Rewatching movies

All 80s and 90s kids who have now become adults would forever cherish the era of 2000s. This is simply because this era was iconic in terms of entertainment. Filmmakers war trying something different in this era. They were trying to switch from the tried and tested formulas and create movies based on the topics which were not explored. Filmmakers wanted to skip the iconic songs which had their own identity in the Indian Film Industry. They wanted to use music only in backgrounds rather than having full 5 minutes songs. Most filmmakers were exploring different concepts and ground breaking ideas. Some film maker also wanted to check if films with darker tones would be enjoyed by the movie lovers. The early 2000s also marked the return of horror or supernatural genre of films. One of such iconic horror films was Bhoot which gained popularity and became a cult classic.

Bhoot was directed by Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) who is known to be a director with experimental films. RGV had also directed another iconic or or movie called as Raat. Untoutedly Bhoot becam a movie that brought back the popularity of horror movies in the Indian Film Industry.

I remember the popularity of Bhoot. This film was expected to fail but the audience made a decision to make it a blockbuster. I remember the hype of this film. All shows being sold out, all theatres wanting to have more number of shows, and other films were pushing their release date ahead to avoid the clashes. Many people got scared after watching this movie. They started feeling unknown presence in their homes. Some people died in the theatre due to the visuals. The theatres and film makers had offered attractive rewards to watch this film alone. I remember going into the theatre to watch the movie and I understood the hype. The movie definitely was exceptional.

In 2026 I decided to reach this movie to test whether it is still relevant in today's time. And here what I thought about it.
Story: the story is still relevant today. A couple moving into a new home and experience in Haunting is not a new idea. The couple shown here is from a middle class family, living in a crowded city, and trying to find their safe place - this idea would still deeply connect with the audience.
The add on characters: all characters in this film are unique and memorable despite of the screen time that they get. Day somehow still feel connected to the movie and have a good impact on the film. The old woman from the neighbourhood who does not speak a word, Manjeet mother and son, the security guard - these are some of the characters who are in the movie for a very short time but still they make an impact.
Supporting characters: All supporting characters even and their minor role or remarkable. Each character has unique traits. The house help played by the legendary Seema Biswas is outstanding. Her catch please "aaj ka kam khatm" gained popularity back then and its still remember today.
Atmosphere: The atmosphere building is perfect for the horror genre. There are no unnecessary effects like the green light, fog, or mist to show the ghost's a presence. The film also did not use any special effects or a creepy prostatic makeup. Eerie effect is mainly phone using trees and shadows. Transition effects use simple movements like elevator or car commute. Young and Aspiring film makers should definitely study this aspect to understand the atmosphere building.
Background score: I was not particularly thrilled by the background score back then and hated it even today.
Pace and acting: all actors in their rules have delivered a strong performance. Urmila Matondkar Bheem the top most performer. This is a slowburner film. It takes comfortable time to build the atmosphere, character, and the horror elements, but it never becomes boring.

Overall I can see Bhoot still stood the test of time. It could very well be considered as a catalyst to revive the horror in the Indian Film Industry. Even today it still is one of the best horror films ever made by an Indian filmmaker. Watching it today I still felt it's relevance even after over 20 years from its release. Even today it is going to receive applause from me.

Overall I would say those were to and half hours well spent.