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By Taran
Adarsh, November 30, 2007 - 16:35 IST
 The two aspects you look forward to in a horror film
are [i] The thrills-n-chills should scare the living
daylights out of you and [ii] The story should’ve
something new to offer. Sure, GAURI – THE UNBORN has a
new story to tell, but the chills-n-thrills don’t give
you the jitters and jhatkas, barring a scene or two.
On the contrary, what you carry home is a socially
relevant message: Say ‘No’ to foeticide.
Sudeep [Atul Kulkarni], an architect, lives with his
wife Roshni [Rituparna Sengupta] and their daughter
Shivani [Baby Rushita Pandya]. The family decides to
go for a holiday to Mauritius, but the daughter
insists on going to their ancestral home.
The parents agree half-heartedly, but decide to visit
the ancestral home nonetheless to keep their daughter
happy. But an incident from the past comes back to
haunt them. And the unseen force threatens to take
their daughter away from them.
GAURI – THE UNBORN had the potential to work big time,
but the screenplay has its limitations. The moment the
aatma of the unborn kid swears revenge, you expect the
sequence of events that are to follow to give you
gooseflesh. But what unfolds is hardly spine chilling.
Besides, the pacing slackens in the second hour, which
is a deterrent.
 However, the concluding 20 minutes are the best part
of the enterprise. The climax is indeed novel and the
end drives home the message effectively. Another
aspect that catches the eye is the visual effects,
which are skilfully executed and smartly integrated in
the narrative.
Director Aku Akbar makes a promising debut. He’s a
proficient technician, but he should’ve emphasized on
a far more convincing script. There’s just one song in
the narrative [a lullaby], which is strictly okay.
Cinematography is up to the mark. Background score
enhances the impact at places.
Atul Kulkarni is plain mediocre. Rituparna Sengupta
has her moments. However, their intimate scenes seem
forced in the screenplay. Baby Rushita Pandya is the
real scene stealer. To see a kid carry off a tricky
role is wonderful. Anupam Kher is passable.
On the whole, GAURI – THE UNBORN is an okay fare that
may find its share of advocates in those who tilt
towards the horror genre.
Rating:- *
* 1/2
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