Darna Mana Hai is a cult classic now, but since I have always been rather afraid of the horror genre—only leaning into it in the past few years—I realised I had not yet seen this Prawaal Raman debut directorial. Going into it, I did not think I would enjoy this film that much, but I have to be honest: it was better than I expected.
A “TL;DR” Review of Darna Mana Hai
- Story — 3.5/5
- Acting — 4/5
- Direction — 4/5
- Scare Factor: 3/5
Must Watch: Not exactly (but should also not be discounted easily)
One-Time Watch: Yes
Darna Mana Hai Review — A Deep Dive
This is one of the better horror movies to have come out of the Hindi film industry, especially when you consider that its contemporaries from the early 2000s were far more melodramatic and… intense.
Darna Mana Hai isn’t one of those films that is trying to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it embraces and nurtures the tropes of the horror genre in a rather satisfying way. The one side-effect of this approach is that Darna Mana Hai isn’t going to be a “scary” film with loads of jump scares or gore. However, its eclectic take on the cliches actually works in its favour.
It’s more a thriller than pure horror, but that’s not a deal breaker.
Obviously, the larger theme this movie tackles is fear, along with the supernatural and the weird. The six smaller stories all seem to target some sort of human behaviour or emotion, with the grand finale sporting the “jo darr gaya wo marr gaya” hypothesis.
In other words, while some stories are a bit vague in their ending or worldbuilding, they still have the impact they intend to, making Darna Mana Hai worthwhile.
The film has also got an excellent cast, with each actor imbuing their characters exceptionally well. Even though Darna Mana Hai has an ensemble cast, it still feels fresh and eclectic.
In fact, its unconventional pairings—such as Saif Ali Khan/Boman Irani and Shilpa Shetty/Rajpal Yadav—help make Darna Mana Hai a fresh experience, especially given that it otherwise relies heavily on the generic plots of the horror genre.
This movie is also a great choice for those who — like me — have been scared of the genre but still want to dip their toes in the water. In the end, while I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a great watch for fans of hardcore horror, still, Darna Mana Hai is a movie worth a watch.
Darna Mana Hai Plot Synopsis
Darna Mana Hai is an anthology horror film where a gang of college friends stranded in a remote area share scary stories to pass the time. Each tale explores supernatural encounters, from haunted forests to eerie lodges. But as the night unfolds, the travellers realise they’re bound by more than just these grim stories, facing a terror beyond their imagination.
