Thaindian News

April 16, 2010 (Sampurn Wire): Phoonk 2- Just stay away!

Rating: 1.5 out of 5*

Starring:Sudeep, Amruta Khanwilkar, Neeru Singh, Amit Sadh, Ashwini Kalsekar and Jeeva

Director: Milind Gadagkar

First things first. Phoonk 2 is scarier than Phoonk (2008). But despite that it ends up as a big disappointment because of its ridiculous climax. It neither offers the interesting argument about science v/s superstition which it did in the first part nor does it end with victory of good over evil properly.

Phoonk ended with Madhu (Ashwini Kalsekar) who practices black magic on Rajiv’s (Sudeep) family getting killed by tantrik Manja (Zakir Hussain). Phoonk 2 begins with some time having passed by since then. The old granny has gone off to a tirth yaatra and Rajiv takes his family to a vacation at his newly purchased beach house in Alibaug. But little does he know that his troubles have not really ended but multiplied in fact. Dead Madhu’s ghost comes to haunt his family. Her spirit enters Rajiv’s wife Aarti’s (Amruta Khanwilkar) body. It aims to kill all those people who are dear to Rajiv including his daughter Raksha (Ahsaas Channa) and sister Arushi (Neeru) who has come down from the US with her hubby Ronnie (Amit Sadh). How Rajiv fights back Madhu and the life threat on his near and dear ones forms the rest of the film.

Directed by debutante director Milind Gadagkar who earlier wrote Phoonk, the sequel manages to pack in more chills and thrills and keeps you terrified most of the time than the first one. Which is a good thing considering its genre. However, problems crop up as the film reaches its climax. Not only the never ending climax is extremely gory with blood spilled all over and dead bodies falling one by one but it actually ends up leading to nowhere! It not only leaves many questions unanswered like the fact that where did Madhu’s spirit suddenly go after going on a murder spree or why didn’t it hurt the Rajiv’s two family members locked in a bedroom. May be this is done to create a platform for another sequel! Whatever it is but it leaves you completely irritated.

The camerawork of any Ram Gopal Varma production is always unique and it is terrific in Phoonk 2 as well. It succeeds in heightening the tension. But, the background music disappoints in this song less film.

Amongst the actors Sudeep gets it right again playing the hapless father. Amruta is excellent in a difficult role. Ahsaas Channa shows good improvement in her acting skills over the first part. The little boy playing her brother is good as well. Neeru Singh and Amit Sadh don’t get much scope. Ashwini Kalsekar succeeds in scaring the daylights out of you yet again. Jeeva playing the tantric is effective in his small part.

Phoonk 2 is a criminal waste of your time and hard earned money so its better you just simply stay away from this one!

-Sampurn Wire