Shanaya (Bipasha Basu) is an actress whose career has been jeopardized by the appearance of budding starlet, Sanjana (Esha Gupta). When Shanaya realizes she’s losing her top-notch position – and her awards – to Sanjana, she comes to the decision that she has to do something to bring the new girl crashing down. Thus, she turns to black magic and enlists her boyfriend, director Aditya (Emraan Hashmi) to help her out. Does the black magic succeed in bringing Sanjana down and restoring Shanaya to her original position? That’s one raaz better seen in cinemas.

Horror films always hold some sort of appeal, but is this one worth catching in cinemas – and in 3D? Read our Pros and Cons list to find out.

Pros:

1. It has its scary bits. If you’re voluntarily going to see a horror film, then I’ll consider ‘scary’ a definite pro – and Raaz 3 does have moments that will ruffle you, especially if you’re easily scared. It relies on two types of elements – the paranormal (think bodies possessed) and the physical (cockroaches, clowns) – which works because you’ll most likely find something that will unnerve you. For example, I can deal with the supernatural, but the scene with the cockroaches – a great scene by Esha Gupta btw – had me covering my eyes.

2. It’s a good mix of horror and drama. Thankfully, Raaz 3 is not a senseless film with random scary bits thrown in between. There’s an actual storyline that underlies the horror – it may not be the best or most novel one, but it’s there – and the film concentrates on the drama, the motives and the interpersonal relationships, as much as it does the horror elements.

3. Bipasha Basu. She’s convincing in her negative role, and carries off her scenes very well. You can feel her character’s pain and insecurities, perhaps because it’s something she relates to extremely well. The other two are decent – Emraan Hashmi delivers a steady performance; he avoids going over-the-top in a film where the women (understandably) scream themselves hoarse, but on the flip side, he can come across as detached. Esha Gupta is okay – she does well in certain parts (the aforementioned cockroach scene in particular), but otherwise fails to make an impact.

Cons:

1. It’s too clichéd. It’s your typical good v/s evil, which utilizes the same old concepts all the time: divine intervention, ganga jal, cemeteries, etc etc.

2. The dialogues. “Let’s replace this excitement with some coffee.” “Bachcha aur kutta pyaar ka bhooka hota hai.” “Would you believe it if I tell you that I believe you?” I don’t think I need to say more on this point.

3. The music. You would expect a film from the Bhatt camp to have a stellar soundtrack, but the Raaz 3 album isn’t anything special. Some songs, one in particular following a creepy decapitation scene, feel awkward and out-of-place, .

Verdict:

We don’t get that many horror films, so if you’re into the genre, go watch – and obviously take a few friends along. 3D does not add much to the film, and considering it can be uncomfortable for certain viewers, you won’t be missing much if you decide to go for a 2D showing instead. (3/5 stars.)