Kaun (1999)

English translation: Who? (Or) Who’s there?
Director: Ram Gopal Varma
Story: Anurag Kashap
Cast: Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpai and Sushant Singh 
Music: Sandeep Chowta
Time: 100 minutes
Bottom-line: Lot of suspense; a terrific thriller

  One rainy evening, a big mansion, a lonely woman inside it, a serial killer on the loose, and a stranger knocking at the door. These few elements alone constitute Kaun. No songs, no specified hero, heroine or villain, no punch lines by anyone, no action stunts… just pure suspense and thrills. Once you finish watching the film, you will feel shocked that 100 minutes have passed since the film started, which shows that skill with which Ram Gopal Varma has compiled so much of thrill in such a small amount of time, and it also
shows how fast times moves when you enjoy yourself.

A lonely woman (Urmila) is home alone, talking on the phone with her parents, asking them to return soon as she is feeling scared. She plans on watching TV with her per kitten, when a man, identifying him as Sameer (Bajpai), knocks on the door. He repeatedly knocks, asking for Mr. Malhotra, but she does not open the door, by denying that is the house of the Guptas. Later, another man claiming to be Inspector Qureshi (Singh) also knocks on the door. Meanwhile, the news coverage on TV shows that a serial killer is on the loose. As the story progresses, we see that none of them are who they claim to be. The rest of the film tells the events happening in that house till next morning, and as the film progresses, it becomes clear that one of the three is the serial killer mentioned on TV.

Urmila as the woman

This is one of the few real time films that have come, and perhaps the only one in Hindi. The entire story takes place in one evening and night, with about three minutes of the following morning shown on screen. The story starts off slowly, but there is a lot of suspense, thanks to the brilliant camera work. The spooky atmosphere created by the rainy evening and the lonely mansion provide the perfect ‘haunted house’ sort of background.

The score is excellent. As I said, if you need to provide a lot of suspense within a small amount of time, the score comes into play. Along with the score, the camera work is such that the viewers get the feeling that someone else is also in the house. This constant feeling or anticipation that someone will pop out from somewhere is what drives the film for the first twenty minutes or so. Now enter Manoj Bajpai, with a constant ‘Ma’am? Maaam?’ at the door. Then next twenty minutes or so are driven by dialogues between the woman and Sameer. Once it becomes clear that one of the three members is the killer, the film has nail-biting suspense. So, wait patiently for few minutes into the film, for once the suspense starts, there is nothing you can do but sit glued to your chair!

Bajpai as Sameer (as seen through the peephole by the woman)

The acting by Bajpai and Urmila is superb. The main reason why the acting is good is because the natures of all the characters shift frequently, especially that of Sameer. When you know that one of the three is the villain, you will expect some clue or hint to help you identify the person. Here, the mood or attitude of the characters keeps shifting so much that when you reach the ending, you are hit with a shock!

The story is very violent towards the end. Yet, credit must go to Ram Gopal Varma for setting up a great ending. He builds the suspense from the beginning, and gives the viewers just the right amount of thrills. The ending is not exactly ambiguous, but once the screen cuts to black, the viewers themselves can anticipate what will follow. So, the only negative part as far as the story is concerned, is that it is too violent.

Singh as Qureshi

To conclude, Ram Gopal Varma’s Kaun is one of the best thrillers that India has produced so far. A simple but haunting setting, a chilling score, some great acting and the right thrills provided at the right times are the elements which make the film a compact suspense thriller. Once you start watching the film, put on some gloves, for in the next hundred minutes, there is going to be some serious nail-biting!

My Rating: 4/5