User reviews

It's like reading a book of short stories from Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, or anyone like them. 6 stories bring to you the unimaginable, the unbelievable, something between fantasy and thriller. We learn about the consequences of bad choices we make in life and they are funny at times, and shocking as well. An earlier comment mentioned that the stories are weird, but that doesn't matter, it makes the movie well worth watching!!! The only minus in it all, is the reason we get for what is happening to our 7 friends who tell us their stories. That is indeed quite weird, but maybe YOU and I didn't even notice.....someone is missing at the end of the movie.......

The movie basically consists of a couple of teens telling each other stories with a story running in the background. I have heard people say the stories where weird,unbelievable and unrealistic. But that is exactly what they were supposed to be! I liked each of them except the last story with Aftaab Shivdasani (he sucks!)!

If you like to read bizzare and dark short stories , you will enjoy the movie.

For once, stars are just characters, and not the USP of the movie.

Darna Mana Hai turned out to be a movie you can watch once. It is a ghost movie having 6 stories in one story. 7 youngsters are travelling in a car through an empty road late at night. Suddenly the car has a puncture and leads to 6 of them spotting a lantern in the forest and a cozy place where sone one apparently resides( it is a an open courtyard basically). So they light a fire and start saying ghost stories. The first of the 6 stories was pretty horrific featuring Antramali. One by one the youngsters go to the car and are murdered mysteriously. The second and third horror stories were more of comedies and the movie got less horrific after the initial 20 minutes. There are big bollywood stars featuring in the stories like Vivek Oberoi, Nana Patekar, Shipa Shetty, Saif Khan and many others as well. I was startled atleast 4 times in the movie and scared my friend in the process too. It was a movie which was not as good as I had expected it to be. Yet it is interesting and atleast it is innovative which is what I like about movies.

It is a wonderment that a movie of this stature could be made in Bollywood!!! Kudos to Ramgopal Varma and The First Time Director Prawaal Raman. The Movie is totally bizarre and hence very engaging. The Premise of Six friends telling each other stories on a dark, wintry night at lonely spot, the stories that follow, all keep our attention riveted. The stories range from the horrifying to unbelievable. All of the cast have given a wonderful performance. the ones that deserve special mention are Boman Irani, Saif Ali Khan, Nana Patekar, Shilpa Shetty, Raghuvir Yadav and Vivek Oberoi. One remains involved with the happenings mainly due to taut direction, background music and absence of songs(thank the director for that for that). The flow and the pace is fast and smooth. The climax needed more explanation. Thats IT!!! NOW go and watch the movie!!! It is definitely worth your time and money!!

I was excited to watch the movie because when i read the names of the actors being used in the movie, i'm a big fan of Vivek oberoi and Nana Patekar, i like Saif Ali Khan's spotanuity, so i thought it will be a great experience all of these actors act together, so i was disappointed as soon as the first story started, but i admire that an indian films are turning into Hollywood style flicks without songs and subject that could be different from other movies. This movie cannot be compared with any other indian horror or thriller film. it stands by its own, but some stories were hard to believe and very comical at points. You cannot scare somebody if the story looses its believable factor. Like the first story was alright, it was scary with a twist. So was the School teacher one, it was very good it had a mystery element to it. Vivek oberoi's and Nana Patekar's story was scary and funny at the same time. it was well written i was just upset with their story's length. I thought they would have more of a role in the movie. Other stories were just a joke, The apple one, The cigarrete one and the stupidest of all was the Aftab shivadasani with supernatural powers one. It was hilarious more then it was scary. Scary was the seventh story the real one, with the six friends. At the end the movie had an issue to address that only way to get rid of your fears is to die. The ultimate fear is the death. This point was addressed very nicely. The movie would have been nicer if the stories would have chosen carefully. It would have been bit more scary.

Darna Mana Hai is a 2003 Bollywood horror movie. It is about a group friends who went on a trip and in between their car broke down at night. To pass the time till sunrise, they narrated each other horror stories. This is the premise of the whole movie.

It's a one-time watch movie. The acting was not impressive. The concept of the film is the only thing that stood out. The climax was not justified.

You can give it a miss if you want. Personally, i found Darna Zaroori Hai more engaging.

I agree with the reviewer who said the movie seemed "half-baked". But I thoroughly enjoyed watching it and each story had its own charm. Story 1: Had some genuinely creepy moments. I liked both actors, especially the woman had a very compelling character. Story 2: Both absurd and creepy. Liked. Story 3: Also pretty creepy even though a little predictable and with a somewhat lame ending. I loved the mother. Story 4: This one is almost like a Twilight Zone episode. Loved it. Story 5: I liked both actors, and their dialogue was awesome. Story 6: I used to fantasize about this hypothetical when I was a child, so I found this one very interesting. Container story: Meh. But wow, Sameera Reddy is a real beauty!

Something different but not so good ! The movie consists of different stories in itself but the main story fails to impress ! Didn't like the concept of that main story. Not so good movie but watchable !

Watch only if u are very bored and u don't have anything to do. I regret so much after watching this movie that I thought of breaking my television but some how controlled myself . Nonsense , meaningless,scriptless typical ram gopal verma movie .

One star I have given because so many stars have been casted in single movie that is the only positive in this movie .

Now this was a true classic movie from Bollywood standards. I've had mix reactions about Ram Gopal Verma so far. Some of his classics include: Raat, Rangeela, and Road, whereas his major disappointments include Vaastu Shastra and Bhoot (foolish endings). However, "Darna Mana Hai" is a true classic! No songs, no wasting time. This is pure "edge of the seat" psycho thriller. Everyone played a great part from unknown people to Vivek, Nana, Saif and others. Antra mali played a good cameo in the first story that the group shares. Shilpa shetty and sanjay kapoor filled in pretty well as well. The Nana Patekar-Vivek Oberoi encounter was a true classic!!!!!!!!!! I would rate it as undoubtedly the best horror movie from Bollywood. 5/5

I dont know good or bad. But its something very very different from all movies made in India. It was experimental. Anthologies were not popular in india 20 yrs back when Rgv dared to create such a unique movie. Its d only one of its kind along with its sequel which was not so impactful.

"Darna Mana Hai" comes as a refreshing change in the genre of thrillers. It shows how a horror flick can thrill without being gross. There is little show of blood and gore and thrills the viewer with twists in the tale. Ram Gopal Varma proves himself again as a producer who dares to try something different in each of his movies. This is the second in this series of thrillers following "Bhoot". He has promised to follow this up with a sequel called "Darna Zaroori Hai"!

The film starts with a set of seven friends on their way to Goa when their car breaks down in a desolate part of a jungle. They take refuge in a shelter and to pass the time, start telling each other scary tales. As each one of them gets scared and returns to their car, they get killed. The friends get entangled in a tale of their own. Who the killer is and how the tale of tales ends makes up the rest of the story. The movie is fast paced and leaves the viewers breathless though the ending could have probably been made a bit differently.

Each of the stories stars a plethora of bollywood heroes and heroines. Raghuvir Yadav, Vivek Oberio, Saif Ali Khan, Sohail Khan, Shilpa Shetty, Nana Patekar are just a few of them. Boman Irani and Raghuvir Yadav excel in their roles. Nana Patekar is his usual emotionless self. Vivek Oberios is a star now, what with his apperance on screen setting off hooting and whistles in the theatre.

This novel idea of narration deserves appreciation. I would give it 7/10 for the novel concept and treatment.

RGV must be praised those days for trying something new

One such adventure which was latter tried by others is DARNA MANA HAI(03) of having multiple stories in 1 film

The film however falls short of expectations though it's novel

The different stories are:

Sohail- Antra Bad and boring Acting- Sohail has nothing to do, Antra is okay

Sanjay- Shilpa This story lacks logic which can be ignored but the treatment could be better, especially the portions showing characters making weird faces while eating apples is too much Yet a decent story Shilpa acts very well while Sanjay is okay Rajpal leaves a mark

Vivek- Nana this is the best story and handled very well though it doesn't make much sense and they are flaws but that is forgiven The story makes for an edge of a seat story Acting wise Nana is brilliant as usual while Vivek too does a great job

Aftab- Isha This story which was latter made as GAYAB(03) has it's moments and the scenes involving Aftab and his power is well handled The culmination too is good but some people may not agree with the story Acting- Aftab is very good and Isha is okay

Saif- Boman This story is implausible but entertaining and well handled though flimsy Acting Boman and Saif are superb

Raghuvir Yadav This story is well handled too Acting- Raghuvir Yadav excels

The worst part of the film is the main story which appears too bad and the scenes involving the college friends are badly handled and the culmination of the film too is horrible

Amongst rest Sameera is okay, Gaurav leaves a mark Sushant is okay

DARNA MANA HAI is the most refreshing movie of the year 2003.....and those who put it out as a crap are just a bunch of fools who have no idea of movie making.nor do they know the pulse of all the viewers. .

The only disappointment with this movie is that it has been advertised as horror...but is not much of it...its actually a fantasy thriller.

the movie is full of creative zests....something that few foul reviewers cant identify with....the BACKGROUND SOUNDTRACK and Camera-work are worth special mention.Though the film has many newcomers, they have delivered their parts very well, and the acting on the whole is quite good. also, the direction is slick and technically brilliant,although the screenplay needed some corrections. few of the stories were simply amusing and not scary at all....but they should be appreciated for their strange themes. Overall, a very good movie if you care for some really imaginative work. this one {supposed to be inspired from twilight zone, creep show...etc...} is much better than its Hollywood counterparts and cannot be ignored as a spin off..its nothing like it. A Truly GREAT AND CREATIVE MOVIE....WORTH WATCHING MANY TIMES.

P.S:--those who complain about the weird stories should be reminded that this is not a typical bollywood fare and is meant for those who like this subject, ONLY...the others can watch their own crap and need not post their stupid and idiotic comments.!!!

I still get surprised with the fact that this movie was a clear flop at the box office , but I know the period in which it was released, when it was a struggle for movies to succeed.

The stories are engaging. The top ones are - "No Smoking" and "Homework" which had great performances by Saif, Boman and Raghuvir Yadav.

The story "Apples" does not appeal. The one with Nana and Vivek is okay, while "Stop/Move" though is predictable, shines because of Aftab.

It was a good experiment at that time , but it didn't work in theaters.

But yes, it got its due later on the small screens.

An average movie but definitely an engaging one!!

I don't often write reviews but when I do, it's because a movie really stands out. Growing up, I watched both Bollywood and Hollywood movies and I've got to say, this movie stands out in both of those categories.

In the Bollywood industry, a movie like this had never been introduced before so this was very unique and the stories by themselves were fantastic. I liked all of them equally and it was presented in a very good way. The production was pretty high quality, the acting and actors were all top notch. The main story of the group of friends was not too incredibly special but it definitely worked. I liked how it ended. I won't spoil anything since just watching it for yourself is much better.

On the Hollywood side, only some of it is new and I won't be surprised if the writers of this movie and/or directors were inspired by the American show called "The Twilight Zone", especially that one story about the lonely boy. Some of the stories incorporate the Hindi culture so those are the ones that stand out from anything Hollywood has produced. Even the ones without the local cultures still stand out in their own way.

Of course, back then, the music and dialogues were corny and cheesy but the stories make up for it. If you're a fan of Bollywood or just have not seen this movie, watch it now. It's definitely worth your time. If you like this movie, definitely check out The Twilight Zone as its very similar and has great, unique stories just like this one.

I had watching it in childhood and I loved this movie and the stories in it. Wired and full of Thrill.

Bollywood tries something never before seen in a Hindi film. A horror film about people telling ghost stories to each other. The main plot of the film is predictable and a little boring. The six stories have some good parts. Story One was pretty exciting towards the end only with Sohail Khan. Story Two is one of the Best and has dark humour added, with Saif Ali Khan and Boman Irani in powerful roles. Story Three is the boring one out of the lot about a teacher. Story Four was a bit stupid but good in some parts, with Shilpa Shetty. Story Five is the Best out of he lot, with Vivek who offers a hitch hiker Nana Patekar a lift. Nana claims to be a ghost, which leads to a amazing twist. Story Six is quite Fun, less horror about a boy who can STOP time. This is Far better then the sequel Darna Zaroori Hai. A good attempt in something different. Not Bad, quite entertaining.

I really was not planned to watch this movie but after the show i was really on the hang over of the movie because of the characters and the story.All of the songs were very much enjoyable because of the orchestration and the nice lyrics! All the characters of the movie were performed up to the reality and the situation of the movie!

What worked: The movie is interesting for accumulating several stories into a movie all related to horror and thriller. The story of seven friends and the stories they tell are engaging, unique and enjoyable. It's a great idea to merge such creative pieces together to make a different movie. The movie worked for me mainly for the great concepts. Secondly, I loved it because of some good actings of actors such as Raghuvir Yadav, Boman Irani, Nana Patekar and Sushant Singh. What did not work: The movie needs better editing in some areas. Final verdict: recommended