Rating: 1.5/5
Banner: Raj (India) Entertainments
Cast: Rajeev Kanakala, Rishi, Urvasi Sharma, Harshavardhan, Santhi Chandra, Vijayachander, Ranganath, Banerjee, Ravali and others
Music: Vijay Kurakula
Fights: Ram Lakshman
Cinematography: Senthil Kumar
Director: Shekkhar Suri
Producers: Phani Raj and G S Babu
Release date: 17/10/2008
Story:
Sri Ram (Rishi) is a program maker in National Geographic Channel and he happens to meet Nisha (Urvashi Sharma), a girl who stays in a row house next to him. Nisha suffers from schizophrenia-related syndrome and listens to some eerie voice in the name of Shankar who threatens her to kill. Sri Ram introduces her to a psychiatrist Harsha (Harshavardhan) who attempts to help her to understand her problem. In the process of quest for Shankar, they realize that some past birth link is associated with the eerie voice ringing in her ears. Who is Shankar? What is the past birth link and how destiny drives Sri Ram and Harsha in their mission becomes the rest of the story.
Performances:
Rishi appeared with multiple tattoos on his hands. Rajeev Kanakala's image didn't help his role to bring fear factor. Harshavardhan is the best among all who spilled some laughs and entertained in first half. Urvashi Sharma is enough to fit in a role like this. Benerjee appeared in a guest role and played in routine fashion.
Coming to technical aspects, Vijay Kurakula gave good music but failed to assess the right time to give right score. His music has eaten away the clarity in dialogues many times. Cinematography by Senthil Kumar is at its best. The balloon light method is also worked well to match the horror factor. Editing is ok. Dialogues by Harshavardhan are apt and adequate. Director Sekkhar Suri wasted big time in narrating nothing and used very less time in second half to explain 'regression', which is necessary to make audience understand.
The interesting aspect in the movie is the rolling titles in the end that's thought provoking to some extent-showing the past life photographs of celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, George Bush and Shahrukh Khan picked up from the book 'Born Again'.
Analysis:
The readers of the works like 'Many Lives Many Masters', 'Same Soul Many Bodies' and 'Messages From Masters' by Brian E Weiss, Many Mansions of Cereminara, Born Again and Edgar Cayce literature can get connected to this subject, especially the stuff in second half. Otherwise, the concept of 'regression therapy' sounds weird and unconvincing. And it is true that the people those are acquainted with this subject and books will not relish 'Three' as the conviction in second half proves feeble. The concept of 'regression therapy' boasts that the past life sinners get repentance in present life once they are regressed. But here, the hero turns villain and takes gets back his past life's cruelty and kills the people around him in present life. The subject would have dealt in other way with positive and peaceful ending. Director Sekkhar Suri has set his standards above with his film 'A Film By Aravind'. But now he failed to meet the same standards. The movie 'Three' leaves common audience in confusion.
First half is dragged with no run in the story line. Second half runs swift but in confused way. Make up part is weak. Projecting Rajeev Kanakala with lip stick glued under eyes, Vijay Kurakula's over dosed sound affects those have eaten away the audibility in dialogues are the limitations in this flick. Showing Rajeev Kanakala on the wall like a batman brought laughs in theaters in stead of pumping fear.
On a whole, it's a challenging attempt but ended up as a routine horror flick with mundane elements. The film would have been better if proper light was thrown on 'regression therapy' to make common audience understand. Sekkhar! If you are more convinced with 'regression subject', then better luck next time, with proper ground work and more convincing and edifying elements.
(SiraSri can be reached at [email protected])
