Kaali Khuhi       

Netflix

*ing: Shabana Azmi, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Riva Arora, Satyadeep Misra, Leela Samson, Hetvi Bhanushali

Rated: 5/10

Just because there is a ghost in the movie, it doesn’t make it scary. Sadly, most horror films are based on two premises — either the things that go bump in the night are flesh eating ugly as sin, (remember Ramsay Brothers ghosts?), blood dripping creatures or the ghost is just out for revenge. In Kaali Khuhi, it is the latter. This means that there are bodies that are falling left, right and centre and nothing else much.

It is another matter that Terrie Samundra, who has written and directed this one, has added a rather sad and horrible reason for this ghost to take revenge — female foeticide. The positives here are the subject of the film, which is hard-hitting and the atmosphere that Samundra has managed to create — a non-descript village in Punjab, the sprawling fields, the early morning mist, the heavy rains and a well that has non-existent water. All this adds to the creepiness. Beyond this, there is nothing much here that will hold one’s interest as the first half will leave one wondering what is happening. It is only after 45 minutes into the film that one will get some clarity which makes one wonder why such a long build up?

Even Shabana Azmi’s talents are wasted here. There is nothing much for her to do here but appear to be part scared about what is coming and part trying to appear that all is well in a village that has a horrible practice of throwing newborn girl child into a well. Hence the title Kaali Khuhi. Despite this, she is the one who holds the film together.

Overall, a watchable movie.