A woman suffering from a severe case of agoraphobia - fear of the outside world, suspects that a killer is
stalking her. She is scared to get out of her house. And, stuck in her lonely flat that has become both her sanctuary and her prison, she is afraid the killer may strike her any time. Talk about being caught between a rock
and a hard place...
Is she imagining things? Is her agoraphobic mind playing tricks with her? Or is there someone watching her? Entering her fortress when she is asleep? Is her neighbour a psychotic killer? Or is she just being paranoid? Is there some supernatural presence lurking in her lonely abode - that makes things go bump in the night, or even in broad daylight, for that
matter? Or is she going stark raving mad?
This is an intricately crafted, multi-layered mystery that explores exactly what its name suggests - phobia,
extreme fear... The story is tightly woven and well-crafted. Supported by extremely good acting and perfect direction, this is one of the best movies to appear in this as-yet-unexplored genre in Hindi films.
Both, the script and the editing, ensures that there is not a boring moment in the whole movie. Augmented
with well-sketched and sometimes quirky characters, almost every moment in the movie offers some form of entertainment. Some quirky characters like Vikki, a teenage neighbour, that lighten the otherwise dark and tense atmosphere.
They add funny moments in the movie, which makes one laugh and relieves the builtup tension. But thankfully these moments are not overdone - which would have ruined the movie.
The character of the main protagonist has been very successfully enacted by Radhika Apte, an extremely
good actress. Aided by a strong script, she successfully makes us empathize with the character of Mehek, depicting her fragile psychological condition, her fears, her struggle to understand whether what's happening to her
is real or just her mind playing games, and her formidable spirit and will in trying to over come these psychological barriers.
It is a difficult task to include supernatural elements into the plot and then manage to tie everything up without
landing up with illogical and unbelievable nonsense. The writer has made a great effort to achieve this feat. And the director has depicted it well enough for the common layman to understand the reasoning behind the story.
Everything ties up well in the end and appears to make perfect sense. I did not stumble upon any loose ends -which are common in these type of movies.
The film depicts the struggle of people suffering from Agoraphobia like none other has in the history
of Hindi films. Though it manages to just scrape the tip of the Agoraphobia iceberg, it does manage to give us a glimpse into a psychological disorder that most people don't even know exists.
There is a 2013 English movie with the same name, and pretty similar plot. Which makes one suspect whether the plot for this movie was maybe copied from or inspired by this one. I have not seen the 2013 English movie (IMDB link). But I have a hunch that even if this was inspired by that movie, it is still a better executed artwork.
For the longest time, Hindi films have managed to churn up utter tripe that gets sold solely by the power
of the Superstars and Kids, Inc (read, the Khans, the Kapoors, the Kumars and the rest of the stardom gang). Forget about poor acting, amateurish direction or physics-defying action, even the script and the story are shallow
and childish. It is only recently that they have started exploring new ideas, with good actors, writers and directors breaking new ground. Psychological thrillers in Hindi films have mostly been mundane and same-old-stuff.
But in the past few years movies like Karthik Calling Karthik are expanding the horizons of this oft misrepresented genre. And Phobia takes it to a whole new level with its brilliant script, extraordinary actors and superb
direction.
This movie is certainly not for everyone. While it makes for a good scary / suspense movie, one cannot
approach it for simple mindless entertainment. There is possibly a mild dose of the supernatural involve. And the final resolution, while unique and unexpected, may not be digestable to a few. But if you like movies with supernatural
overtones, that make sense even as they make you hold on to your seat and avoid crying out loud, then you will certainly enjoy it as much as I did.
My Rating: 4
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