Phhir
wogma rating: Switch channels if it's on cable (?)
Phhir is one of those films where I want my main review to be the quick review. It's taxing when everything you have to say about a film is bad. It's not scary, it's not thrilling. It beats its own purpose and is just bad. I'd like to just say, "switch channels if it's on cable!" and get away with it. But, oh well...
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A medium - the person used by the paranormal to communicate - is trying to convince a doctor that she can use her mystical powers to find his missing wife. He tells her that makes no sense. She says, "Do you want logic or wife?" And that pretty much sums up what the writer wants to tell us, "Do you want logic or movie?" For example, this medium person can sense stuff by touching people on TV screens but not sense a walking-talking spirit.
The proceedings are slow, the acting is bad. Everytime Adah Sharma said, "I am a medium." I felt like saying out loud, "well, you look like a large." Yep, that bad! And it's sad because one scene Adah Sharma had in 1920 is etched in my memory for the way it spooked me. But here, nothing is spooking or even remotely thrilling. The attempt at creating mystery with all the non-linear back and forth was unnecessary and rather amusing after a point, unintentionally of course.
The background score is noisy. In "tense" situations, there was this weird competition between tamsoma sadgamaya and loud Bollywoody-hip-hop music that said "maahi ve", no less! I am no filmmaker, neither do I aspire to be, but I really want to understand the psyche behind this decision.
But then, I'd want to understand why this film was made in the first place. If it were to make us aware of the power of the supernatural, it defies its purpose. The supernatural was warning against all the wrong things, all through the film.
Unfortunately, the production values of the film are so bad that you cannot even have fun laughing at the film. It's not like we haven't seen worse but it surely is one of those that you should make a point to save yourself from.
- meeta, a part of the audience
Thumbs up, by Anaam, Glamsham.com : ...The (1920 fame) lead actors Adah Sharma and Rajneesh Duggal have done a creditable job. Telly actress Roshni Chopra, who makes her big screen debut, is good too.... full review
Thumbs up, by Melissa Nazareth, Rediff : ...It has been shot at interesting locales as well.... full review
So-So, by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India : ...The encounters lack all chemistry, just as the sporadic romance between Duggal and his wife lacks passion. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Pankit Narang, Apun Ka Choice : ...predictable and slow movie... full review
Thumbs down, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...Should have been released directly on Home Video.... full review
Thumbs down, by Subhash K Jha, Bolly Spice : ...The best performance in this pretty but listless supernatural thriller comes from the film’s producer Vikram Bhatt who plays a sinister extortionist’s voice on the telephone... full review
Thumbs down, by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama : ...PHHIR has some exciting moments, but a weak finale lets it down completely. ... full review
Thumbs down, Daily Bhaskar : ...Girish Dhamija impresses one in the initial 20 minutes, as he doesn’t waste time in establishing the story. But as soon as the ‘Sia search operation’ begins, the plot starts losing threads.... full review
Thumbs down, by Payal Khanna, Desi Martini : ...Poor Attempt ... full review
Thumbs down, by Ameetbhuvan, Desi Martini : ...Wasted opportunity... full review
Thumbs down, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...That husbands who are grief-stricken after their wives disappear are free to behave badly, break glasses, and snarl at people, pretty mediums included, who are only trying to help.... full review
Thumbs down, by Komal Nahta, koimoi : ...Rajneesh Duggal does reasonably well. Adah Sharma is quite nice. Roshni Chopra also performs fairly well. Parag Tyagi is average. ... full review
Thumbs down, Movie Talkies : ...Roshni Chopra too fails to look her part ... full review
Thumbs down, by Mansha Rastogi, Now Running.com : ...The intercutting in the film is pretty intelligently used but the problem is that filmmaker Girish Dhamija makes overuse of it reducing its impact... full review
Thumbs down, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...Avoid, unless you’re a fan of the no-brainer thriller. ... full review
Thumbs down, by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com : ...story is anti-dated, incomplete and therefore beyond comprehension... full review
Thumbs down, by Sudhish Kamath, The Hindu : ...With its seemingly improvised make-it-up-as-you-go narrative, the film goes back and forth in time to tell us something it forgot. And sometimes it is because it has changed its mind about how a scene ought to play out. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Reel Reptile, Upper Stall : ...It is no low-budget film, even though the cinematographer and sound designer try very hard to make it look like one... full review
MovieReviews_MS: 5/5 Review on Phhir Movie by sumit3G : phhir se watch phhir - http://bit.ly/pooK5i
SudhishKamath: Phhir: What happens when you put a bunch of non actors together and make the audience read their face. Social experiment. Dozed off. WTF/10
realmaharaja: So Phhir is terrible movie. Minus one and a half stars. Would leave now but it's raining.
r1kartik: Vikram Bhatt is at it again. As a producer this time. PHHIR would not recommend a view Phhir Se :D http://kartikr.blogspot.com/2011/08/phhir.html
Krishna_Krish64: Back home after #phhir. i have decided that i will not watch #phhir again. #justwasteoftime
iampratt: Phhir Review Business rating: 1/5 star. http://fb.me/18CtXJdhQ
This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.
Plot Summary
Kabir's wife Sia goes missing. Disha who has a sixth sense that makes her see...no, not dead people...things she hasn't witnessed physically, wants to help him find her.
What Worked
- Some of the scenes with stop motion.
What did not
- Why was the newsreader leaning towards the camera so awkwardly?
- "Mediums" can communicate by touching a person on the TV screen!?
- The animated feather. Yikes!
- Police entering surreptitiously, through the front door!
Parental Guidance:
- Violence: One gun-cum-fist fight
- Language: Clean
- Nudity & Sexual content: none
- Concept: Reincarnation, revenge, repentance, etc
- General Look and Feel: Sad
![[Vikram Bhatt twitter account]](/static/images/icons/twitter_small.png){kind=icon}
Comments (3)
Not worth you time. Sheer Appointment.
@jamila sincere apologies. Mistake rectified. Thanks for pointing it out, personal attack notwithstanding.
@biddu :)
It’s a great movie interms of its theme and message ..but the direction could have been much better
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