Says Bips, “I always had this fear that my heels will break or come off. And my shoe did come off in one of the shows. But I walked down the ramp, slipped into my shoe and walked till the head ramp. Things happen when you are modelling… it’s a tough life.”

Know what Bipasha Basu’s biggest fear while walking the ramp is:

Bipasha Basu

Aatma Movie Poster

Rating: 2.5/5 stars (Two-and-half-Star)

Star cast: Bipasha Basu, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Doyel Dhawan, Shernaz Patel, Jaideep Ahlawat

Director: Suparn Verma

What’s Good: Nawazuddin’s acting, Sound, lighting and art direction

What’s Bad: The unnatural reactions, Undue dramatizing during vital scenes

Loo break: You might get panicky, and then it’s recommended

Watch or Not?: For those who dig psychological thrillers, like psychosomatic acts and enjoy inducing fear in themselves no matter what. 

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Nawazuddin plays Abhay, a psychotic husband who abuses and harasses his wife Maya, played by Bipasha Basu. The couple’s divorce and their subsequent fight over their daughter, Nia’s (Doyel) custody sets the tone for this movie.

The movie revolves around the departed father’s desperate desire to be reunited with his daughter in his dead world, while Maya, an apprehensive mother, attempts to rescue Nia from the “Aatma”. Due to Nia’s huge affection towards her father, he gradually possesses her and makes her hate her own Mother. Maya on the other hand, shares her anxiety with her mother (Shernaz Patel) and others to help her rescue her daughter from her dead husband’s malevolent grasp. Plenty of threatening events bother Maya’s life but she doesn’t give up hope. With the number of vicious attacks on the rise, the audience is left speculating about the outcome of this perilous journey.

Bipasha Basu and Doyel Dhawan (Aatma Movie Stills)

Aatma Review: Script Analysis

Nothing is superior to a paranormal existence. If no single force on the earth can slay the intentions of a supernatural creature even after applying all possible sources, then what can cause it to stop? This is fundamentally the underlying quest developed from the script.

Even so, the concept is done to death and has nothing substantially unique to offer. The screenplay by Suparn Verma is upright and blameless. Yes, there is some melodrama during vibrant scenes but that is excusable.

Taking the dialogues into consideration, there weren’t any spooky wordplay or wisecracks by Nawazuddin. However, in Psycho thrillers or horrors, some strength on the dialogues can enhance the movie.

Aatma Review: Star Performances

After successfully exposing himself as a ‘Mafia’ in Gangs of Wasseypur, Nawazuddin has pulled off yet another exhilarating role of a ‘Psychotic Ghost’ in Aatma. He has indeed given proper justice to his role. 

Bipasha’s act isn’t very impressive since it is very similar to any female protagonist in a horror movie. Nevertheless, she has done justice to the role. Doyel Dhawan, on the other hand managed to portray her character impeccably. Shernaz Patel depicts a sympathetic and understanding mother. Apart from her “uncalled-for extravagant act”, she is fine.

Jaideep Ahlawat, well known for his role as Shahid Khan in Gangs of Wasseypur, couldn’t tie the same standard by the role of a Police inspector.

Aatma Review: Direction, Music & Technical Aspects

As the movie begins, the very first treat to your eyes is the art direction fashioned for Doyel Dhawan’s room. Unfortunately this treat is limited to the room only. Production designer Sukant Panigrahy couldn’t maintain that further. The effort on lighting to create a thrilling environment is satisfactory. Also the sound design by Nimish Chedda is adequate enough to provoke fear in the audience.

Editor Hemal Kothari has performed an admirable job to bring a creepy feel to the movie. Even though music isn’t a major requirement of the genre, lyricist Kumaar has written 4 songs for the movie. Amongst these, “Aaja Nindiya” sung by Sangeet Haldipur delivers a sensitive trace to the film.

Director Suparn Verma has placed his accurate attention in the sectors of acting and screenplay thus making the film substantial in the horror zone.

Aatma Review: The Last Word

Aatma is just another ordinary horror story but with a pinch of fine acting by the lead stars. It is recommended for those who believe in spirits coming to haunt you and execute all fatal shots in order to make your life hell.

Aatma Trailer

Aatma released on 22nd March, 2013.

Share with us your experience of watching Aatma.

Bipasha elatedly spoke about her next, “I am doing a film called Creature. It is the first creature film of India, that too in 3D. Very exciting for me, because I have been a big fan of films like, Jaws, Anaconda, Jurassic Park and Godzilla.”

Bipasha Basu

She further adds, “It’s gonna be very challenging where your slightest move has to be animated and you have to copy that and execute it on set that same way. And you are going to be acting opposite actually nothing, so things will come on as forced, so it is very challenging film for all of us, for everyone on board.”

The Bengali pulchritude is all set to scorch the silver screen with the mettle she has in her this 22^nd March, with Aatma.

“When I was two years old, my dad got me a bikini from Australia. I have that picture and that looks really cute. So, from that time I have been a girl who loves sun and beach,” the 34-year-old said here Monday after she was declared the brand ambassador of India Resort Wear Fashion Week.

“So, it’s something which comes naturally to me. It’s not definitely to create a screen image, I am very comfortable off-screen also. I am totally a beach bum,” she added.

Bipasha Basu

Bipasha Basu

After working with Vikram Bhatt in a horror affair Raaz 3, Bipasha Basu is returning in yet another film belonging to the same genre, Aatma. Thankfully though, the gorgeous lady isn’t coming across as one of those tortured souls belonging to the kind that one sees in films belonging to this stage and setting.

“Aatma is a very interesting film and we have gone exactly with the kind of plotline which was there on paper”, says Bipasha, “You would see a distinct ‘Suparn way of filming, editing and shot pattern’. All of it has a very classy treatment to it and that’s because Suparn is a very stylish director. Even with the kind of mood that he creates, he is very tasteful in his approach. That’s one thing about him which makes Aatma a very niche and different project.”

Apparently, Suparn knew Bipasha for more than a decade from his days of being a journalist. This was the time when Bipasha too had just started her career in the world of films. So what was it about the filmmaker that convinced Bipasha that he had it in him to deliver goods?

“As a matter of fact, he has offered me both his films in the past – Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena and Acid Factory“, reveals Bipasha, “He has liked me since I was 16 and a Ford supermodel. He was one of the first few journalists who had interviewed me. He always wanted to work with me. Now if someone has that kind of faith in you for so long then that’s humbling.”

It wasn’t as if that was a reason good enough for her to jump on to the next offer that came from Suparn. As a matter of fact she was sceptical even for Aatma.

She continues, “I was feeling bad that I had always been saying no to him for various reasons, so this time around I just wanted to meet him. I didn’t think much of what he was going to do. It was just that post the narration I was bowled over with his script. I just didn’t say anything, I just nodded and that was a good enough indication for us to get rolling.”

Now we hope the results are terrific as well once the horror unfolds this weekend.

Joginder Tuteja tweets @tutejajoginder

Catch the video of the event right here:

Bipasha Basu, Suparn Verma and Nawazuddin Siddiqui at Aatma Music Launch

Bipasha Basu

The ultra-sensuous prodigy of tinsel town, Bipasha Basu, who confesses being a household name, and been in business for years, is on a promotion spree with her latest movie on the block-Aatma. The lady spills beans about being someone she never dreamt of being, but now dreams to do a lot more than just acting.

Come 2013, from Ajnabee to Aatma, how has your voyage been?
It’s been fantastic; it has been from a person who didn’t want to be an actor, but a doctor, to a full-blown actress today. You know the fact that I have become a household name, I am just blessed and I feel very grateful to the film industry, to the audiences, who kept me going. If you don’t have an audience connect, you’ll never be there for so long.

You have been tagged as the symbol of sensuality, or “sex symbol” of B-Town, does that reflect upon your performance?
Not really! The fact that I have lasted 13 years, without any backing, cannot be just because I look sexy or hot. There is more than that. I am extremely proud of myself. I don’t need to prove anything to anybody. Well, you think that you are too sexy or  too hot, then, maybe some would want to be proving that, you know, ‘I am a good actress’. Know to look beyond it, people are intelligent, maybe the film industry is not that intelligent, but the audiences are.

‘Bipasha with her dark side works more onscreen’. Do you agree to that?
I don’t agree to that, I believe Bipasha the actor, always works. When it’s a finely written role, it is always gonna work, it doesn’t have to be dark. When it is not regular, like a role which not every single actress will be doing, that’s when it works for me.

Bipasha Basu films and romance are almost synonymous to each other. No romance in Aatma?
There is never romance in my films (laughs). There is so much romance in my life, there is no need for romance in my films. I am a very romantic person, by birth, what to do.

What more do we see from you in the coming age?
I want to do more, and the good thing is that I have taken everything in my hands. Earlier I used to come on sets, finish my shot and bid adieu to all, and meet them during the promotions phase. But now, from the development of a film, to the development of the character, to the screenplay, story, casting, I am more interested in every aspect of film making.

Suparn Verma’s Aatma is releasing this Friday, 22^nd March. Bipasha plays a mother trying to protect her daughter from her returned-from-the-dead husband (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) who tries to take his child (Doyel Dhawan) away along with him.

Sonam Kapoor on the sets of Raanjhnaa Movie

This is your one stop shop for the latest happenings in the town. The buzz. The release plans. The launches. The works. Yes, this is serious business and Koimoi will bring to you the most reliable information at the weekend. Have a dekko.

- With Tamannaah Bhatia being signed for the Sajid-Farhad film, Akshay Kumar would now have yet another new entrant leading lady after Sonakshi Sinha to form a pairing with in films to come.

- Between ABCD and Kai Po Che, UTV has made a killing with as much as 100 crores coming in just from domestic revenue.

- After working together in Aakrosh, Priyadarshan and Bipasha Basu would now clash with each other as Rangrezz and Aatma arrive together next weekend.

- Promotion of Chashme Baddoor has started gathering heat. Moreover with other films opting for a different date, the David Dhawan directed film would be enjoying a one horse race on 5th April.

- With Shortcut Romeo moving ahead to June, Neil Nitin Mukesh would be enjoying a breather of sorts as it would arrive around 100 days after 3G.

- First Look of Sonam Kapoor and Dhanush starrer Raanjhanaa would be out around Holi.

Joginder Tuteja tweets @tutejajoginder

‘Teri Khatir’ brings the listener down with a huge thud back to the horror genre. This Hard Rock track is as spooky as it gets with the fusion of Electric Guitars and Violins bringing in a sense of supernatural and manages to hook the listener completely.

Suraj Jagan’s vocals bring in the required level of ominousness and intensity required for a song of this nature and he is spot on in his rendition of the equally mesmerizing lyrics penned by Kumaar. Sounding very situational, this song should easily fit well in the movie.

Enjoy the song right here:

Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Teri Khatir Song in Aatma Movie Stills

Directed by Suparn Verma, Aatma is slated to release on 22nd March, 2013.

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Suparn Varma is back after Acid Factory with a psychological thriller Aatma through which he plans to redefine the horror genre in Indian cinema. It is indeed a pretty confident statement coming from this Journalist turned Filmmaker and one needs to wait for the film to release to see whether he does live up to this statement. The film stars Bipasha Basu and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in lead roles along with child actor Doyel Dhawan whose character is most integral to the storyline as it is on her character that the entire story revolves. Music for this film has been scored by the relatively new but promising duo of Siddharth and Sangeet Haldipur. Lyrics have been penned by Kumaar.

Horror as a genre is increasingly becoming popular especially after the Raaz series and many film makers are coming forward to exploit this genre to make more such films, sample 1920, Ghost, Haunted -3D and even upcoming releases like 3G and Ek Thi Daayan. As against the old horror films that primarily catered to the B and C class centres, these recent releases have been made with the multiplex audience in mind keeping in tune with the ever changing taste of the audience. Music in such films is reminiscent of the inherent fear factor omnipresent in the film and the music of Aatma is no exception. In fact, the very first song of this album is in itself proof enough for this statement.

Aatma Movie Poster

Aaja Nindiya – Aatma Music Review

The album opens with the eerie Lullaby, Aaja Nindiya which has been sung by Sangeet Haldipur himself. The term “Eerie” is not something which one usually associates with a lullaby and it is to the credit of the music composers that they have been able to incorporate the chill factor even in a song which is essentially a lullaby that a father is singing for his daughter. The composition sounds so spooky that it is sure to send shivers down the listener’s spine. Special mention has to be made for Kumaar’s lyrics which have been so beautifully written as well as equally well sung by Sangeet Haldipur. A perfect start to the album indeed.

Jee Le Jyada – Aatma Music Review

Next in line is Jee Le Jyada which has an array of female singers including Alyssa Mendonsa, Anusha Mani, Shefali Alvares and Apeksha Dandekar taking centre-stage and crooning Kumaar’s lyrics on living life to the fullest. In fact listening to this number, one would not be mistaken in assuming that it is an all girls’ pop band having fun behind the mike. The track is breezy and easy on the ears and has been well sung by all the girls and they have done so by not trying to outdo one another which, in itself, is applause worthy. This track too has in it to become popular if promoted well. There is, in fact, another solo male version of this song which has Nikhil Paul George lending his vocals for the same. This version is not as good as the first version and is just about average.

Teri Khatir – Aatma Music Review

Teri Khatir brings the listener down with a huge thud back to the horror genre after luring us with a false ‘feel good’ premise with Jee Le Jyada. This Hard Rock track is as spooky as it gets with the fusion of Electric Guitars and Violins bringing in a sense of supernatural and manages to hook the listener completely. Suraj Jagan’s vocals bring in the required level of ominousness and intensity required for a song of this nature and he is spot on in his rendition of the equally mesmerizing lyrics penned by Kumaar. Sounding very situational, this song should easily fit well in the movie.

Koi Jaagi Aankhein – Aatma Music Review

Koi Jaagi Aankhein is the penultimate song in this album and is essentially a Jazz version of Aaja Nindiya and has Anahita Irani behind the mike this time around. The music composers surprise us yet again by incorporating, first the eerie factor, and now jazz music for a lullaby. Surely creativity has no bounds for this talented duo. Anahita’s voice incorporates the chill factor very well and the song itself might work well as an experiment but it cannot measure up to the spookiness emanating out of Sangeet Haldipur’s version by a long haul.

The Aatma Theme – Aatma Music Review

The Aatma Theme rounds up what has proven to be an excellent score from the Haldipur duo. This instrumentation track is basically a concoction of all the songs in the soundtrack especially Aaja Nindiya which is very predominant throughout this theme. The chill factor radiates out of every instrument used in this track and perfectly fits in with the theme of the movie.

The Last Word – Aatma Music Review

The music composer duo of Siddharth & Sangeet Haldipur has come up with a winning soundtrack which fits in perfectly with the mood and setting of the film. They have not given in to the temptation of composing ‘mandatory’ songs like romantic numbers or item songs, which in itself is commendable. Furthermore, songs as diverse as Aaja Nindiya and Teri Khatir as well as Jee Le Jyada have them showcasing their versatility like no other. As far as the listener is concerned, having started to listen to this album with very less expectations, it has indeed turned out to be a pleasant surprise. All in all, a good album.

Check out the video right here:

Bipasha Basu Promotes ‘Aatma’ on ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’ show

“Let me first find my soulmate. Marriage is not a very simple thing, you have to spend the rest of your life with this one person. Hopefully, I find him soon, I am not looking though, let him find me,” Bipasha said here Wednesday on the sets of TV show “Arjun”.

Catch the video right here:

Bipasha Basu