Mansion 24: An Unimaginative Horror Flick With Clichéd Jump Scares

Mansion 24 (Telugu)

  • Cast: Varalakshmi Sarathkumar, Satya Raj, Rao Ramesh, Tulasi, Nandu, and Avika Gor
  • Director: Ohmkar
  • Producer: Ashwin Babu and Kalyan Chakravarthy
  • Music: Vikas Badisha
  • No. of episodes: 6
  • OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar

After carving a niche for himself in television, Ohmkar made his directorial debut with the film Genius (2012) which didn’t live up to the title and ended up being a dud.

But the filmmaker found success with Raju Gari Gadhi released in 2015. It was a mix of comedy, horror, and family emotions culminating with a message.

The movie was a success at the box office and this led to two more films made with the same title.

However, the subsequent films Raju Gari Gadhi 2 (2017) and Raju Gari Gadhi 3 (2019) weren’t financially successful.

Now, the director has made his web series debut with Mansion 24 where the story is heavily reminiscent of his previous work. The only difference in Mansion 24 is that you don’t have any comedy track to ease the tension-filled atmosphere.

Synopsis

Kalidas (Satya Raj) is one of the most revered archaeologists in this country. In the middle of a particular excavation, he disappears without any trace. Not surprisingly, he is labelled as a traitor.

Amrutha (Varalakshmi Sarathkumar) is an investigative journalist and daughter of Kalidas. She takes it upon herself to trace his whereabouts and clear her father’s name.

In this quest, she heads to a mansion that is both abandoned and haunted.

Seetharam (Rao Ramesh), the supposed watchman, tells Amrutha about the various paranormal activities that have happened in the mansion.

In a nutshell, the story is about the various challenges that Amrutha faces in her journey to find out about the alleged betrayal of her father.

Mini-stories fall flat

To give credit where it is due, director Ohmkar is initially successful in creating a strong emotional foundation, the viewers do want Amrutha to succeed.

Also, through the mini-stories, Ohmkar touches upon some societal issues by talking about the ghosts within us.

However, the problem with these mini-stories is the lazy writing. Most of the characters have been poorly etched. As a result, the viewers don’t enjoy these mini-stories as much as they should.

The only segment which has some meat is the one involving Nandu and Bindu Madhavi. Nandu plays a ruthless conman with the right amount of scariness.

The viewers feel afraid of Nandu whenever he appears on the screen.

Bindu Madhavi brings an emotional gravitas to her part of a woman, who has a personal score to settle with Nandu’s character.

Another big problem with Mansion 24 is the characterisations of Satya Raj and Tulasi. Tulasi plays the mother of Amrutha. Neither of them has been fleshed out sufficiently.

Adding to the woes is a melodramatic scene where the mother suddenly recovers from a severe health issue.

Varalaxmi Sarathkumar is effective in portraying the different nuances of Amrutha. The actress manages to rise above the sketchy writing, the viewers wish that she had chosen a much better story.

Characters hear strange sounds, there is a man with a long beard who mouths Sanskrit slokas, and all the ghosts wear white clothes among others. The bankruptcy of ideas is clearly visible.

The cinematography and the production design are in tune with the show’s nature, but there is no element that particularly stands out. The tried and tested horror elements are all there.

Final take

To sum it up, it is high time that Ohmkar let go of the horror genre and did something different.

Hostel Days: Entertaining And Relatable, Particularly To Hostelites

Without deviating from the usual tropes associated with this genre, director Aditya Mandala makes it an engaging watch.

Director Aditya Mandala’s Hostel Days narrate the tale of six engineering students and the various experiences that they go through in their hostel life.

At the centre of this story are Sai (Darahas Maturu), Chitharanjan Bhattacharya (Mouli) and Naveen Yadav (Akshay Lagusani). The series primarily focuses on bullies in the hostel, last-minute preparation for exams, falling in love, etc.

Without deviating from the usual tropes associated with this genre, Aditya Mandala makes it an engaging watch.

Subplots

Campus dramas have their own magic irrespective of what age bracket the viewers are in. The best thing about it is, as expected, the camaraderie that the director creates between the three men. It feels organic.

There are also certain subplots which deserve a mention. These include body shaming and the love-hate relationship between parents and teenagers. They, too, are dealt with sensitively.

This web series also benefits from the witty anecdotes given by the college staff appearing at crucial junctures.

For example, there are the cameos of Jhansi and Rajeev Kanakala. These special appearances have been smartly integrated.

Performances

The acting, across the board, is quite impressive.

Darahas Maturu as Sai brings in the required innocence.

Mouli Tanuj as the wise Geek is also in fine form.

However, Akshay Lagusani steals the show with his uninhibited acting.

Among the female leads, Jaiyetri Makana shines the brightest as a youngster who is on the path of self-discovery.

Nevertheless, one major issue with Hostel Days is the hangover of 3 Idiots (2009) in the ragging portions. Though it works as a bonding tool between the three friends, the lasting after-effects of such bullying also needed to be exposed.

Final take

In all, Hostel Days makes for a breezy watch, particularly if you are in the mood for something light-hearted.

(Views expressed here are personal.)

Virupaksha: A Solid Thriller That Is High On Both Atmospherics And Content

Director Karthik Varma Dandu proves to be a worthy successor to his master Sukumar

Virupaksha (Telugu)                3.5 out of 5

Starcast: Sai Dharam Tej, Samyuktha, Sunil, Bramhaji, Ajay, Rajeev Kanakala and others

Direction and story: Karthik Varma Dandu

Screenplay: Sukumar

Producers: B.V. S. N Prasad and Sukumar

Production Company: Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra

Genre: Horror/thriller

Running time: 2 hours and 26 minutes

Thrillers are one of the most difficult genres to execute for any filmmaker. The reason for that is – then the director has to ensure that audiences are constantly on the edge of their seat and keep guessing what will happen next. It becomes even trickier when the director has chosen a subject with undertones of paranormal activities concerning superstitions.

First time director Karthik Varma Dandu sets the story of Virupaksha in the fictional village of Rudravaram. The film begins off in the year 1979 where a couple is burnt alive by the villagers on the suspicion of practicing black magic. The dying couple puts a curse that the entire village will die by next Puskharam. From here we fast forward to 1991 where a series of deaths start happening. It is at this stage that we are introduced to Surya (Sai Dharam Tej). Surya is a city dweller who comes to his ancestral village with his mother and a friend.

On the way they are greeted by a crow which according to his mother is a bad omen but Surya downplays her concerns. Nandini (Samyukta Menon) is the daughter of the village head played by Rajeev Kanakala. Nandini suffers with seizures from time to time. Her health is quite delicate. Surya and his family are hosted by Savitri (Anchor Shyamala). Surya starts developing an interest in Nandini. He starts flirting with her in the typical style of Sukumar heroes. Some lovey dovey moments take place. But things take a turn for bad on the day of the main puja.

Team Virupakasha with Allu Aravind

A missing villager comes from forest in a possessed state and dies inside the sanctum of the temple. This obviously sends shock waves and an elaborate purification ritual is ordered. The priest (Sai Chand) tells the Sarpanch that the village borders should be closed. The priest further adds that outsiders should no longer remain in the village. Surya and his family prepare to leave, but half way through he has to come back to save Nandini’s life who has another seizure.

Meanwhile Nandini’s friend Sudha (Sonia Singh) plans to escape from the village with her beloved. One night she takes the plunge and leaves for the railway station. There she witnesses her lover being hit by a train. A few days later Sudha herself is found dead. In between two more murders happen. One of them includes Savitri. The rest of the story is about how all these mysteries are solved.

Virupaksha grips you from the start with the way Karthik Varma Dandu builds up the ambience. The screenplay written by director Sukumar is filled with many layers. Karthik Varma Dandu and Sukumar come up with some valid arguments against prejudices and superstitious beliefs that stem from ignorance.

Sonia Singh

Karthik Varma Dandu should also be credited for not making Surya larger than life. There are no pointless songs that deviate the audiences from the main core.

The cinematography of Shamdat Sainudeen adds certain eeriness to the proceedings. The sound effects are very effective in raising some genuine scares. On more than one occasion the viewers would want to close their eyes.

The twists and turns in Virupaksha engross you till the end. At no point we feel the duo has taken us for a ride. A special mention must be made of the revelation at the end. The climax punch works even more because of the way the foreshadowing has been done.

In spite of all its positives there are certain areas where the film is a little problematic, especially in portraying the children of burnt couple suspected of black magic. The way they go about their revenge using the same superstitions does not go well with the tonality of the film. Also some of the costumes worn by Sai Dharam Tej and Samyukta Menon come across as too modern for the period the film is set in.

Sai Dharam Tej delivers a convincing performance as a man who is on a mission to save his love and the village. Samyukta Menon has a meaty role and the actress does complete justice to her part. She particularly shines in the emotionally charged moments.

Out of the supporting characters Rajeev Kanakala and Ajay shine the most. Rajeev Kanakala melts your heart as a concerned father. Ajay on the other hand comes across as a breath of fresh air in his role of an Aghora. He commands the viewer’s attention with his body language and overall demeanor. Sai Chand also does a neat job in his role of a priest.

Virupaksha is a pure and honest thriller that tackles some important issues prevalent in our society.