Actor Ashraf and Actress Aditi in Ra Movie Stills
And then, Ra begins in earnest, announcing the arrival of Satan.
*****
To be fair to Ra, it is horror with a different intent. Take for instance a moment which we are shown an hour into the movie. Ajay, who had lost his wife under mysterious circumstances, begins witnessing paranormal occurrences. But there are no cloaked figures here. And the supernatural being that Ajay confronts is nothing but his own self. He’s also caught in this strange phenomenon…of time warp.
We heave a sigh of relief; this one might offer some respite after all – red font against black notwithstanding.
But soon enough, there’s an obvious struggle between the desire to show something different, and the desire to throw in some cheap scares. The director finally yields to temptation, though. And indulges in the forbidden.
Just before intermission, a mangled face makes an appearance.
*****
A tastefully furnished bungalow is what Ra picks for its tale. While we delight in those glass-panelled balustrades, a series of unexplained murders within haunt the residents. Quite a few exorcists, and a session with a psychic later, the reason emerges.
That the murders weren’t a paranormal phenomenon, but (woefully) human.
Recommended
Ra doesn’t end there, though. It pursues the dark with a vengeance, tells us the murders and the paranormal occurrences are mutually exclusive, and doesn’t rest until it has unleashed the Satan.
Which has the power to destroy the world, we are told. Which is peddled as the reason for several natural disast..
Oh never mind.
*****
Do listen to the Purple Note album.
*****
The Ra review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the movie. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have an advertising relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site. But you knew that, didn’t you?