Pari movie review: Anushka Sharma starrer sends chills to your spine, but lack effective story line

After creating much of a buzz with her hush-hush wedding with cricketer Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma is back on the silver screen with her recent release Pari.

The movie isn't Anushka's first release post her wedding, but also the actress' first horror movie.

Anushka has reportedly worked really hard for the movie and has high hopes for Pari, given it is her first attempt at the genre.

So as the movie has finally hit the theatres on March 2, we bring you what the leading dailies have to say about Anushka Sharma's Pari which claims that it isn't a fairy tale.

DNA: Anushka scores with a brilliant performance, essaying the myriad moods and phases of her character with conviction. From her first scene, when she is discovered in chains, the actress is in full form and holds your attention till the end. 

Subtlety seems to be Parambratha’s forte. The actor who impressed cinegoers with his cop act in Kahaani (2012), effectively portrays the nervousness and anxiety of Arnab when faced with unforeseen circumstances. 

Given a good horror film also hinges on the novelty factor, besides a strong plot, wonderful actors and convincing execution, Pari does keep you engaged, despite its flaws.

The Hindu: Roy builds a relentless feel of doom, the lobs of fear broken only briefly with tiny interludes of romance. There’s a terrible sense of oppressiveness that makes you want to run away to grab some fresh air, yet it's enough to intrigue you to want to stay on. 

Yes, there are many jump scares (can we ever escape them) but Roy does well in creating a suffocating atmosphere, invests some ordinary objects and creatures with a significant, pivotal eerieness, be it incense sticks, a bucket of water, an artificial eye, a tube of Boroline cream, a nailcutter, the cartoons on the TV or the dogs on the street. 

Scroll: Pari is technically competent, and Prosit Roy receives production support in plenty. The costumes, hair and make -up, and background music being noteworthy. 

The cast, which includes Ritabhari Chakraborty as Arnab’s fiancée, contribute with wholehearted performances. 
Anushka Sharma, in particular, immerses herself into a physically exhausting character. But an elaborate track about satanic worship along with themes of good versus evil and love limits this film’s appeal to the loyal viewer who favours this genre.

Hindustan Times: Pari begins on a promising note. It spreads its canvas from Kolkata to Barackpur to Dhaka effortlessly. You’re told about Ifrit, the most powerful djinn, and how it wants to propagate its bloodline. 

You meet a cult with a desire to curb this menace, and an Anushka Sharma who looks volatile, vulnerable and ready to explode. 

Slowly, Pari starts using the same tactics as Vikram Bhatt. You’ll enter a silent space and something will cross the frame behind you. 

You turn and find it right behind you -- now these are shots we have been watching for years, and listening to loud background score that accompanies it. Nothing wrong till it thrills, but intrigue factor begins to diminish.

News 18: It is commendable that the makers try to base the film’s horror on a proper story, unlike other Bollywood products but it spends too much time laying and then joining the dots, and not living up to the anticipation thereon. 

So while the first half intrigues, despite its slow pace, the second quickly falls apart and turns into an explainer. The talk of yesteryear events in Bangladesh are laid here and there, but are hardly enough to keep it together without a solid base.

The performances, however, are praise-worthy. Anushka as Rukhsana oozes a strange vibe like she should and brings a depth to her act. With bruises on her skin, fear in her eyes and hope in her actions, she tries her best to pull different strings and renders a mysterious feel to her character.

Now it will be interesting to see how Anushka Sharma's Pari will fare at the box office.