Producer: Mahesh Bhatt
Director: Vikram Bhatt
Cast:  Bipasha Basu, Dino Morea, Vishwajeet Pradhan
Music:  Nadeem-Shravan

Tips and Vishesh Films' ‘Raaz’ directed by Vikram Bhatt has Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea in the lead. The film is inspired from the English flick ‘What Lies Beneath’. It is a psychological thriller and supernatural flick and Vikram Bhatt deserves to be appreciated for making a film of a different kind moving away from the stereotype. To attempt such a film and will low profile actor surely needs guts on his parts. And the good thing is that his efforts pay off.

Aditya Dhanraj (Dino Moreo) and his wife Sanjana Dhanraj (Bipasha Basu) are young married couple. Their marriage has hit the rocks and they are on the verge of going for divorce. For the sake of it they decide to give their relationship a last chance and go to Ooty from where their love blossomed. But Ooty and their dream house is no more the same now. The place is haunted and it becomes a nightmare for them to stay there. But only Sanjana can sense it and see it. Gradually it becomes clear that there is some link between their crumbling marriage and the haunting. What is raaz (secret) and who is doing it?

The film begins and leads you with interest through the suspenseful occurrences. You’re taken by surprise that this in spite of being touted as a horror flick, director Vikram Bhatt makes no effort to introduce eerie atmosphere around you but does so through the narrative. The slow camera movement, the usage of extended silences and sudden noises, and thrill-seeking moments are enough to avail you the touch and feel needed in a film of this kind. It ends terrifying you and freezing you in your chair. The first half goes quite well but the pace slows down in the in the post-interval portions but gains momentum gradually. Although the climax is well executed it doesn’t look justified.

Director Vikram Bhatt has executed the film accordingly only for the implausible climax giving way to it. The treatment is top notch and some scenes give the feel of watching an international film. Nadeem-Shravan's music are pleasant-sounding and are big hits. Pravin Bhatt's cinematography is adequate. Background score by Raju Rao heightens the effect. Dialogues by Girish Dhamija are fine.

Dino Morea looks good on the screen but needs to hone his skill. Although this is Bipasha Basu's second film, the actress carries off a complex role with aplomb. Ashutosh Rana is first rate and his expressions deserve special mention. Malini Sharma does well.

‘Raaz’ is a well-made film with the correct element of everything. But a supernatural film may not charge all up and so the film will register a mixed business.