Fella_shibby
I saw this with my family in theatre in 2013. As a fan of horror movies this film was worth the time n money. It started like a psychological drama about a magician performing tricks who is having hallucinations bah his dead sister. It is a very creepy film with eerie ambiance. The supernatural aspect was properly dealt with. The old abandoned house, especially the elevator was truly eerie. Later thru hypnosis we come to know that the lead character is paranoid bah his step mother being a witch. It has a decent twist towards the end. The movie was engaging and suspenseful. Emraan Hashmi acted well. He was lucky to b surrounded by three hot females in this film. Konkana gave a good creepy performance. Horror fans will not be disappointed.
rahuljonathan-nair
What's Good: An unfamiliar terrain of Supernatural thriller which is sliced straight from native folklores. The film maintains its enthralling suspense for the entire first part. What's Bad: Plotted around stereotypical myths of Black Magic, the film tends to get predictable at places. Kalki's character did not make any sense. The climax was shabbily done and was a clear disappointment. Loo break: A couple of them post interval. Watch or Not?: Ek Thi Daayan is a rivetingly thought film. An enticing beginning, a well fitted melodious background score, this film will successfully spook you out. However, the film loses its momentum drastically in the second half. Not a cult film, the film deserves a pat only for the powerful performances of Konkona and Emraan.
Chrysanthepop
Kannan Iyer's 'Ek Thi Daayan' brings a freshness to the horror genre in Bollywood. Vishal Bharadwaj's (who wrote, scored and produced) influence is heavily evident especially in how he creates tension and atmosphere. Of course things go haywire in the final scenes(especially that awful fight sequence) and I think this was more Iyer's doing than Bharadwaj's. The film opens with a 'magic show' which is mostly unintentionally funny (some poor special effects here).The best part of 'Ek Thi Daayan' is Bobo's childhood sequence. This one excels in tension, atmosphere, performance, lighting and editing. The fusion of Western folklore and Indian folklore was quite interesting. However, I don't think Wiccans and other witches will approve, especially of how witchcraft is described as bad magic.Music is used effectively (for the most part). The sets, especially Bobo's childhood flat, are used efficiently. Saurabh Goswami's cinematography is fine.Emraan Hashmi seems to be improving with every film. He does a competent job here. Huma Qureshi performs adequately. Kalki Koechlin is wasted. Pawan Malhotra is good too. The child actors playing Bobo and his sister were great. But the show belongs to Konkona Sen Sharma. It's good to see her in a negative role after a long time. With her innocent sweet girl looks masking a seductress vamp, Konkona owns all her scenes. From Bobo's perspective, the viewer knows what she's up to but it's also easy to see why Mathur falls for her.If it weren't for the messy third act, perhaps this could have been something great. Maybe Bharadwaj should have directed it. Nonetheless, it's quite an attempt and not bad for a one-time watch if you're a fan of this genre.
namashi_1
Kannan Iyer's 'Ek Thi Dayan' Caters To A Niche Audience! The film lacks universal appeal. Reason? The Treatment as well The Execution are odd, although the script is very Indian, considering that this is a Nation that believes in Witches. 'Ek Thi Dayan' Synopsis: An illusionist fails to let go off his tormenting, haunting past. 'Ek Thi Dayan' begins well, but has an Erratic Screenplay Written by Mukul Sharma & Vishal Bhardwaj. Sure, there are some moments that work. But, there are some portions that are bland. Even the final act, when the suspense is reveled, the impact isn't much. A Stronger Screenplay was required! Kannan Iyer's Direction is mostly dim & dark. Cinematography, Editing & Art Design, are passable.Performance-Wise: Emraan Hashmi is a fine actor & he delivers a controlled performance in here. Konkona Sen Sharma is fantastic. Her performance is surely a big merit to this film. Kalki appears in a half-baked cameo, while Huma Qureshi looks out of shape & lacks the fire to carry off this part. Pawan Malhotra is excellent in a supporting role. Rajatava Dutta is first-rate.On the whole, 'Ek Thi Dayan' holds limited appeal.
AD
