Dybbuk starts on a promising note. The opening sequence and the opening titles are very well executed. The way Nikita Dutta gets possessed and what happens thereafter add to the scare quotient. The introduction of the Catholic and Jewish priests raise hopes that the second half will go on another level. Sadly, the post-interval portions are hardly scary. Even though the film is just 112 minutes long, it turns out to be a lengthy affair. The finale is not as tarrying as it was intended to be. Emraan Hashmi as expected is apt for this role. Nikita Dutta is the biggest surprise. Unlike other horror films where the heroine does all sorts of crazy things when possessed, here Nikita plays it subtly and it works. Denzil Smith and Manav Kaul are impressive. Anil George and Resh Lamba (Masood) do well in cameo roles. Gaurav Sharma (Inspector Riyaz Ahmed) is decent. Yuri Suri (Yakub Ezra) suits the part. Imaad Shah (Abraham Ezra) and Darshana Banik (Norah) are fine while Sushmita Sur (Joshina the maid) is wasted. All in all, Dybbuk fails to give a chill down the spine.

My rating - ** out of 5!

TWO DIGITAL FILMS TO ENTERTAIN AUDIENCES IN THE PRE-DIWALI WEEK

The pre-Diwali week is often considered dull in terms of occupancy in cinemas. Some in the trade even call it the worst week to release a film. However, the rule doesn’t apply to digital films. Even last year, a couple of films like Laxmii, Chhalaang and Ludo etc released before Diwali and yet got great viewership, with Laxmii breaking viewership records as per reports. This year, two interesting films will be released this Friday, on October 29, that is, a week before Diwali. And both look interesting and hence, can get decent views.

The big one out of the two is Hum Do Hamare Do. It stars Rajkummar Rao, Kriti Sanon, Paresh Rawal and Ratna Pathak Shah. It is directed by Abhishek Jain, a popular Gujarati director who also recently made Pratik Gandhi’s web series, Vitthal Teedi. Produced by Dinesh Vijan, it tells the story of a man who gets fake parents to impress the woman he loves. The trailer is hilarious and has got noticed. It looks like a complete family entertainer and would have worked well in cinemas. The songs haven’t become hits but the ‘Bansuri’ song has grabbed eyeballs thanks to Kriti’s hot avatar. If the word of mouth is positive, it can surely get a huge number of views once it releases on Disney+ Hotstar.

The other flick is Dybbuk, starring Emraan Hashmi and Nikita Dutta. It’s a horror film and a remake of the Malayalam film Ezra. The film was shot in 2019 in Mauritius and in utmost secrecy. Not a single still or on-location picture ever got leaked. Technically, the film looks rich but one fears that it might turn out to be yet another poor horror film. Also, the awareness is negligible. Many are not aware of this film as the promotions started just 10 days back. On top of it, it has a very weird title. It releases on Amazon Prime and if it’s well made, it can find an audience. It releases two days before Halloween and this factor can help as people like watching horror films during this festival.