Horror film "Machhli Jal Ki Rani Hai" (MJKRH) starring Swara Bhaskar has failed to live up to critics' expectations.
The film is directed by Debaloy Dey and also features Bhanu Uday, Murli Sharma and Reema Debnath in important roles.
Like most of the horror films released in the past, "MJKRH" too fails to scare the critics. The film has predictable storyline, which serves as the main disappointment.
Read the complete reviews here:
Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India said: "Novelty cannot be expected much in horror, given the nature of the genre. But if the cliched scenes manage to scare you, the job is done. Machhli Jal Ki Rani Hai has a formulaic premise too - a woman alone in a haunted house, doors shutting by themselves, mysterious gory deaths, 'I-believe-in-ghosts' maid and an exorcism in the climax. While the film has incorporated all the elements possible, it struggles to maintain tension. The focus diverts from ghost presence and possession to the couple hosting dinner parties for their friends.
"If you get spooked easily, you may not mind this one. If you like horror, watch Insidious (2010) or Ram Gopal Varma's Bhoot (2003) again. Those are classics."
Rahul Desai of Mumbai Mirror said: "The story can be spelled out in code words: past, water-witch, Exorcist, present, happy family, haunted house, fishtank, possessed wife, return of exorcist, great success. Why it must always end with an exorcist chanting mantras over a possessed woman's body is a question that-I suspect-will remain unanswered.
"The title is a popular Indian children's nursery rhyme, and perhaps kids under the age of ten would have been the perfect target audience to frighten. Unfortunately, this film is rated A (Adults only), and therefore, falls way short of remotely acceptable levels of spooky entertainment.
Ameet Bhuvan of Desimartini said: "A horror film is done to death, pun intended, in many ways on the big screen. So a lot of making a good horror film is all about reinventing the wheel, innovatively. Or at the basic minimum doing the done thing sincerely. Machchli jal ki rani hai does none of it. In fact, it does nothing. The most horrifying thing about this film is that it is not in the least spooky, and is capable of giving Raagini mms2 a run for its money in mediocrity.
"There is very little that is not predictable in this film, very little that actually scared you. Small horror attempts like these actually harm those rare good small films that have a potential to become our own PA series. Stay clear, stay safe."
Johnson Thomas of Free Press Journal said: "You just don't want to know because you can't be bothered. That is how uninvolving the standard issue story and lacklustre treatment are. The film doesn't even boast of a genuine scare. The contrived, faultily engineered ones are laughable. Even the performances don't have any conviction. Hysterics abound aplenty. The only time you'll be lucky to be genuinely horrified is when you come across the open ending. Just the thought of a sequel to this horror farce can give you the Hives!"
