Darling, You Are Just AverageThere has been a spate of comic-horror films released in the year gone by. And it looks like the trend is here to stay.
The latest is Darling, the remake of the Telugu flick Prema Katha Chitram. The film marks the debut of music composer G V Prakash as an actor.
It begins with three friends, two guys and a girl, (Prakash, Bala, Nikki) contemplating suicide for various reasons. Before the trio ends lives, they set out to fulfil their respective last desires, like slapping a local politician and stealing a car. The three then reach a remote palatial bungalow, where they were joined by suicidal aspirant (Karunas), who decide to execute their mission.
Nothing much happens in the first half, with the story moving at a snail’s pace. A surprise element coupled with the changing status quo in the relationship between Nikki and Prakash is introduced here.
For a debutant, G V Prakash essays his role with assurance. But he surely could have emoted better at the moments where he has to play the guy scared out of his wits. It’s in the second half that the story moves forward, where the ghost makes its presence felt, creating havoc in the lives of the quartet.
Cutting a glamorous picture, Nikki plays the possessed girl to the hilt almost revelling in her role. For a comic-horror film, there is not much of comedy nor horror, and nothing that we haven’t seen before. Incidentally, 1 Pandhu, 4 runs, 1 wicket had a similar scenario. Bala gets the most space, the best lines and is the life of the film.
The genuine fun moments are few and far between, like the episode of Rajendran as the exorcist, who tries to exorcise the possessed Nikki. A hilarious piece, it’s easily the best moment in the film. The closing scenes where the ghost has her vendetta and where the backstory is revealed is an amateurish affair. Darling at the most is an average fare.