Set in a college situated in a dense forest, Bharath J’s directorial debut, Spooky College, brings in a host of young talents along with senior actors. However, trying to bring in the fear quotient in the film, the film definitely falls short by miles. What it does instead is the question the mystery among youthful minds, and manages to succeed to an extent.
The story revolves around students Khushi (Khushi Ravi) and Rishi (Vivek) who are studying in a British-era college building, which has been renovated. Some strange events take place in this college, which has interesting consequences when discussed. A certain episode from ancient times is narrated by a lecturer, and this is what connects the whole horror drama to the central character.
Director Bharat keeps ‘love’ as the film’s soul while dabbling with the education system and trying to highlight the mentality of young minds. The director intends to bring in some fear but unfortunately, it uses a lot of visual effects to tell the story, and some logicless scenes make the narrative all the more confusing.
Khushi Ravi, who earlier appeared as an ardent lover in Dia, showcases a similar mannerism in Spooky College. Although Vivek Simha has a cheery presence, it isn’t enough for the film, which has a host of comedy artists, but don’t always bring in the laughs.
The cinematography by Manohar Joshi is good but the quality of the VFX effects should have been much better. The background music given by Ajaneesh Loknath does not lift the film. Spooky College would have worked better as a decent dive into exploring young minds, however, the film doesn’t just shine that bright a light on this pertinent issue.
Film: Spooky College
Cast: Kushi Ravi, Vivek Simha, Ajay Pruthvi Rashtrakuta, and Vijay Chendoor
Director: Bharath J
Rating: 2.5/5