Director: Vikram Bhatt
Genre: Supernatural Horror, Thriller
Cast:
- Emraan Hashmi as Aditya
- Bipasha Basu as Shanaya (antagonist)
- Esha Gupta as Sanjana (protagonist)
- Manish Chaudhary as director
Box Office: ₹69 crore (Hit)
Awards: Won Filmfare for Best Special Effects
Plot Summary
A fading actress (Shanaya) turns to black magic to sabotage her rising rival (Sanjana). She manipulates her lover (Aditya) into helping her perform dark rituals. As supernatural horrors escalate, Aditya realizes the terrifying cost of Shanaya’s obsession.
Key Elements
✔ Horror Themes:
- Demonic possession, voodoo dolls, and eerie hallucinations.
- Graphic scenes (e.g., cockroach attack, self-harm).
✔ Music:
- Composed by Jeet Gannguli & Mithoon.
- Hit songs: “Deewana Kar Raha Hai”, “Zindagi Se”.
✔ Visual Effects:
- Pioneering VFX for Bollywood horror (2012).
- Won Best Special Effects at Filmfare.
Behind the Scenes
- 3D Release: One of Bollywood’s early 3D horror films.
- Controversy: Criticized for excessive gore/violence.
- Inspiration: Follows Raaz (2002) & Raaz 2 (2009), but darker.
Why It Stands Out?
- Bipasha’s performance as a vengeful villain.
- Bold VFX attempts (e.g., demonic faces, surreal nightmares).
- Emraan Hashmi’s signature “serial kisser” role with horror twist.
Trivia: The cockroach scene took 7 days to shoot!
Legacy
- Last hit in the Raaz series before reboots.
- Paved way for horror films like 1920: Evil Returns.