Review : Kaun

Kaun stars Manoj Bajpai, who I think is an excellent actor, and Urmila who has done well enough. The film starts off with Urmila, alone at home with her cat for company, scared and nervous, on a rainy, thunderous night. Her parents are out. You kind of get the feeliing that the home is a little away from other human habitation. Anyway, while listening to the news on TV, she hears about this deranged killer (who kills women) roaming around, and gets even more jumpy.

Enter Bajpai, in the role of a mysterious stranger who attracts attention by knocking on the front door (instead of ringing the door-bell), asking to see a Mr. Malhotra. When she refuses, without opening the door, saying that there is no Mr. Malhotra (he’s apparently got the wrong address), he asks to be let into the house. He’s all wet, he says (he’s got his coat pulled over his head) and promises no harm. Frankly gave me the creeps, and Urmila too by the way she acted. His character is pretty unnerving, in that it is of a patient, polite man, wheedling to be let into the house (the usual belligerent hindi film villains scare me no more).

He tries several times, once saying that he’s locked his keys in his car, all to no avail, making Urmila’s character really nervous. She does provide him food though (a sandwich) but won’t let him in. So he doesn’t leave, hangs around and tries watchin her TV through the door/window grille/glass, all the while talkingto her in placid tones, even trying to joke with her at one point. He addresses her as “Madam” all the while, and after a while the “Madam” grates on your nerves.

The lights go out then, and Urmila notices that her cat is dead. OK, just as I am about to despair for Urmila, enter savior police inspector (Sushant Kumar) who tells Urmila that Bajpai is a killer. So, is Urmila safe ? Does the killer get caught ? The rest of the movie reveals all.

This is one of the few good hindi who-dun-its I’ve seen. Urmila plays her role, with just the right touch of paranoia, Bajpai is superb in his potrayal of the never-lose-his-cool psychotic visitor. Sushant Kumar is adequate. There are no songs here, save the title track which plays in the begining. Chowta’s background score is good, and only serves to heighten the suspense. The whole movie is filmed in and around this one house, with only three main players, and it keeps you engrossed (the director knows what he’s doing). This film is a must-see.

P.S. : A little known fact is that Urmila sang the title track of this film.