Like many Indian films, Hum Kaun Hai? (2004) is essentially a remake of a Western movie. I can’t really say which
Western movie, though, since the original is very much a “twist” film,
and the twist is very widely known, even among people who haven’t seen
the original. I’m trying to do my small part to keep the ending of Hum Kaun Hai?
a surprise, even if it’s a lost cause. If you think you recognize the
original . . . well, you’re probably right. But I’ll deny it.
Sandra Williams (Dimple Kapadia) is not a happy woman. Her husband Frank (Amitabh Bachchan) disappeared during “the war”, and now she lives alone in a big, moderately creepy house, along with her moderately creepy children Sara and David (Baby Hansika and Master Aman), who may or may not be dangerously photosensitive.
The Williams’s used to have servants, but they all left under mysterious circumstances (though there are no circumstances of any other kind in this movie.) Sandra is therefore delighted when Mrs. Pinto (Moushumi Chatterjee), Edgar (Abhijit Lahiri) and Maria (Seema Rahmani) show up looking for work, and hires them on the spot, gives them a tour of the house, and then explains the rules: No loud noises, since Sandra suffers from severe migraines, the curtains must be closed at all times, since the children are so photosensitive, and all the doors of the house must be kept locked at all times because . . . . just because.
Something is Not Right in the Williams home. The new servants seem to have their own agenda. Sandra is increasingly unstable. Someone seems to be buried in the back yard. And Sara has been conversing with an unseen boy named Vicky, and keeps talking about the mysterious “outsiders” she claims are moving about the house.
The spookiness increases, until Sandra finally decides to leave the house in order to seek help. Before she gets off the grounds, though, her husband Frank stumbles into her path. She takes him straight home, puts him to bed, and tries to forget about this pesky “ghost” business. Like everyone else in the movie, though, Frank may not be what he seems. He spends most of his time in his room, and he has stopped eating. Entirely.
Unlike many ghost stories, Hum Kaun Hai? has no single character for the audience to identify with as they unravel the mystery. It’s hard to identify the protagonist - at first, it seems to be Mrs. Pinto, then Sandra, then Frank, then the kids, but they all have their own secrets. It seems everybody has something to hide (except for me and my monkey.)
Wherever you go, and whatever the film industry, child actors tend to be very bad. Happily, that is not the case here; Baby Hansika is particularly impressive, by turns cute and creepy without ever descending into caricature. And anyone who can successfully look creepy in that pink poofy blouse is an actress to watch.
There are adult actors in Hum Kaun Hai?, of course. Moushumi Chatterjee is nicely ambiguous, and Dimple creates a fine portrait of a woman who is slowly falling apart. The film also features Amitabh’s onscreen reunion with Dharmendra, who plays Frank’s old buddy Veeru. (Even horror movies have Sholay jokes!) Unfortunately, the reunion is a little disappointing, since Veeru doesn’t have much to do besides stand around and look like Dharmendra. The part is obviously tacked on, and underscores the fact that Amitabh seems to be grappling with a different supernatural manifestation than everyone else in the movie.
Even knowing the big twist in advance, I found Hum Kaun Hai? to be an effective ghost story. However, I may not be the best judge, since I seem to have a different threshold than most people; I was frightened by The Skull.
Sandra Williams (Dimple Kapadia) is not a happy woman. Her husband Frank (Amitabh Bachchan) disappeared during “the war”, and now she lives alone in a big, moderately creepy house, along with her moderately creepy children Sara and David (Baby Hansika and Master Aman), who may or may not be dangerously photosensitive.
The Williams’s used to have servants, but they all left under mysterious circumstances (though there are no circumstances of any other kind in this movie.) Sandra is therefore delighted when Mrs. Pinto (Moushumi Chatterjee), Edgar (Abhijit Lahiri) and Maria (Seema Rahmani) show up looking for work, and hires them on the spot, gives them a tour of the house, and then explains the rules: No loud noises, since Sandra suffers from severe migraines, the curtains must be closed at all times, since the children are so photosensitive, and all the doors of the house must be kept locked at all times because . . . . just because.
Something is Not Right in the Williams home. The new servants seem to have their own agenda. Sandra is increasingly unstable. Someone seems to be buried in the back yard. And Sara has been conversing with an unseen boy named Vicky, and keeps talking about the mysterious “outsiders” she claims are moving about the house.
The spookiness increases, until Sandra finally decides to leave the house in order to seek help. Before she gets off the grounds, though, her husband Frank stumbles into her path. She takes him straight home, puts him to bed, and tries to forget about this pesky “ghost” business. Like everyone else in the movie, though, Frank may not be what he seems. He spends most of his time in his room, and he has stopped eating. Entirely.
Unlike many ghost stories, Hum Kaun Hai? has no single character for the audience to identify with as they unravel the mystery. It’s hard to identify the protagonist - at first, it seems to be Mrs. Pinto, then Sandra, then Frank, then the kids, but they all have their own secrets. It seems everybody has something to hide (except for me and my monkey.)
Wherever you go, and whatever the film industry, child actors tend to be very bad. Happily, that is not the case here; Baby Hansika is particularly impressive, by turns cute and creepy without ever descending into caricature. And anyone who can successfully look creepy in that pink poofy blouse is an actress to watch.
There are adult actors in Hum Kaun Hai?, of course. Moushumi Chatterjee is nicely ambiguous, and Dimple creates a fine portrait of a woman who is slowly falling apart. The film also features Amitabh’s onscreen reunion with Dharmendra, who plays Frank’s old buddy Veeru. (Even horror movies have Sholay jokes!) Unfortunately, the reunion is a little disappointing, since Veeru doesn’t have much to do besides stand around and look like Dharmendra. The part is obviously tacked on, and underscores the fact that Amitabh seems to be grappling with a different supernatural manifestation than everyone else in the movie.
Even knowing the big twist in advance, I found Hum Kaun Hai? to be an effective ghost story. However, I may not be the best judge, since I seem to have a different threshold than most people; I was frightened by The Skull.
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