Darna Zaroori Hai (2006) Review | Darna Mana Hai Sequel

For those who don’t know, Darna Zaroori Hai is actually the sequel to Darna Mana Hai, a film that initially flopped when it first came out but has now been widely accepted by audiences as one of the better Indian horror films out there.

Both the films in this RGV (Ram Gopal Verma) universe are anthologies with a main arc and then several smaller stories that drive the plot further.

But does the sequel manage to outdo Darna Mana Hai? Let’s talk about it.

Darna Zaroori Hai — Review at a Glance

Story — 3/5
Acting — 3.5/5
Direction — 3/5
Music — 2/5

Must-Watch: No

One-Time Watch: Yes

Darna Zaroori Hai Review — A Deep Dive

Well, one thing is for certain — RGV certainly knew how to take criticism and laugh at himself. The beginning of Darna Zaroori Hai pokes a lot of fun at how badly its prequel performed, but it doesn’t stop there.

In fact, much of Darna Zaroori Hai has this inherent comic quality in its script. In other words, all of its stories are funny, but only some of them are scary (though all are creepy enough to satiate most people).

Speaking of the scare factor, there are certainly some narratives that make an impact, but largely, the film comprises two themes — characters dying simply due to getting scared by other people or actual ghosts scaring people.

So, it definitely lacks more variety in themes and ideas than its predecessor, Darna Mana Hai.

It becomes a little too predictable too soon, and I was constantly questioning if the film was going to get any scarier as it went on.

While I won’t explain more, I will say that one or two stories really stand out in terms of their content. Otherwise, Darna Zaroori Hai mostly feels like a thriller — and not a horror — anthology.

Either way, it will still manage to entertain you, at the very least.

Having said that, however, it definitely felt like the makers were trying to do something different with Darna Zaroori Hai; even if their efforts didn’t bear much fruit, I appreciated the attempt.

Darna Zaroori Hai also boasts of an interesting ensemble cast that includes the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Suniel Shetty, and Arjun Rampal, to name a few. But there’s something about the lack of chemistry between a few characters that throws off the pacing of the film.

As far as the music is concerned, it isn’t anything to write home about. There’s one random item song during the credits and not much else…

Darna Zaroori Hai makes for a fun watch, and the prologue is especially note-worthy. The film starts at a high but doesn’t necessarily end at a low. It creates enough curiosity to keep you hooked, though there may be moments where the horror fails to impress.

When all is said and done, Darna Zaroori Hai isn’t a game-changer, but it is definitely a film you can consider watching when you want only a little bit of horror but a whole lot of something to keep you preoccupied.

Darna Zaroori Hai Plot Overview

The main arc of Darna Zaroori Hai features a group of kids on a school trip who lose their way and find a mansion. Inside, they run into an old lady who tells one of the children — who says nothing scares him — that he will most certainly feel afraid by the time she is done telling him six stories.

As she dives into the anthology of horror, something horrible starts happening to the children, even when all seems normal…