LUPT Review: A pleasant surprise in the horror genre!

There aren’t that many horror films that can be labelled as “great” or even “Good” when it comes to Indian cinema. Cracking the genre is tough. Nowadays what we often see is one cliché after another. From disturbing sounds, to objects and beings suddenly popping out of nowhere, with the purpose of making you jump of your seats. Horror films these days seem to have this typical “Been there, done that” vibe. The empty house, a family, a spirit trying to push them away, etc etc.

With “LUPT”, what we get is something different.  First, lets get to the plot: Harsh Tandon (Jaaved Jaaferi) is a successful businessman, having seldom time to spend with his family, consisting of a caring wife Niki Walia (Shalini Tandon) and two grown up children – daughter Tanu (Meenakshi Dixit) and son Sam (Rishab Chadha).  His wife’s persistence, along with a recently successful venture, forces Harsh to fetch some time out from his hectic schedule. The family embarks on a road trip from Lucknow to Nainital! Ofcourse, the journey doesn’t go as planned and things start taking a turn for the worst. Yes, even this film has a empty house and a family, so from that end one can argue that it isn’t completely fresh, however this film tries to steer away as much as it can from the typical cliché’s while STILL managing to send shivers.

Here is a film that focuses on the mood, the moments, the situations and the screenplay graph. Yes, the screenplay is genuinely engaging. A lot of the thrill comes from the dialogues and the drama. The film isn’t slow; however, things build on you. There is a certain level of consistency in the screenplay as well, since the narrative moves in a smooth pace. In this type of film, the technicalities play a huge role as well! From the background score, to the sound design, to the camera work, to the editing, everything compliments the films and adds to the feel of the film. The director has done a good job when it comes to getting the team together onto one page.

Everyone excels in their performances. Jaaved Jaaferi is great and adds nuances to his character. Vijay Raaz is a scene-stealer as always. Karan Aanand as Rahul is nice as well. Niki Walia is competent. Rishab Chadha is ok. Meenakshi is charming and makes her presence felt. The supporting cast gives ample support.

Overall, “Lupt” is worth watching if you want to see what a good Indian horror looks like. This is a well-made film.

Rating: 3.5 Stars.