1921, directed by Vikram Bhatt and starring Zarine Khan and Karan Kundra is laughably idiotic movie, and which doesn’t succeed in making you shiver in horror. But, it is still enjoyable because even though the scary scene and poorly directed and the atmosphere barely hangs together to the story, Zarine Khan is committed to her naive and seemingly innocent character. Her scenes of walking down the corridor and holding a candle like a classic horror heroine are the most effective, because they let the tension slowly rise…before disappointing with a funny jump scare with poor special effects.
She plays a clairvoyant in the movie, someone who can sense the exitence of spirits that are invisible to others. Karan Kundra’s hapless student comes to her with questions about haunting in a large Victorian villa, and she lends her help to him, as they usually do because the script says so.
None of the characters look like, or even behave like they’re living in England, and some of the decor feels too modern. But the cinematography from Prakash Kutty is very lovely, and even though the some of the images look fake, there is no doubt that every technical aspect was beautifully calibrated.
Zarine Khan, lovely as always, trips over in dramatic scenes, but some of her silent scenes are more moving. She surely is committed for the movie, and there is nothing better than an artist who is putting effort in her performance even if it doesn’t work for her always. Karan Kundra, who is a very fine actor, is very good, and certainly deserves more chances with a better script. The movie is not good, but it isn’t boring and some of the shocks and twists are unpredictable. In any case, no one would be offended if they go to see it in theaters, even if its only because of the beautiful imagery.
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