These days, people are stepping towards noncommercial films, especially suspense and horror thrillers, which are all the rage. Recent super hits like Masooda and Maa Oori Polimera have opened scope for more low-budget debuts in the Telugu industry. One such film is Bhavani Ward 1997. Let’s see whether this horror musical is a hit or a miss.
The Unholy Spirit
The film starts with a doctor yelling at the ward staff to shift the patient to Bhavani Ward. They warn her not to visit the floor after 8:00 PM, as it’s haunted by a vengeful spirit. The next scene comes with a beautiful love story of the protagonists, which soon turns into a nightmare as his lover is confronted by a ghost. He starts a quest to uncover the real story and purpose of the evil spirit.
Actually, the whole story revolves around a book called Urban Legends, which is truly inspired by real-life horror events. So, who is sister Irene and what is her connection to the heroine & the book? What is the story of the Bhavani Ward? covers the rest of the story.
When was it released?
The film, directed by G.D. Narasimha, was initially released on February 7 of this year in limited theaters. With very little publicity and new lead actors, the film couldn’t make its mark for long on the silver screen and received mixed reviews. Even its OTT premiere was postponed until this week. However, the film’s suspense and terrifying scenes have grabbed the attention. Thus, it became an overnight hot topic on Prime Video.
Visuals and characters
The movie comes with a disclaimer, “Only for brave hearts,” but it’s not true. Its horror part doesn’t do justice to the story, the protagonists are lacking as actors, especially the hero. His dubbing is a big mess and very artificial. In fact, he just tries to put himself in a role that doesn’t suit him at all. While the heroine and side characters are quite a relief.
When it comes to visuals, the background story of the evil spirit and the climax are the only good parts of the film. The director tries to create fear by attaching long scenes of haunted ghosts, but to no use and doesn’t create much of a thrilling effect. Further, the background sounds, too, didn’t work out and don’t create much of an effect.
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Music and Screenplay
The movie is claimed as a musical horror genre, while the impact is nil. I say it doesn’t create any special effect nor leave any mark on the audience. Further, the screenplay, title card, storyline, & climax are almost all the same clichĂ©s. They don’t offer anything new to prey on, and also some unreasonable scenes, like latching onto ghosts because of writing a book or regional methods to ward away the spirit, don’t do the trick.
Final Verdict
The movie is a mediocre and amateur attempt at a horror thriller. Indeed, there is some new stuff to look at in the plot, but it wouldn’t save us from lagging scenes. The makers’ emphasis on the effects of the evil spirit is an utter failure. Likewise, the camerawork and dubbing are below par. I would say avoid, as there are better options on Prime. Platform: Amazon Prime
IMDb: 8.8/10 Rotten Tomatoes: 60% My Ratings: 2/5
Written by: Meghana Pinninti