S Shyam Prasad
Horror, film makers seem to believe, is the easiest genre to master. All you need is five characters dumped in a house with electrical problems. Anything more and it is in serious danger of becoming a cult classic.
The story for Mane Number 13 was probably written this way: All the easy horror clichés were collected in a gunny bag, shaken well and picked out one by one at random. Lined up next to each other, it became the script.
The film fails in the only one thing it was supposed to do; scare you. It rather annoys you no end and finally makes you feel sorry for yourself for deciding to watch it. The actors are made to act funny and scared at the same time but only manage to irritate. It is so sad to watch everyone try so hard to act.
To award some credit, there is some semblance of a story. Unfortunately, it is all tightly packed in some remote corner of the climax. By the time you reach it (if at all), you don’t give a damn. But I am not spoiling the fun by revealing it. Spend 90 minutes of your weekend in this house and curse me.
PS: If you manage to watch Mane Number 13 without a fast forward mode, you deserve the 2020 audience award.
Film: Mane Number 13 Director: Vivy Kathiresan Cast: Ramana, Sathvika Appaiah, Varsha Bollamma, Chethan Gandharva Stars: 1.5
