a complete different get-up. He has nailed his character of an exorcist or a ghost busting professor totally. Rest of the cast do as required. 

On the whole, Pari will appeal to people who enjoy a spooky horror film.