Today, I saw Vaastu Shaastra in E-square multiplex just 5 rows behind the screen. From start the movie was strongly reminiscent of Bhoot and hence will draw comparisons by default. However, Bhoot scores over VS in terms of acting, characterization and cinematography.
For horror fans, the styles of horror utilized have been slightly expanded. It is a familiar formula. Perhaps, gruesome makeup has been added to the series of close-ups of hysterical characters, sudden appearance/disappearance of strangers and conservative use of ambient light. The really killer is the sound effects. Personally I felt that it has been overused. The script was heavily flawed. There is no direct connection between the movie and its title and there is no motive or a good explanation for the events. The only notable performance was that of the boy Master Ahsaas, who contributes a lot to the spookiness of the movie.
Surprisingly, the best thing about watching this in a theatre is the crowd. When I was watching The Exorcist, I was in the balcony circle and you could hear genuine gasps and squeals. But the VS crowd was a lot more mischievous. Their witty comments made the dragging scenes quite entertaining.
For me, the most amusing part was the location. The story is set 23 kms from Pune. Hey that’s where I live! Seems I have to check my Vaastu soon ;)
