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Director Ravi Babu has come up with a new supernatural horror thriller titled ‘Avunu’ and the movie has released today. Ravi Babu has been making a name for himself in recent times as a stylish and innovative director, so let us see if ‘Avunu’ lives up to the expectations.

Story :

The story of Avunu revolves mainly around Mohini (Poorna) and her husband Harsha (Harshavardhan Rane). They are a newly married couple and they settle down in a gated community near Gandipet called ‘Classic Homes’. Very soon, strange and unexplained phenomena are observed in the house. A ghost / spirit starts stalking Mohini and takes voyeuristic pleasure in watching her while dressing up etc.

Meanwhile, their neighbors have a small kid, Vicky, who claims to be able to speak to his dead grandfather. Vicky seems to see the spirits of departed souls but no one believes him. He claims that the spirit of Captain Rao is in the house of the newlyweds.

Harsha and Mohini make plans to go for a honeymoon to Paris. But things take an ugly turn once the ghost decides to start getting aggressive in its overtures towards Mohini. The shell shocked young lady attempts to flee from the evil spirit, but all her attempts are blocked.

Slowly, Vicky’s parents and the people around Mohini realise that the spirit of Captain Rao is real and they must do all they can to save her. Will they be successful? Who is Captain Rao? That forms the story.

Plus Points :

Poorna deserves applause for doing a superb job in the film. Her role is central to the plot and she manages to shoulder that weight admirably. Her expressions in key scenes and her air of vulnerability give her character a lot of authenticity. It also helps that she looks sufficiently sensuous. Well known RJ Kajal’s dubbing has worked well for Poorna.

Harshavardhan Rane is good. He has some good screen presence in the dying moments of the film. Popular Anchor Gayatri Bhargavi looks good and she has done a neat job. Ravi Babu has a crucial cameo that is very vital to the story. He impresses as the Police Officer. The small kid who has played the role of Vicky is curte. Sudha, Chalapathi Rao and Rajeshwari are ok.

Screenplay and narration are very good. The pace of the film is consistently fast and the suspense element is maintained right till the end. Terrific sound effects and good background score add to the fear factor of the film. The director has successfully stoked the two most raw emotions of a person – lust and fear.

The final twist just before the climax is good though the last scene is slightly predictable. The reason for a cold blooded psychotic rapist’s supernatural obsession towards Mohini has been justified well.

Special effects deserve applause. Though discreet and minimal, they are quite good. Special mention must be made of the lighting schemes used throughout the movie.

Minus Points :

The movie’s plot is quite elementary and only a clever screenplay saves it. Many scenes in the film will remind you of Hollowman, especially Kevin Bacon stalking a very pretty Rhona Mitra.

The concept of the ghost taking possession of a crucial character towards the end of the film has not been shown convincingly.

Because of the genre, this movie may not appeal to all segments of the audience. Those who seek thrills and love horror films will be delighted, but if you seek casual and lighthearted entertainment, this is not for you.

Technical Aspects :

Cinematography is very good and the entire film uses a static camera. There are no camera angles and camera movements but the effect is very good. As mentioned earlier, lighting schemes are intelligent. Editing is near perfect except for one or two areas in the first half. Dialogues are minimal.

Sekhar Chandra’s background score and re-recording work is a major asset for the movie. In a horror thriller like this one, sound makes all the difference, especially when the ghost is largely invisible.

Ravi Babu’s direction is very good in the film and he has succeeded in keeping the interests of the viewers riveted onto the screen right till the very end.

Verdict :

Ravi Babu’s ‘Avunu’ is a well made movie that has great pace and is a good watch. He should be appreciated for coming up with such different and clever films. As I said earlier, the director succeeds in stoking two very raw emotions in the movie – lust and fear. The film will click well at A centers and multiplexes. For casual entertainment seekers, this movie may not offer much. If you love horror flicks, you should not miss this one.

123telugu.com Rating – 3.25/5

Reviewed by Mahesh S Koneru

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