Help (2010 film)

Last updated

Help
Help official poster art.jpg
Theatrical Poster
Directed byRajeev Virani
Written by
  • Deepak Pawar
  • Viddesh Malandkar
Produced by
  • Vinay Chowksey
  • Sanjay Ahluwalia
Starring
CinematographyDhimant Vyas
Edited by
  • Mohammed Rafique
  • Lionel Fernandez
Music by Ashutosh Phatak
Distributed byRupali Aum Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
Release date
  • 13 August 2010 (2010-08-13)
Running time
110 minutes [1]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Help is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language supernatural horror film [2] directed by Rajeev Virani in his directional debut. It stars Bobby Deol and Mugdha Godse and marks the debut of Sophia Handa in a supporting role. Shreyas Talpade also has a special role in the film although it was not marketed as his film. It was released on 13 August 2010, making it the first Bollywood horror film to release on Friday the 13th. [3] The film was shot in Mauritius.

Contents

Plot

A woman, Susan Alves, is in a mental asylum on the island of Mauritius in 1990. She frantically scribbles demonic images on her cell. Her husband, Joe Alves, comes to visit, and they discuss their daughter, Pia. Susan panics and says she can't bear it and commits suicide in front of Joe.

In present-day Mumbai, Pia (Mugdha Godse) is now married to horror film director Vic (Bobby Deol). However, their marriage is strained. When Pia's friend Carol (Sophia Handa) from Mauritius informs the couple that Pia's father, Joe, has suffered a heart attack, they travel to the island and stay at Pia's childhood home, where it's revealed that Pia had a twin named Dia, who she was very close with. That night, Pia has a nightmare of a girl's ghost, and inanimate objects in the house are seen moving around. The next morning, Pia has a flashback of Joe carrying a dead Dia out of the pool. She is very disturbed by this memory as she recalls that normally she was with her sister at all times, but the day Dia drowned, she wasn't. During dinner, when Pia goes outside to check on Tracy, the dog, who is barking ferociously at something invisible, she has another encounter with the girl's ghost.

Pia discovers she is pregnant. Meanwhile, Joe shares old photos with Vic and points out Dia's favourite doll, which was buried with Dia. Pia tells Vic of her pregnancy; the news mends their relationship, and the couple is once again happy. However, unusual events continue occurring in the house. One night, Dia's ghost jumps down on Pia from the ceiling. The next morning, Pia is clearly not herself. When Tracy is found dead, Pia seems completely unfazed, which concerns Carol, as Pia loved the dog. Carol contacts her friend Aditya (Shreyas Talpade), a parapsychologist, for help, informing him about the unnatural happenings in the house and Pia's unusual behaviour.

Carol has an encounter with the ghost and flees but is hit by a truck and dies. At the funeral, Aditya senses that Pia's life is in danger and tells Vic. After encountering the ghost himself, Vic seeks Aditya for help. He searches the attic and finds the doll that was buried with Dia, a video cassette, Susan's diaries, and some extremely morbid paintings by Susan, featuring images of suicide and inner turmoil. Vic visits the mental asylum, and the janitor there tells him that Susan wasn't insane but in fact possessed by an evil spirit.

Vic and Aditya watch the video cassette, which shows Pia drowning Dia before giving the camera an evil smile. However, they suspect the clip only shows half the truth. After repeated viewings of the video, Aditya realises Susan was already possessed even before Dia's death. He also notices the reflection of a third girl in the mirror: it cannot be Pia, as she is the one videotaping, and it is not Dia, who is in front of the camera. It is the spirit, meaning Pia was not the one who killed her, and that through her uncovered doll, Dia was trying to send them a message about her true murderer.

Vic discovers that the women in Susan's family become possessed when pregnant. A possessed Pia kills Joe. It is revealed that Susan was pregnant with triplets. Dia and Pia came out fine, but there were major complications with the third child, and Joe had to take the decision to save Susan over the child. After realising it is the triplet's spirit taking revenge against the family, Vic and Aditya try to destroy the spirit. Aditya is killed, but Vic manages to trap the spirit in the other realm.

7 months later, Pia delivers a baby girl. However, while Pia sleeps, the baby is seen squirming and writhing; its eyes suddenly go blank like the spirit's, implying the spirit is now in the baby.

Cast

Release

Critical reception

Help received mixed reviews, but many praised the performances of Mugdha Godse and Jyoti Dogra, as well as the make-up by Vikram Gaikwad. Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama gave the film 2/5 stars saying, "On the whole, Help is at best an ordinary attempt." [4] Sanskriti Media from AOL Bollywood gave the film a glowing review of 3.5/5 stars saying, "Mugdha comes up with a fabulous performance as a possessed lady in the film. Although she has donned a bikini in the film, her slim persona does not make her look vulgar. Bobby is natural and simple. Shreyas has also performed his character with great intensity as 'Help' will come as a surprise to the film industry as well as the audiences. The producers surely are confident about their product hence they are releasing it with a much-hyped movie like Peepli Live . Help definitely is a must watch film!" [5] Sampurn from Entertainment Daily gave the film 3/5 stars saying that "...Help has enough genuinely spooky moments to keep you on the edge of your seats. Just like Bhoot, this film succeeds in scaring you in broad day light sequences too as Mugdha enacts her difficult role fairly well. Bobby Deol is earnest and does well in his part. Shreyas Talpade is very impressive, especially in the climax sequence. Salim Fatehi is good and so is Sophie Handa who plays Mugdha's best friend. Jyoti Dogra playing Mugdha's mom is terrific and gives you the chills whenever she is on screen." [6]

Production

The film was shot on location in Mumbai and Mauritius for a schedule of 45 days spread over a period of 8 months. In Mauritius, the cast and crew stayed at Eureka House, an 18th-century French-colonial house which is believed to be haunted. "The film has been beautifully shot and I must say it's one the finest horror films that the audience will see. It's chilling, gruesome and the kind of horror which gives you Goosebumps. 'Help' will take the horror genre in India to another level. My character in the film is extremely well defined and I am sure people will like the new Bobby in the film," says Bobby. Mugdha is also excited for the release of the film as she states "I have done glamorous roles as well as de-glam roles in the past but with 'Help' you will see me in a role which is much more acting oriented. It is the role of a lifetime...." [7] The film is said to be one of the scariest of all time. [8] The first look of the film was unveiled at the IIFA press conference. [9] The film was originally slated for release on 9 July 2010, but was later pushed to 13 August 2010 to have more time to promote the film.

Soundtrack

Help
Soundtrack album by
Ashutosh Phatak
Released23 July 2010 (2010-07-23)
Genre Film soundtrack
Length33:01
Label Pen Music
Producer Vinay Chowksey
Ashutosh Phatak chronology
Sigh of an Angel
(2008)		Help
(2010)		Petri Dish
(2010)

The soundtrack of the film is composed by Ashutosh Phatak, commonly known as Ashu, from Blue Frog Media and the lyrics were penned by Irshad Kamil. The soundtrack is composed of seven songs. The music released on 23 July 2010.

Track list

No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Kehna Hai" Suzanne D'Mello, Joi Barua 5:24
2."Kyun Gum Hai Khushiyan" Ashu, Kirti Sagathia5:18
3."Help"Rana Mazumder, Barkha4:54
4."Incubated, Just for Death"Ashu2:12
5."Kehna Hai" (remix)Suzanne D'Mello, Joi Barua 5:22
6."Kyun Gum Hai Khushiyan" (remix)Ashu, Kirti Sagathia5:34
7."Help" (remix)Rana Mazumder, Barkha4:55

Reception

Joginder Tuteja from Bollywood Hungama gave the soundtrack 1/5 stars saying "As expected, Help doesn't have much to offer and hence the reason why one hasn't heard much about it either. Earlier this year, there have been soundtracks that have been created for the horror flicks. However, this one is clearly the weakest of all." Tuteja listed one of the reasons of the flop soundtrack was because of bad promotion of the film and the music is nowhere to be found on music stands. "Kehna Hai" was the only song from the soundtrack appreciated by Tuteja. "Due to depressing nature of the song, as conveyed in Irashad Kamil's lyrics, and the way it is sung by Ashu and Kirti Sagathia, you are not much charged", said Tuteja about the track "Kyun Gum Hai Khushiyan". The title track, "Help" was called "ordinary". [10]

However, from an audience point of view, the music was a hit. The film's soundtrack currently has an average of 3.33/5 stars on Bollywood Hungama by user reviews.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Deol</span> Indian film actor (born 1969)

Vijay Singh Deol, known by his screen name Bobby Deol, is an Indian actor who primarily works in Hindi cinema. A member of the Deol family, he is the younger son of actor Dharmendra and brother of actor Sunny Deol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celina Jaitly</span> Indian actress (born 1981)

Celina Jaitly is an Indian actress and beauty pageant titleholder. She mainly works in Hindi cinema. She won the title of Femina Miss India 2001 and became 4th runner-up at Miss Universe 2001. She made her acting debut with the 2003 thriller Janasheen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shreya Ghoshal</span> Indian playback singer (born 1984)

Shreya Ghoshal is an Indian singer. Noted for her wide vocal range and versatility, she is one of the most prolific and popular singers of India. She has recorded songs for films and albums in various Indian and foreign languages and received numerous accolades, including five National Film Awards, four Kerala State Film Awards, two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, two BFJA Awards, seven Filmfare Awards and ten Filmfare Awards South. Often referred as the "Queen of Dynamics'' for her remarkable vocal expressions, Ghoshal is widely regarded as one of the greatest vocalists of the Indian subcontinent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shreyas Talpade</span> Indian actor

Shreyas Talpade is an Indian actor, film director and producer who appears in Hindi and Marathi films. He has appeared in several critically and commercially successful films. He is better known for his role as Shah Rukh Khan's friend Pappu Master in Om Shanti Om (2007), the grand reincarnation melodrama of Farah Khan. He appeared in the comedies Golmaal Returns (2008), Welcome to Sajjanpur (2008), Golmaal 3 (2010), Housefull 2 (2012) and Golmaal Again (2017). Talpade also dubbed for Allu Arjun in the Hindi version of Pushpa: The Rise (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mugdha Godse</span> Indian actress

Mugdha Veira Godse is an Indian actress and model who appears in Hindi films. A former model, Godse was a semi-finalist at the Femina Miss India 2004 competition. She made her acting debut in Madhur Bhandarkar's 2008 film, Fashion. She was one of the judges in a Marathi reality show, Marathi Paul Padte Pudhe. She also acted in Tamil film Thani Oruvan.

<i>Bardaasht</i> 2004 Indian film

Bardaasht is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language vigilante action-thriller film produced by Vijay Galani and directed by Eeshwar Nivas. It is based on the screenplay written by Vikram Bhatt. The film stars Bobby Deol, Lara Dutta, Ritesh Deshmukh, Tara Sharma, and Rahul Dev, with Vishwajeet Pradhan, Ganesh Yadav, Nagesh Bhonsle, Shivaji Satam, and Virendra Saxena in important supporting roles. The film focuses on the issue of police brutality.

<i>Jab We Met</i> 2007 film by Imtiaz Ali

Jab We Met is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Imtiaz Ali and produced by Dhilin Mehta under his banner Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision. The film stars Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor with Tarun Arora, Saumya Tandon and Dara Singh in supporting roles.

<i>Wanted</i> (2009 film) 2009 film by Prabhu Deva

Wanted is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Prabhu Deva and produced by Boney Kapoor. It is a remake of the 2006 Telugu film Pokiri. The film stars Salman Khan in the lead role with Prakash Raj, Ayesha Takia, Vinod Khanna, Mahesh Manjrekar and Inder Kumar while Prabhu Deva, Govinda and Anil Kapoor make special appearances.

<i>Click</i> (2010 film) 2010 horror film by Sangeeth Sivan

Click is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language supernatural horror film directed by Sangeeth Sivan, starring Shreyas Talpade, Sadha Sayed, Sneha Ullal, Rehan Khan, and Chunky Pandey. It is based on the 2004 Thai film Shutter by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom, and is its third Indian adaptation after Photo (2006) and Sivi (2007). The film follows a photographer and his girlfriend who begin to have paranormal experiences after they accidentally run over a woman.

Sophia Handa is an Indian actress and model. She is best known for winning the Gladrags Mrs.India 2009 competition, a competition for Indian married women. She made her Bollywood debut in the 2010 Bollywood horror film, Help, which co-stars Bobby Deol and Mugdha Godse.

<i>Will You Marry Me?</i> (film) 2012 film by Aditya Datt

Will You Marry Me? is a 2012 Hindi romantic comedy starring Shreyas Talpade, Rajeev Khandelwal, Tripta Parashar, Mugdha Godse, Celina Jaitly and Muzammil Ibrahim in lead roles. The film is about a beach wedding. It was shot in several locations including Fujairah and Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, Mumbai, India and Bangkok, Thailand.

<i>Joker</i> (2012 film) 2012 film by Shirish Kunder

Joker is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language science fiction comedy film directed by Shirish Kunder and also his second directorial venture after Jaan-E-Mann. The film stars Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha. The film released worldwide on 31 August 2012, and received negative response upon release. The film was declared a "Disaster" at box office. The trailer of the film revealed on 11 July 2012, and also in cinemas along with Cocktail.

<i>Bhaiaji Superhit</i> 2018 Indian film

Bhaiaji Superhit is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film directed by Neerraj Pathak and produced by Chirag Dhariwal. The film features an ensemble cast including Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Arshad Warsi, Ameesha Patel and Shreyas Talpade. This film marked Zinta's comeback to films after a 5-year hiatus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samikssha Batnagar</span> Indian actress (born 1988)

Samikssha Batnagar is an Indian actress who was seen in various Hindi serials on Star Plus and Zee TV until 2014 in both supporting as well as lead roles. She did a cameo in Madhur Bhandarkar's Calendar Girls, released in the year 2015, marking her Bollywood debut and in 2017 she acted in the Shreyas Talpade-directed movie Poster Boys, opposite Bobby Deol, which is her first lead role opposite a popular actor.

<i>Poshter Boyz</i> 2014 Indian film

Poshter Boyz is a 2014 Indian Marathi-language comedy film directed by Sameer Patil and written by Sameer Patil and Charudatta Bhagwat. The movie stars Dilip Prabhavalkar, Hrishikesh Joshi, Aniket Vishvasrao in lead roles and Pooja Sawant, Neha Joshi in female lead cast. The film was produced by Shreyas Talpade. This is the second movie produced by Shreyas Talpade under his home production Affluence Movies Private Limited after Sanai Choughade. The film is released in theatres on 1 August 2014. The film is going to be remade in Telugu as 'Poshter Boyz,' the director of which will be Gopi Ganesh, with Akshay Kumar and Rana Daggubati starring. The film was remade in Hindi as Poster Boys starring Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol and Shreyas Talpade.

<i>Raaz: Reboot</i> 2016 film by Vikram Bhatt

Raaz: Reboot is a 2016 Indian horror thriller film written and directed by Vikram Bhatt. It features Emraan Hashmi, Kriti Kharbanda and Gaurav Arora in the lead roles. The film is the fourth instalment in the horror film series, Raaz.

<i>Poster Boys</i> 2017 Indian comedy film

Poster Boys is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language comedy film written, co-produced and directed by Shreyas Talpade in his directorial debut. The film features Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Shreyas Talpade along with Sonali Kulkarni, Samikssha Batnagar and Tripti Dimri. The film is an official remake of the Marathi film Poshter Boyz which Talpade himself had produced and acted in. It is inspired by a real-life incident about three porters who found their pictures on a vasectomy poster. Produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions, Sunny Sounds Pvt. Ltd. and Affluence Movie Pvt. Ltd., Poster Boys is released on 8 September 2017.

<i>Setters</i> (film) 2019 Indian Hindi-language crime thriller film

Setters is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language crime thriller film directed by Ashwini Chaudhary and produced by Vikash Mani. Based on the examination of cheating rackets present in India, the film stars Aftab Shivdasani, Shreyas Talpade, Sonnalli Seygall, Vijay Raaz, Ishita Dutta, Pavan Malhotra, Jameel Khan and Pankaj Jha. The film is about an eponymous racket which arranges brilliant student in place of weak student to appear in examination for money.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triptii Dimri</span> Indian actress (born 1994)

Triptii Dimri is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She made her acting debut in the thriller Mom (2017) and had her first lead role in the romantic drama Laila Majnu (2018). She gained critical recognition for her performances in Anvita Dutt's period films Bulbbul (2020) and Qala (2022), with the former earning her a Filmfare OTT Award.

Fear is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language horror film directed by Vikram Bhatt. Starring Amit Gaur, Aditya Ralkar and Alisha Baig, the film was released direct-to-video.

References

  1. ↑ "Help". British Board of Film Classification .
  2. ↑ "Bobby Deol and Mugdha Godse get Help". Rediff.com . Retrieved 21 July 2010. The supernatural horror film that draws upon the story of a malevolent spirit who refuses to leave the human world is directed by debutant director Rajeev Virani and produced by Sanjay Ahluwalia & Vinay Choksey of Rupali Aum Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
  3. ↑ "Bobby, Mugdha to spook all". The Times of India. 15 July 2010.
  4. ↑ Help: Movie Review Bollywood Hungama Retrieved on 13 August 2010
  5. ↑ Help – Movie Review Archived 15 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine AOL Bollywood Retrieved on 16 August 2010
  6. ↑ Movie Review: Help Retrieved on 14 August 2010
  7. ↑ Bobby Deol wraps up shooting for 'Help' Archived 28 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine Indian Blooms, Retrieved on 16 April 2010
  8. ↑ Bobby Deol, Mugdha Godse upbeat over HELP Archived 3 December 2012 at archive.today Sawfnews, Retrieved on 31 May 2010
  9. ↑ Bobby Deol & Mugdha Godse to unveil HELP 1st look at IIFA 2010 in Colombo Glamsham, Retrieved on 1 June 2010 Archived 2 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ Help: Music Review by Joginder Tuteja Bollywood Hungama Retrieved on 16 August 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.