Normally, Indian films are anything but subtle. The horror films are even more crude, so it is a treat to watch something as well-made as this. Varma's direction is tight and stylistic, and the movie maintains suspense throughout this tale of the supernatural. Revathi's acting is especially fine. Recommended.
21 Reviews
A bit derivative and meandering but entertaining
BrandtSponseller25 April 2005
Minnie Sharma (Revathi) and her family have just moved to a new town. Her sister and sister's husband died in a car accident, and she's left taking care of their young child, "Bunty" (Master Atit), in conjunction with her parents and their "manservant", Narayan (Chinna). As Raat opens, Minnie is having nightmares about being isolated as some strange, mysterious force chases her. Eventually these nightmares cross over into daydreams/hallucinations. When she goes out on a date with Deepak (Kushant), she ends up in the woods by herself, and her nightmares threaten to become real.
Raat is a quality Indian Psychological Horror/Thriller, marred by some looseness in the plot. Die-hard horror fans may also be occasionally distracted by pegging where the film is derivative of popular western horror films. The performances are fine, with Revathi standing out in particular, and the technical aspects are good, even though the version I watched--the Eros International DVD version for the UK and the United States (and other English-speaking areas)--was made from a very questionable print of the film. The image is frequently dirty and scratched, the soundtrack is slightly out of sync with the video, the subtitle timing is often off, and there is a lot of artifacting on the DVD transfer, which also wasn't properly divided into chapters. Of course for these technical issues, I do not subtract any points, as I'm rating the content of the film imagining an ideal print. It was a shame that the transfer couldn't have been better, as Teja's cinematography seems like it would otherwise be very attractive.
I enjoyed Raat the most in its opening scenes. Writer/director Ram Gopal Varma begins right in the middle of a horror sequence that could very well be the climax. Minnie steps off of a bus by herself and is soon running from some unseen force through a somewhat rundown looking neighborhood, which is eerily void of other humans. I would guess that the creepiness of such "ghost town" isolation might hit native Indians even harder, as it's probably unusual to find such a deserted town, and especially unusual for someone to exit a bus without being met by family or friends. The scene goes on long enough that it's a surprise when she finally wakes up. The first section of the film is primarily focused on these bizarre lapses into an alternate, desolate reality. To an extent, I later wished that Varma had kept the whole film in this same mode, as it was done so excellently--it was on firm "10 out of 10" ground throughout the first section. But the subsequent material was entertaining enough, even if the meandering and eventual slight lack of logic for the menace caused me to lower my score a bit.
Varma wears his horror influences on his sleeve throughout Raat. The beginning has some strong resemblances to the first two Evil Dead films (1981 and 1987)--this is especially noticeable in the interesting hand-held cinematography representing the evil force. Shortly after, Raat takes a turn towards an Amityville Horror (1979)-styled haunted house flick, complete with the sound of masses of flies (and this occurs periodically throughout the film). Later, there are elements of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), the Exorcist (1973), and even Friday the 13th (1980)--I suppose we could say that if you're going to "steal", steal from the best. If you dislike strong influences and you know those precursor films, this might be a cue to avoid Raat. I don't mind influence; Varma weaves his disparate sources together adeptly.
The music, by Mani Sharma (an obvious influence on the main character's name in the film), can be a bit uneven. At times it is almost comically over-exaggerated, with very prominent "cheesy" late 1970s/1980s synthesizer tonalities. At other times, it's almost sublime, perfectly atmospheric. I was especially fond of the way Sharma and Varma incorporated traditional Indian wedding music during a crucial, "big turning point" scene. Other than that, there is not a lot of traditional music in the film, and there are no musical song/dance numbers--a characteristic that has become somewhat common in Indian horror, even if it is very unusual otherwise.
Horror fans should not expect to see a lot of gore or special effects. When such effects do occur, they come off a bit cheesy. So it's better that Varma tends to stick with subtlety, suggestion and reaction to experienced/observed horrors. He easily handles this more understated style.
Finally, even though Raat eventually ends up in more off-the-wall supernatural territory, much of the film can be taken as a metaphor for schizophrenia--in fact, Varma goes to some lengths to show us a literal parallel while engaging in the metaphor at the same time. Minnie's early "hallucinations" and her later "possessions" tend to be accompanied by catatonia. She has olfactory hallucinations as well. She loses track of Bunty and lets him remain in unusual isolation when she's supposed to be watching him. She becomes anti-social and violent, and so on. Even the more supernatural material works well for this interpretation, as mental disorders such as schizophrenia were misdiagnosed as "possession by demons" and similar claims throughout history. I wouldn't say that Varma intended the whole film as only a metaphor for schizophrenia, but that's obviously one of his intentions, along with simply telling a good horror/thriller yarn.
Raat is a quality Indian Psychological Horror/Thriller, marred by some looseness in the plot. Die-hard horror fans may also be occasionally distracted by pegging where the film is derivative of popular western horror films. The performances are fine, with Revathi standing out in particular, and the technical aspects are good, even though the version I watched--the Eros International DVD version for the UK and the United States (and other English-speaking areas)--was made from a very questionable print of the film. The image is frequently dirty and scratched, the soundtrack is slightly out of sync with the video, the subtitle timing is often off, and there is a lot of artifacting on the DVD transfer, which also wasn't properly divided into chapters. Of course for these technical issues, I do not subtract any points, as I'm rating the content of the film imagining an ideal print. It was a shame that the transfer couldn't have been better, as Teja's cinematography seems like it would otherwise be very attractive.
I enjoyed Raat the most in its opening scenes. Writer/director Ram Gopal Varma begins right in the middle of a horror sequence that could very well be the climax. Minnie steps off of a bus by herself and is soon running from some unseen force through a somewhat rundown looking neighborhood, which is eerily void of other humans. I would guess that the creepiness of such "ghost town" isolation might hit native Indians even harder, as it's probably unusual to find such a deserted town, and especially unusual for someone to exit a bus without being met by family or friends. The scene goes on long enough that it's a surprise when she finally wakes up. The first section of the film is primarily focused on these bizarre lapses into an alternate, desolate reality. To an extent, I later wished that Varma had kept the whole film in this same mode, as it was done so excellently--it was on firm "10 out of 10" ground throughout the first section. But the subsequent material was entertaining enough, even if the meandering and eventual slight lack of logic for the menace caused me to lower my score a bit.
Varma wears his horror influences on his sleeve throughout Raat. The beginning has some strong resemblances to the first two Evil Dead films (1981 and 1987)--this is especially noticeable in the interesting hand-held cinematography representing the evil force. Shortly after, Raat takes a turn towards an Amityville Horror (1979)-styled haunted house flick, complete with the sound of masses of flies (and this occurs periodically throughout the film). Later, there are elements of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), the Exorcist (1973), and even Friday the 13th (1980)--I suppose we could say that if you're going to "steal", steal from the best. If you dislike strong influences and you know those precursor films, this might be a cue to avoid Raat. I don't mind influence; Varma weaves his disparate sources together adeptly.
The music, by Mani Sharma (an obvious influence on the main character's name in the film), can be a bit uneven. At times it is almost comically over-exaggerated, with very prominent "cheesy" late 1970s/1980s synthesizer tonalities. At other times, it's almost sublime, perfectly atmospheric. I was especially fond of the way Sharma and Varma incorporated traditional Indian wedding music during a crucial, "big turning point" scene. Other than that, there is not a lot of traditional music in the film, and there are no musical song/dance numbers--a characteristic that has become somewhat common in Indian horror, even if it is very unusual otherwise.
Horror fans should not expect to see a lot of gore or special effects. When such effects do occur, they come off a bit cheesy. So it's better that Varma tends to stick with subtlety, suggestion and reaction to experienced/observed horrors. He easily handles this more understated style.
Finally, even though Raat eventually ends up in more off-the-wall supernatural territory, much of the film can be taken as a metaphor for schizophrenia--in fact, Varma goes to some lengths to show us a literal parallel while engaging in the metaphor at the same time. Minnie's early "hallucinations" and her later "possessions" tend to be accompanied by catatonia. She has olfactory hallucinations as well. She loses track of Bunty and lets him remain in unusual isolation when she's supposed to be watching him. She becomes anti-social and violent, and so on. Even the more supernatural material works well for this interpretation, as mental disorders such as schizophrenia were misdiagnosed as "possession by demons" and similar claims throughout history. I wouldn't say that Varma intended the whole film as only a metaphor for schizophrenia, but that's obviously one of his intentions, along with simply telling a good horror/thriller yarn.
A very tiny horror masterpiece!
ankur01-253-47361621 January 2012
I remember seeing this the first time, when I was just seven years old and for some weeks, I couldn't sleep with the lights off. 'Raat' is undoubtedly one of the very rare genuine horror films of its time that can never be forgotten, because of quite a few reasons and a primary reason being it's impeccable cast performance, specially Revathi who gives a brilliant and effortless performance as the protagonist of the story. A fabulous performance from Om Puri as well, who breathes even more life into the story without a doubt. this is a film that always reminds us of of Ram Gopal Varma as one of the very few good directors of all time.
Overall, this film will make you shiver for sure, It is not a great film, but the performances are very memorable.
Overall, this film will make you shiver for sure, It is not a great film, but the performances are very memorable.
Masterful Bollywood horror
ametaphysicalshark26 April 2007
I have recently been revisiting Bollywood because I felt I had been neglecting such a large and prestigious industry as a film fan. I first saw Raat with English subs on TV when I was on vacation in Bangalore, India, and was impressed by it, so impressed, in fact, that I went to the video store nearby and bought a VCD of the film. Years later, after much searching, I found a very scratched CD in my collection with no cover and it was "Raat", so I decided to watch it.
Ram Gopal Varma is apparently something of a legend over in Bollywood, but I've only seen two other films of his (Sarkar, the Indian remake of "The Godfather", and another very good horror film, "Kaun", which I have fond memories of), so I can't really vouch for that, but his direction here is stylish and he sets the mood perfectly. The movie itself reminded me a lot of several different Hollywood films, the possession scenes were reminiscent of "The Exorcist" and the majority of the opening half hour eerily reminiscent of "Evil Dead", but it has enough respect for those classics not to blatantly copy them, and it's successful because it learned from the very best, and applied it damn well.
9/10
Ram Gopal Varma is apparently something of a legend over in Bollywood, but I've only seen two other films of his (Sarkar, the Indian remake of "The Godfather", and another very good horror film, "Kaun", which I have fond memories of), so I can't really vouch for that, but his direction here is stylish and he sets the mood perfectly. The movie itself reminded me a lot of several different Hollywood films, the possession scenes were reminiscent of "The Exorcist" and the majority of the opening half hour eerily reminiscent of "Evil Dead", but it has enough respect for those classics not to blatantly copy them, and it's successful because it learned from the very best, and applied it damn well.
9/10
Horror
dassaur-116 January 2007
This is a classic early Indian horror much too advanced for its time in Indian cinema. A person watching this film in 2007 will inevitably have to bypass the trends and fashion which is can only be described as historic however horror fans will see Raat was a template for Ram Gopal Verma's later horror release of Bhoot.
I consider Raat to illustrate excellent example of direction and editing and production when obviously finances and resources may have been low. From excellent camera angles to inventive scare sequences this film in my view is a must to watch, I especially applaud the classic "cinema scene" in which the possessed character is involved.
Individuals looking for scare a moment action will be disappointed this is a thinking horror and watched intently through out will effect a lot more.
The film offers powerful atmosphere of unease throughout and although perhaps too long and involving an unnecessary cat, the film will leave one looking over ones shoulder at night.
I consider Raat to illustrate excellent example of direction and editing and production when obviously finances and resources may have been low. From excellent camera angles to inventive scare sequences this film in my view is a must to watch, I especially applaud the classic "cinema scene" in which the possessed character is involved.
Individuals looking for scare a moment action will be disappointed this is a thinking horror and watched intently through out will effect a lot more.
The film offers powerful atmosphere of unease throughout and although perhaps too long and involving an unnecessary cat, the film will leave one looking over ones shoulder at night.
A new home, a sweet dweller but an old spirit to fix
Insane_Man22 February 2020
Revathy did very very well. She is the life of this movie. The cinematography os just very good. background score also. Everybody including Om Puri did very well. A family relocate in a new home, where the 1st floor has a doubtful room where the elder girl live. A not so much scary basement, but has a dark secret in it. The parents are well cautious about their family. A little one. Some friends of the elder girl. Dating between her and one of the friends. Things turn around when the elder girl meet with an unexpected incident while dating in a remote place. I liked it until the flashback.
Ram Gopal Verma is a genius.
kumar-ak00114 April 2011
This is one of the best horror movies and the milestone of Indian Cinema. Ram Gopal Verma is really a genius. Wonderful cast with wonderful acting. Om Puri is a well reputed theater artist of Indian Cinema. RAAT is the story of a family that moves into a haunted house, and the eventual possession of their daughter Minnie.
At the releasing time of RAAT people were fed up with Ramsay brothers types movies which contains several sex scenes, some dirty faces and some Haunted Hawelis but this movie gave audience new experience.
You will not see any high class special effects in this movie but the sound effect and acting are out of the world. Hats off to Ramu. I will give 10/10 to this. A must watch.
At the releasing time of RAAT people were fed up with Ramsay brothers types movies which contains several sex scenes, some dirty faces and some Haunted Hawelis but this movie gave audience new experience.
You will not see any high class special effects in this movie but the sound effect and acting are out of the world. Hats off to Ramu. I will give 10/10 to this. A must watch.
Was this RGV's rough draft?
jbengel-24 December 2007
Warning: Spoilers
"Raat" has its moments that could be called creepworthy, but while not necessarily formulaic in the sense that it follows the pattern of most Indian horror movies it certainly IS formulaic for Ram Gopal Varma. The "family-moves-to-a-new-house-and-guss-what-it's-haunted" theme is a staple of Varma's, but was much better done in "Vaastu Shastra". But if you want to see the "finished" version of Raat, watch Ramu's 2003 offering, "Bhoot". Still, it's difficult to flatly dislike "Raat" if for no other reason than it displays some talented lesser-known players. Of the featured cast only Om Puri could be considered a marquee actor (though Revathi, who stars in the role of Minnie and Anant Nag, the psychiatrist, both have a long list of films to their credit). But perhaps the best feature of "Raat" is the cinematography. Varma is masterful in his use of camera angles in virtually all of his films and this one is no exception. The "first-person" angle is a trademark of his and he uses it to perfection in the opening sequence and multiple others. This simple technique not only creates a good deal of suspense, it allows the director to do so without blowing a fortune on special effects. In sum, "Raat" is entertaining, avoids too many serious plot holes and is capably staged and lit. But I would recommend either "Vaastu Shastra" or "Bhoot" over it for pure horror value.
The last best horror film of the early 90s
khayaal_e_yaar12 February 2015
'Raat' was released in the early 90s, precisely in 1992. The early 90s were the time when the substance of horror was nowhere to be found in the horror films. Unlike Ramsay films, 'Raat' wasn't a B- movie. Yes, it had low budget, yet the actors like Rohini Hattangadi, Revathi, Aakash Khurana, Anant Nag and Om Puri save it from being a B-movie. I watched it in 1992 when it was released in several cinema halls. Thanks we didn't have multiplexes then, else the collections would have been less. 'Raat' is all about a decent setup, tricky camera work and horror. Fortunately, this is far better than any other horror movie released in the late 80s and early 90s. People would say that Ram Gopal Varma got into horror soon after 'Bhoot - 2003,' but the truth is that his love for horror is well reflected in his early creation like 'Raat' that haunts me even after 22 straight years. 'Raat' is about belief vs disbelief and known vs the unknown. Let's have a look at the plot.
Mr. Sharma (Aakash Khurana) has just shifted to a new house located in a posh suburban area of Hyderabad. He lives along with his wife Shalini (Rohini Hattangadi), daughter Manisha aka Minnie (Revathy) who is in her late teens and grandson Bunty (Atit), who is the son of his deceased daughter and elder sister of Minnie. The house is elegant and the Sharmas are happy with it. Minnie is happier than everyone else because the house next to hers belongs to her fast friend Rashmi (Jaya Mathur). Minnie lives a carefree life and loves spending quality time with her college mates like Deepak (Sushant) and Rashmi. Minnie is having a silent affair with Deepak and both of them want to keep their profile low.
Ever since the Sharmas shifted to this new house, Minnie is having nightmares, where she finds herself being chased by some unknown entity that ultimately gets her. Scoffing at her own silliness, Minnie dejects the idea that something might be fishy. She even suffers from episodes of delusion where she finds herself all alone even when surrounded with her friends in actuality. Rashmi's grandmother, who had been living in the very next house is surprised how the Sharmas decided to move into this house because she thinks (or knows?) that the house had a bad past and is home to an evil spirit. Minnie's delusions take a bad turn one day, when she decides to go to a nearby picnic spot with Deepak on his birthday.
During their trip Deepak gets an idea that something is abnormal with Minnie as during a fit of delusion, the color of her eyes change and she behaves as if her senses are being ruled by some unknown entity. The episodes come and go in a jiffy but gradually intensify. Minnie even kills Rashmi in a fit of delusion and the investigating officer Tej Sapru is mysteriously trampled under a truck. Rashmi's death mystery remains unsolved. Shalini begins to smell a rat too but Mr. Sharma doesn't believe her. One night, Minnie attacks her father thus giving him a reason to believe that something strange is lurking in the vicinity. Mr. Sharma considers it to be a psychological problem and brings home a shrink (Anant Nag) but Shalini is advised by Rashmi's grandmother to seek the help of Sharji (Om Puri), a renowned exorcist. Sharji's findings reveal that an evil spirit (Sunanda) is living below the house and needs to be warded off to save Minnie's life. How Sharji, Deepak and Shalini work together to save Minnie's life forms rest of the story.
'Raat' reeks atmosphere and is intense at several places. Revathi is brilliant and truly convincing in her efforts. Deepak doesn't have much to do, but his role is still an important ingredient of this flick. Even after 22 years, I would like to thank Ram Gopal Varma for his ingenious and flawless direction. One shouldn't forget Bunty as well, because he literally owns some of the most memorable scenes, especially the ones related to his dear cat. Aakash Khurana's effortless acting is smooth and natural as always and Om Puri shines in his brief role of Sharji. I don't consider 'Raat' as a family entertainment, because it's not made from entertainment perspective but still remains a horror drama that is rude and truly chilling. As Sharji says, ' When we light a lamp, a certain area around it is lit. This illumination is just a deception, because the areas where light doesn't reach are still dark and hold so many secrets that can only be understood in the light of paranormal wisdom. We need to be prepared to fight this darkness, else it will consume us.' I guess this statement details everything about 'Raat' and the thought that might have provoked Ram Gopal Varma to produce and direct it.
Mr. Sharma (Aakash Khurana) has just shifted to a new house located in a posh suburban area of Hyderabad. He lives along with his wife Shalini (Rohini Hattangadi), daughter Manisha aka Minnie (Revathy) who is in her late teens and grandson Bunty (Atit), who is the son of his deceased daughter and elder sister of Minnie. The house is elegant and the Sharmas are happy with it. Minnie is happier than everyone else because the house next to hers belongs to her fast friend Rashmi (Jaya Mathur). Minnie lives a carefree life and loves spending quality time with her college mates like Deepak (Sushant) and Rashmi. Minnie is having a silent affair with Deepak and both of them want to keep their profile low.
Ever since the Sharmas shifted to this new house, Minnie is having nightmares, where she finds herself being chased by some unknown entity that ultimately gets her. Scoffing at her own silliness, Minnie dejects the idea that something might be fishy. She even suffers from episodes of delusion where she finds herself all alone even when surrounded with her friends in actuality. Rashmi's grandmother, who had been living in the very next house is surprised how the Sharmas decided to move into this house because she thinks (or knows?) that the house had a bad past and is home to an evil spirit. Minnie's delusions take a bad turn one day, when she decides to go to a nearby picnic spot with Deepak on his birthday.
During their trip Deepak gets an idea that something is abnormal with Minnie as during a fit of delusion, the color of her eyes change and she behaves as if her senses are being ruled by some unknown entity. The episodes come and go in a jiffy but gradually intensify. Minnie even kills Rashmi in a fit of delusion and the investigating officer Tej Sapru is mysteriously trampled under a truck. Rashmi's death mystery remains unsolved. Shalini begins to smell a rat too but Mr. Sharma doesn't believe her. One night, Minnie attacks her father thus giving him a reason to believe that something strange is lurking in the vicinity. Mr. Sharma considers it to be a psychological problem and brings home a shrink (Anant Nag) but Shalini is advised by Rashmi's grandmother to seek the help of Sharji (Om Puri), a renowned exorcist. Sharji's findings reveal that an evil spirit (Sunanda) is living below the house and needs to be warded off to save Minnie's life. How Sharji, Deepak and Shalini work together to save Minnie's life forms rest of the story.
'Raat' reeks atmosphere and is intense at several places. Revathi is brilliant and truly convincing in her efforts. Deepak doesn't have much to do, but his role is still an important ingredient of this flick. Even after 22 years, I would like to thank Ram Gopal Varma for his ingenious and flawless direction. One shouldn't forget Bunty as well, because he literally owns some of the most memorable scenes, especially the ones related to his dear cat. Aakash Khurana's effortless acting is smooth and natural as always and Om Puri shines in his brief role of Sharji. I don't consider 'Raat' as a family entertainment, because it's not made from entertainment perspective but still remains a horror drama that is rude and truly chilling. As Sharji says, ' When we light a lamp, a certain area around it is lit. This illumination is just a deception, because the areas where light doesn't reach are still dark and hold so many secrets that can only be understood in the light of paranormal wisdom. We need to be prepared to fight this darkness, else it will consume us.' I guess this statement details everything about 'Raat' and the thought that might have provoked Ram Gopal Varma to produce and direct it.
Way to long to get to the payoff.
abbott327 March 2004
Raat was an OK movie but was not all that scary and used music and dream sequences throughout to make it seem scarier than it was. I will have to admit that, for the most part, the music was a great asset to the film. I think that about 3/4 of the film was a lead in to the last quarter which was pretty decent but no more effective than most B Grade movies of the type. There were also way too many red herrings throughout the film and, when the girl acted possessed, it looked like she was acting possessed. The film quality was also only so-so. A much better film of this genre on all counts is Bhoot where Urmila really looks and acts possessed and the chills and story are top notch in every respect.
The best horror film of the early 90s
chetandalvi30 June 2020
'Raat' reeks atmosphere and is intense at several places. Revathi is brilliant and truly convincing in her efforts. This is one of the best horror movies and the milestone of Indian Cinema.
Overall, this film will make you shiver for sure, the performances are very memorable.
Rip off of Poltergeist and Exorcist
srivarey-110 June 2007
This movie is one more of self stylized yet copy cat movies of RGV. Death of a pet, TV's mysterious off/on all directly lifted from poltergeist. Highly pretentious background score and photography. RGV is good at introducing popular western themes to the Indian audience but awfully lacks originality. If you want see some original work of RGV go and rent Siva, Kshana Kshanam (Telugu), Satya and Anaganaga Oka Roju (Telugu). He is to be blamed for all the "run of the mill" crap produced from his so called factory. He is the one who commercialized the art of cinema but ironically many people think he is the man of artistic integrity and creativity.
One of the rare good Hindi horror movies
amitdkhan28 May 2004
I had started to become a fan of Ram Gopal Verma when I saw this movie. And I was all the more impressed by this talented film maker. The movie can remind us of Exorcist. But only as far as the main theme goes. Otherwise it is shot completely differently. Believe me, you will be kept on the edge of your seat if you see it in full attention. The atmosphere is kept tense all the time from beginning . The movie has many innovative scenes which I had never seen before (the one in the theater, and the one in the jungle off a road for e.g.). Not to mention, the background score, Revati's performance, and Om Puri's role. The possessed Revati's expressions really scared me.
Final note : See it !!
(Actually I was disappointed when I saw Bhoot recently. Why did he have to make a not-that-good horror movie when he had already accomplished more successfully in Raat ?)
Final note : See it !!
(Actually I was disappointed when I saw Bhoot recently. Why did he have to make a not-that-good horror movie when he had already accomplished more successfully in Raat ?)
Best Ghost Movie From Bolly
rupak_speaking3 March 2018
Pick anything out of Ramgopal Verma Part I and you will find a gem mostly, as was Raat, which to my mind is the best ever ghost movie Bollywood has produced. Revathi is the star of the show, stupendous acting, and the eeriness felt throughout is unmatched in even the directors's later movies. 8/10
Trendsetter in Hindi horror.
nadkarnisumeet10 September 2020
Raat review :
The Ramsays dominated the 80s so much that horror genre got synonymous with them. Scary movies meant Anirudh Agarwal with a mud pack on his face, a bath happy heroine and a religious symbol or idol which turned savior in the end.
Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) tried to do something different with Raat - a film having none of the above elements - which paved the way for the future horror movies in Bollywood.
Revathy played Mini who gets possessed when her family shifts to a new house. Without relying on a hideous looking ghost, RGV evoked tremendous fear in minds of viewer through effective camera angles and sound effects. Revathy was outstanding in the lead role and she reportedly, faced lot of anxiety issues during the filming.
Om Puri's tantrik was memorable too. He only appears at the end but makes his strong presence felt. "Darkness never vanishes, it's only diminished by light in a particular radius" is his interesting explanation to the paranormal.
Raat was released with much publicised 70MM print and 6 track stereophonic sound at Mumbai's New Excelsior cinema. Taking cue from a stunt employed by certain Hollywood film, the makers had parked an ambulance outside New Excelsior for any exigency emerging to weak hearted viewers while watching the film.
Sadly, the film didnt work at the box office but later caught on in the video circuit to emerge a cult classic. In one of his later interviews, RGV admitted that the publicity of film should've focused on its good content rather than the 70MM stereo. He remade Raat (with minor changes) as Bhoot in 2003 which became a super hit. But Raat will always remain special as the one which ushered in a new change in Hindi horror.
Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.
The Ramsays dominated the 80s so much that horror genre got synonymous with them. Scary movies meant Anirudh Agarwal with a mud pack on his face, a bath happy heroine and a religious symbol or idol which turned savior in the end.
Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) tried to do something different with Raat - a film having none of the above elements - which paved the way for the future horror movies in Bollywood.
Revathy played Mini who gets possessed when her family shifts to a new house. Without relying on a hideous looking ghost, RGV evoked tremendous fear in minds of viewer through effective camera angles and sound effects. Revathy was outstanding in the lead role and she reportedly, faced lot of anxiety issues during the filming.
Om Puri's tantrik was memorable too. He only appears at the end but makes his strong presence felt. "Darkness never vanishes, it's only diminished by light in a particular radius" is his interesting explanation to the paranormal.
Raat was released with much publicised 70MM print and 6 track stereophonic sound at Mumbai's New Excelsior cinema. Taking cue from a stunt employed by certain Hollywood film, the makers had parked an ambulance outside New Excelsior for any exigency emerging to weak hearted viewers while watching the film.
Sadly, the film didnt work at the box office but later caught on in the video circuit to emerge a cult classic. In one of his later interviews, RGV admitted that the publicity of film should've focused on its good content rather than the 70MM stereo. He remade Raat (with minor changes) as Bhoot in 2003 which became a super hit. But Raat will always remain special as the one which ushered in a new change in Hindi horror.
Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.
rgv at his best
sasikiranx30 August 2018
The movie ,still, is creepy after all these years...this is a highly underrated work from rgv ,it is better than all his crime films combined.
revathi gives a stellar performance...the movie is gripping till the end...i hope rgv revisits this genre athough 'bhooth nd icecream' shud be better ignored as aberrations...
Excruciatingly slow
Biswas_20 September 2022
I watched this horror film upon some random guys recommendation on Facebook. When I saw the running length of almost 126 mins, my red flags were raised immediately. Good Horror films are generally at the most 90 mins long .
This is one of (or maybe the) first possession based horror film made by the then famous director Ram Gopal Verma, best known for his weird camera angles and interesting story telling.
RAAT however, is extremely slow paced. The first 1 hour or so i nearly dozed off because the small important build up events were far apart and was mostly cluttered with Mini's life and her bf. The editing is extremely poor and not crisp. Lots of things in the first half could have been chopped off because in such horror thrillers, you need to make the screenplay tight but RAAT takes its own sweet time to build up the tensions.
Even in second half, things do take off slightly and gets a bit more scarier only at the end for only a min or two. So the 2nd half is the part of this movie that is worth watching, somewhat.
Another problem is that the setting is not spooky enough . I remember RGV's similar film Bhoot had a much creepier setting and it was a crisply edited film and Bhoot continues to remain one of my favourite Bollywood horror. RAAT should have chopped off the boyfriend angle and focused only on building the horror. That would have brought the random spooky events close to each other and chopped off the length by atleast 30 mins.
The good thing about this film is that it doesn't try to spook you with any jumpscares but rather with spooky creepy events (although none spooked or creeped me thanks to the slow screenplay). Revathy's performance is genuinely good but i think Urmila in Bhoot was better. No special effects (except for one in the last part) and no weird flying or Spiderman like hanging ghosts or possessed people which again is a good thing not following the regular troupes. No unnecessary songs in between (thank god there are none otherwise the film would have stretched for another 20 mins and it would have been enough for me to stop watching).
Overall, i think this film set the path to possession based horrors in india but to me, it was not a good horror film. Bhoot was better than this.
This is one of (or maybe the) first possession based horror film made by the then famous director Ram Gopal Verma, best known for his weird camera angles and interesting story telling.
RAAT however, is extremely slow paced. The first 1 hour or so i nearly dozed off because the small important build up events were far apart and was mostly cluttered with Mini's life and her bf. The editing is extremely poor and not crisp. Lots of things in the first half could have been chopped off because in such horror thrillers, you need to make the screenplay tight but RAAT takes its own sweet time to build up the tensions.
Even in second half, things do take off slightly and gets a bit more scarier only at the end for only a min or two. So the 2nd half is the part of this movie that is worth watching, somewhat.
Another problem is that the setting is not spooky enough . I remember RGV's similar film Bhoot had a much creepier setting and it was a crisply edited film and Bhoot continues to remain one of my favourite Bollywood horror. RAAT should have chopped off the boyfriend angle and focused only on building the horror. That would have brought the random spooky events close to each other and chopped off the length by atleast 30 mins.
The good thing about this film is that it doesn't try to spook you with any jumpscares but rather with spooky creepy events (although none spooked or creeped me thanks to the slow screenplay). Revathy's performance is genuinely good but i think Urmila in Bhoot was better. No special effects (except for one in the last part) and no weird flying or Spiderman like hanging ghosts or possessed people which again is a good thing not following the regular troupes. No unnecessary songs in between (thank god there are none otherwise the film would have stretched for another 20 mins and it would have been enough for me to stop watching).
Overall, i think this film set the path to possession based horrors in india but to me, it was not a good horror film. Bhoot was better than this.
A masterpiece RGV will be forever remembered for.
acroking8718 June 2021
Although it can't be said about Ram Gopal Varma's subsequent and recent works, especially in the horror genre, Raat is one of those movies that changed the tide of the horror cult in mainstream Indian cinema. It's a movie RGV made for which I can ignore every cinematic misadventure he has done otherwise.
It made directors bid farewell (albeit decades later since the movie was so much ahead of its times) to the cliched deformed bodies and disfigured faces as the only means to scare the audience and opt for more realism, focus on odd camera angles and focused music as a means of fear.
The movie makes you uncomfortable right from the word go. You feel the scares under your skin, even after rewatching it and it definitely stays with you for long; the hallmark of a great horror production.
A case can be raised that Raat can scare you even with your eyes closed, that's how eerily good the background score is.
I haven't seen her other work much but Raat puts Revathy in the orbital of magnificent acting.
Raat is a must have in a horror movie collector's library. Most modern Hindi horror movie directors should revisit the movie as a case study and learn the art of minimalism when it comes to perpetually terrorise even the most sceptical of the audience.
It made directors bid farewell (albeit decades later since the movie was so much ahead of its times) to the cliched deformed bodies and disfigured faces as the only means to scare the audience and opt for more realism, focus on odd camera angles and focused music as a means of fear.
The movie makes you uncomfortable right from the word go. You feel the scares under your skin, even after rewatching it and it definitely stays with you for long; the hallmark of a great horror production.
A case can be raised that Raat can scare you even with your eyes closed, that's how eerily good the background score is.
I haven't seen her other work much but Raat puts Revathy in the orbital of magnificent acting.
Raat is a must have in a horror movie collector's library. Most modern Hindi horror movie directors should revisit the movie as a case study and learn the art of minimalism when it comes to perpetually terrorise even the most sceptical of the audience.
Horrible
ayonbhunia4 May 2022
An exotic treat for open-minded fans
peepingtomcat1 October 2002
Warning: Spoilers
******MINOR SPOILERS****
Mixing dashes of THE EXORCIST, EVIL DEAD-inspired scares with Dario Argento-style image/sound combinations against a NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET-derived female teen protaganist, RAATRI really is the business. Never dull, and boasting some eerie atmospheric sequences (esp. when she finds herself alone, in what was seconds previously a crowded cinema-truly hallucinogenic), the cut'n'paste nature of the plot doesn't interfere with the flick's high enjoyability factor.
RAATRI is an oddity for a Hindi flick- with no songs, no dance sequences,it delivers none of the escapism/romance typical of mainstream Bollywood fare. (To my Western eyes it seems like a totally "Off-Bollywood" production). This fact alone makes it a rare treat, and the peculiarly Indian spin on Hollywood's high school genre combined with the usual censorship limitations (i.e low gore) combine in an exotic manner delivering a tone quite unlike anything I've ever seen before. It's as cheesy as 80's Hong Kong horror in places, but...with that era sadly gone forever, this isn't necessarily a complaint.
The lack of body count may disappoint hardcore gore-hounds but the film makes up for it in spades, with over-the-top sound design and a highly charged, atmospheric and eerie music score (some of which sounds awfully familiar to THE EXORCIST).
For newbies to Hindi film, it's a great introduction and minus the staple song and dance numbers, (which I felt would have been terrific) it's a breezy two hours plus in duration. The acting is fine, the fx-old school (but all the better for it) and...the ending?...well, I've always been a sucker for a freeze-frame finale, especially when there's a demonic cat involved! Who couldn't dig a film that that simply announces "THRILLS by..." in the opening titles?
The end credits mysteriously announce "70mm" in sound and pic departments-and the mind boggles at the thought of this gem being shot and viewed (if such is the case) in this format. WOW!
Mixing dashes of THE EXORCIST, EVIL DEAD-inspired scares with Dario Argento-style image/sound combinations against a NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET-derived female teen protaganist, RAATRI really is the business. Never dull, and boasting some eerie atmospheric sequences (esp. when she finds herself alone, in what was seconds previously a crowded cinema-truly hallucinogenic), the cut'n'paste nature of the plot doesn't interfere with the flick's high enjoyability factor.
RAATRI is an oddity for a Hindi flick- with no songs, no dance sequences,it delivers none of the escapism/romance typical of mainstream Bollywood fare. (To my Western eyes it seems like a totally "Off-Bollywood" production). This fact alone makes it a rare treat, and the peculiarly Indian spin on Hollywood's high school genre combined with the usual censorship limitations (i.e low gore) combine in an exotic manner delivering a tone quite unlike anything I've ever seen before. It's as cheesy as 80's Hong Kong horror in places, but...with that era sadly gone forever, this isn't necessarily a complaint.
The lack of body count may disappoint hardcore gore-hounds but the film makes up for it in spades, with over-the-top sound design and a highly charged, atmospheric and eerie music score (some of which sounds awfully familiar to THE EXORCIST).
For newbies to Hindi film, it's a great introduction and minus the staple song and dance numbers, (which I felt would have been terrific) it's a breezy two hours plus in duration. The acting is fine, the fx-old school (but all the better for it) and...the ending?...well, I've always been a sucker for a freeze-frame finale, especially when there's a demonic cat involved! Who couldn't dig a film that that simply announces "THRILLS by..." in the opening titles?
The end credits mysteriously announce "70mm" in sound and pic departments-and the mind boggles at the thought of this gem being shot and viewed (if such is the case) in this format. WOW!
Its a rgv horror classic
rahul-rdthecool-das4 March 2020
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