Naina
Theatrical release poster
Directed byShripal Morakhia
Screenplay byShripal Morakhia
Based onThe Eye by
Pang brothers
Produced bySagar Pandya
Anjum Rajabali
Rakesh Mehra
StarringUrmila Matondkar
Anuj Sawhney
Amardeep Sinha
Shweta Konnur
Kamini Khanna
CinematographyC.K. Muralidharan
Edited byAmitabh Shukla
Sanjay Shukla
Music bySalim–Sulaiman
Distributed byiDream Productions
Release date
  • 20 May 2005 (2005-05-20)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Naina is a 2005 Indian Hindi-language horror film directed by Shripal Morakhia and starring Urmila Matondkar. The film was premiered in the Marché du Film section of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.[1][2] The film is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong-Singaporean horror film The Eye directed by the Pang brothers.

Its release caused controversy in India because its depiction of the protagonist seeing ghosts after receiving a corneal transplant was similar to existing fears in India surrounding corneal transplants and it was feared the film would discourage people from donating corneas or seeking corneal transplants.[3][4][5]

Plot

During a solar eclipse in 1986, young Naina Shah, while traveling in the backseat of her England-based dad's car, is struck by glass from the shattered windshield during an accident, and loses her eyesight. Her parents do not survive, and she is brought up by her paternal grandmother. Years later, Naina gets a successful corneal transplant, and is able to see. She complains of vision problems, seeing hooded persons, and people dying, which a psychiatrist, Samir Patel, diagnoses as hallucinations. But when Naina reports seeing someone else in her mirror reflection, Sameer decides to investigate who the original cornea actually belonged to. This investigation will lead them to an impoverished village in New Bhuj, Gujarat, where she will find her life endangered by hostile villagers who believe that the donor of her cornea was cursed.

Naina learns the story of her donor, Khemi. Khemi was born with the ability to see a person's imminent death, and was ostracised by the society. One night, she tried to save the village from a great fire, but nobody believed her. After the fire broke out, those same villagers blamed Khemi for the disaster. Khemi committed suicide out of despair. Naina returns to England, where she unsuccessfully tries to save people from a fire. In the accident, Naina once again loses her eyesight, but she does not regret it because she has the love of Samir and her grandmother.

Cast

Reception

Naina received mostly positive reviews from the critics. Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama said, "NAINA is one of the most imaginative and pulse-pounding horror films to come along in recent times. It leaves the viewer frightened, terrified and petrified. As a horror movie, it packs one genuine scare after another, right till its finale". Urmila Matondkar was especially praised for her performance.

Box office

The film got a 50% opening in the first week, but its collections increased heavily. At last it was given a 'hit' tag.

References

  1. ↑ "Entertainment / Cinema : Indian films a 'nonentity' at Cannes". The Hindu. 19 May 2005. Archived from the original on 10 January 2016.
  2. ↑ "The Hindu : Entertainment Bangalore / Cinema : Cannes premier for Naina". Archived from the original on 4 February 2010.
  3. ↑ Chandra, Anjali (24 May 2005). "Seeing is not believing". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 October 2007.
  4. ↑ "NAB also fails to see eye-to-eye with 'Naina'". Afternoon, Bombay, India. Cybernoon. 20 May 2005. Retrieved 6 October 2007.
  5. ↑ "Eye doctors see red over spooky movie". IOL. 21 May 2005. Retrieved 6 October 2007.
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