In 1992, Ram Gopal Varma came up with Raat, a horror film that was quite different from the kind of films that audiences were accustomed to seeing in Hindi cinema at the time. The Ramsay Brothers were undoubtedly the pioneers of the horror genre in India, and audiences had grown familiar with their staple formula: an isolated haveli with a spooky atmosphere, inhabited by frightening characters, with a beautiful heroine thrown in to add a touch of sensuality and sleaze. And, of course, there would invariably be a haunting song playing late into the night!
Raat, however, took a different approach. A psychological thriller, it was a songless film set in an urban environment, featuring ordinary people and everyday situations. The horror creeps in gradually, building suspense until it culminates in a fast-paced and chilling climax.
The Plot
Raat revolves around Minnie, whose full name is Manisha Sharma (Revathi). She is a college-going girl who is a reasonably good student but occasionally skips classes to pursue more interesting activities, such as catching a film!
Minnie’s father, Mr Sharma (Ashok Khurana), is a businessman, while her mother, Shalini (Rohini Hattangadi), looks after the family. They also have Bunty (Master Ateet), a school-going boy, living with them. He is the son of Minnie’s elder sister, who, along with her husband, has unfortunately passed away in an accident. Bunty is therefore being brought up by his grandparents. The household also has a servant, Narayan (CVL).
The Sharma family has recently moved into a new bungalow and is still settling into its surroundings. The film opens on their first night in the new house, setting the stage for the strange and unsettling events that are about to unfold.
The film opens with a deserted town, with not a soul in sight. Minnie gets off a bus and begins walking. She eventually comes across a car. As someone opens its door, she catches a glimpse of the person inside and immediately starts running. She frantically knocks on doors, hoping someone will come to her rescue, but there is no response. The person continues to chase her until she is cornered and the pursuer moves closer. Minnie watches in sheer terror, and just as things are about to take a turn for the worse, the scene breaks.
Minnie wakes up with a start. It was all a bad dream! She looks around and gradually realises that she is safe in her bedroom in the family’s new house. She gets ready and sets off for college.
Minnie meets Rashmi (Jaya Mathur) outside the house. Rashmi is her friend, college classmate and, as it happens, her neighbour now. The two head to college, but Minnie has little intention of attending the lecture. She is more interested in meeting her boyfriend (?) Deepak (Chinna).
Minnie has made her plan for the day. She tells Deepak and Rashmi about a new comedy film that is playing and suggests that they all go for a show. Who can refuse Minnie? And so, the three land up at the cinema.
The film is hilarious, and Minnie is thoroughly enjoying herself. She is completely engrossed in a particularly funny scene when something strange happens. She suddenly looks around and realises that she is all alone in the theatre. Where have the others gone? And, more importantly, how has the entire audience disappeared?
The film has stopped playing, and there is pin-drop silence. Minnie rushes outside but cannot find anyone. Her friends, the theatre staff and everyone else seem to have vanished. She wanders around until she reaches the manager’s cabin. Seeing someone seated inside, she walks in, only to receive a terrible shock when she discovers who it is. The shock jolts her back to reality.
She is actually sitting in the theatre, between Rashmi and Deepak, with the audience completely engrossed in the film. Was it a dream or a hallucination? Minnie cannot make sense of what has just happened. Everything around her seems perfectly normal.
Later, Rashmi takes Minnie home to show her the new music system that her father has recently purchased. The two girls are keen to enjoy some Michael Jackson numbers. Inside, they meet Rashmi’s grandmother (Nirmalamma), who appears to be a rather strange and eccentric lady. When Rashmi mentions that Minnie’s family has moved into the neighbouring bungalow, the old lady reacts with visible surprise and unease. Minnie is puzzled by her reaction and wonders what could possibly be the matter.
Back at the Sharma bungalow, Bunty returns from school and pesters his grandmother for his favourite toy, a doll. She tells him that she is busy and will give it to him later. But an impatient Bunty is in no mood to wait. He decides to retrieve it himself from the storeroom.
The storeroom is a dark, rather eerie place, situated below the ground-floor level, almost like a cellar. Bunty knows that the doll is kept in an old cupboard. Its door does not shut properly and keeps making a creaking noise, adding a creepiness to the atmosphere. He manages to find his doll but soon senses that someone or something is nearby. Who could it be?
Meanwhile, Minnie returns home and asks about Bunty. Unable to find him anywhere, she eventually makes her way to the storeroom. There she finds Bunty holding something. He turns around to reveal his new companion — a cat! How the cat got into the house is a mystery. The animal gives Minnie a rather intense stare, leaving her with an uncomfortable feeling that something is not quite right.
That night, Minnie has another disturbing dream. This time, she imagines hands emerging from the walls and trying to strangle her.
Bunty grows increasingly fond of the cat and spends most of his time playing with her. But an unfortunate incident is waiting to unfold. One day, as Minnie’s father reverses his car, the cat gets in its way and is accidentally crushed under the wheels. He asks Narayan to bury the cat in the garden before Bunty returns home. Narayan does as instructed but also tells Shalini that the death of a cat in the house is traditionally considered inauspicious.
Shalini is not particularly superstitious and does not pay much attention to his remark. However, later, when she visits Bunty’s room, she is in for a shock. Bunty is happily playing with a cat that looks identical to the one that was just buried! Shalini is horrified and cannot understand how this is possible. Minnie’s father, however, tries to calm her down, suggesting that one cat can easily resemble another and that there is no reason to worry
The following day is Deepak’s birthday, and he has invited Minnie to spend the day with him. They plan to visit a picnic spot about 50 kilometres outside the city. Minnie is initially reluctant but speaks to her father for permission, cooking up a story about a “girl” friend’s birthday and a party at her farmhouse. However, her father has already seen her with Deepak and sees through the excuse. He tells her that there is no need to lie to him. He trusts her completely and is confident that she will not do anything inappropriate. Minnie is delighted by her father’s response and the faith he has in her.
The next day, Minnie and Deepak head out as planned and spend the day together. Unfortunately, their return journey takes an unexpected turn when Deepak’s motorcycle gets a puncture. He leaves Minnie by the roadside while he goes looking for a place to get the tyre repaired.
Once again, Minnie finds herself in a dreamlike situation. She sees something terrifying and lets out a scream. When Deepak returns, he searches for her and eventually finds her staring at him with wide, unblinking eyes, almost like a cat looking straight at its prey. Deepak is genuinely frightened by her strange behaviour. However, just as suddenly, Minnie seems to return to normal, and the two make their way home safely.
But something is clearly not right. Minnie walks into the house as if she is in a trance, without even exchanging a word with Deepak. Her behaviour is becoming increasingly disturbing. Something is definitely wrong with Minnie, but what exactly is happening to her?
These strange episodes continue, and things take a much darker turn when Rashmi is brutally murdered, apparently at Minnie’s hands while she is in one of her dreamlike states. Event the police inspector (played by Tez Sapru) investigating the case gets killed in an accident. Has this something do with Minnie? She keeps slipping into these strange phases, only to return to normal afterwards. The most disturbing part is that she has absolutely no recollection of what transpired or how she behaved during these episodes.
The situation becomes even more frightening when, one day, Minnie turns on her own father and tries to kill him. He watches in sheer horror as his daughter behaves like a woman possessed. It is almost as if someone or something else has taken control of her body. But how can he possibly believe that? After all, this is his own daughter, and there must be some explanation for her inexplicable behaviour.
With Minnie’s condition getting increasingly alarming, it is time for the family to seek medical help. Her father consults a psychiatrist, played by Anant Nag, hoping to understand what is happening to his daughter.
Meanwhile, Shalini learns that Rashmi’s grandmother knows something about the mystery surrounding the bungalow. Apparently, a murder had taken place in the very same house about seven years earlier, and the repercussions of that incident seem to be haunting the Sharma family. Shalini is advised to seek the help of a tantrik, Sharji (Om Puri), who might be able to deal with the supernatural forces at play.
Will the psychiatrist and the tantrik succeed in getting to the bottom of the mystery? Will they be able to save Minnie and bring her back to normalcy?
The Music
Thankfully, the film stays away from songs altogether. There is no typical haunting number that suddenly pops up to create an artificial sense of fear, as was common in many horror films of the time. Instead, Manu Sharma’s background score complements the narrative beautifully, sustaining the tension, thrill and suspense throughout. The music becomes an integral part of the storytelling without ever overpowering it.
My Thoughts
The primary objective of a good horror film is to scare its audience, and Raat is fairly successful in achieving that. Ram Gopal Varma consciously avoids the usual tropes of the genre and attempts to make a fresh film that is more in tune with the times. His direction is tight and never allows the viewer to relax. Right from the opening scene, there is an unsettling feeling that stays with you. Small details, such as the creaking cupboard and the abstract painting near the dining table, create an eerie atmosphere and leave a lasting impression. The unusual camera angles focusing on seemingly ordinary objects, along with abrupt cuts, further add to the suspense and keep the audience on edge.
Revathi is marvellous as the possessed woman. She begins as an ordinary college-going girl, enjoying her carefree life, and her sudden transformation into a terrifying character is remarkably convincing. What makes her performance particularly effective is that she never overdoes her reactions. A more exaggerated portrayal could easily have diluted the impact. Her interactions with other family members are also very natural, making the contrast with her possessed state all the more disturbing. It is a pity that she did not receive an award nomination for this performance. The supporting cast is equally impressive, although the character of the old lady provides a few unintentionally funny moments.
There are very few negatives, but a little more attention to detail would have helped. The family is shown to have just moved into the bungalow, yet everything seems to be perfectly in place. There is no mention of the usual teething problems associated with moving into a new house, such as not being able to locate things or getting accustomed to the new surroundings. Another loose end concerns Rashmi’s murder. We hear very little about her family or their reaction to her death. Surely, her grandmother would have suspected something unusual and wanted to discuss her granddaughter’s mysterious death with someone? This aspect could have been explored further.
Overall, Raat is a satisfying horror film that has aged rather well. It also brings to mind Bhoot (2003), another Ram Gopal Varma film. One can certainly see the influence and legacy of Raat in the later film. In many ways, Raat laid the groundwork for the kind of urban horror that Varma would explore more than a decade later.
