Murtuza Iqbal
Just a month ago, we saw Akshay Kumar starrer Laxmii which was a remake of the Tamil film Muni 2: Kanchana. And now, here’s one more South remake, Durgamati. The film is produced by Akshay and stars Bhumi Pednekar in the lead role.
Durgamati is a remake of the Telugu film Bhaagamathie which starred Anushka Shetty in the lead role. Director Ashok, who had helmed the Telugu film, has also directed the remake.
The movie is about Chanchal Chauhan (Bhumi), who was the personal secretary of water resources minister Ishwar Prasad (Arshad Warsi), and she is currently in jail for murdering her fiancé, Shakti (Karan Kapadia). There have been robberies of god’s idols from the temples, and the government feels that Ishwar is behind it. CBI is given the case, and they decide to interrogate Chanchal about Ishwar.
Chanchal is shifted to an old palace named Durgamati Haveli for interrogation. The palace is said to be haunted, and once Chanchal starts staying there, paranormal activities start taking place. CBI and police feel that Chanchal is lying, but we are shown that she is possessed. So is Durgamati Haveli really haunted? Is Chanchal possessed? Well, these things take the story forward…
I have seen Bhaagamathie, so I can say that Durgamati is the exact copy of the Telugu film. Writer-director Ashok may have changed a couple of scenes here and there, but apart from that the film offers nothing new. As Ashok has directed the film earlier, he has narrated it once again decently. There are a few scenes that will scare you and even keep you on the edge-of-the-seat.
Well, Bhaagamathie also had its flaws and ups and downs in the screenplay. But it was Anushka Shetty’s awesome performance that had kept us glued to the screens, and unfortunately, a great performance is missing in Durgamati.
Bhumi Pednekar is decent in Durgamati, but she fails to give a performance like Shetty, especially in the scenes where she is shown possessed. Mahie Gill is good in the film, but her Bengali accent looks forced. Arshad Warsi leaves a mark with his negative act, Jisshu Sengupta performs well, and Karan Kapadia fails to impress.
One thing that impressed me a lot in the film is the background score given by Jakes Bejoy. It is very effective and perfect for a horror-thriller movie.
Overall, Durgamati could have been a better remake if the performances were strong. However, if you haven’t seen Bhaagamathie, you can watch this Bhumi Pednekar starrer once.
Ratings: 2.5/5
Watch the trailer here…
