Sadly Over-hyped

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

404 is the kind of film that came when we also had mindless entertainers being churned out in bulk (and all being huge BO successes). Nothing wrong with the hardcore commercial films. The problem is that these are too many in number. And films like 404 are scarce. Luckily, that is slowly changing. Very slowly.404 is a brave attempt. A film that truly ***** with your mind. A true psychological thriller with no room for any gimmicks. No item songs, no romance, no stereo type hero or heroine. Just one strong plot, a solid storyline, stellar performances, a riveting background score, shock value, suspense and an eerie climax. On the downside is the languid pace. But given the merits, let's overlook that.Set in a hostel, the film doesn't directly try to address the problems caused by ragging (the message is there, but the film doesn't preach about it) but uses it as a catalyst. Abhimanyu (Rajvvir Arora) defies fear when he agrees to inhabit a room that's been locked for a while as it houses the spirit of Gaurav (Rucchir Raj) who ended his life a while ago in the room when ragging got the better of him. If the spooky ambiance isn't enough to terrify Abhimanyu, Chris (Immauddin Shah) takes center stage in harassing Abhimanyu, along with his friends. Professor Anirudh (Nishikant Kamath) and his wife Dr. Meera (Tisca Chopra) support Abhimanyu in every way possible but when Abhimanyu's only friend is the ghost of Gaurav, things begin to get out of hand. The climax is shocking! The film is brilliantly directed by Prawal Raman (Darna Mana Hain, Gaayab). It is the slow pace which may cause disinterest. Films like 404 demand your constant attention because every bit fits in like a jig saw puzzle. For the average cine-goer, that must have been a challenge. But for an avid film enthusiast like myself, the film haunts you even after it has ended.The actors hit the hammer right on the nail-head with supreme performances. Each one of them. Rajvvir may have been denied nominations at popular awards for his performance but as the intelligent student who slowly is gripped by fear and who transforms into a paranoid youngster, he excels. Immaudin Shah is perfectly cast as the senior bully and also adds a dash of humor with both his dialogs and his mannerisms. It is truly satisfying to see Satish Kaushik not act as a buffoon. The actor does well in a serious role with a few smart lines. Rucchir in a smaller part is effective. Tisca Choprra is finally getting roles she deserves (her stint in the 90s as the lead was forgettable. She was known as Priya Chopra back then with films like Platform, Gunhegaar and Karobaar). The pick among this talented lot is director turned actor, Nishikant Kamath. He is confident, natural and makes Anirudh believable. The character has many layers and Nishikant gets most of it right.404 is a great experiment when it comes to Hindi cinema. Experiment because it rips the Bollywood rule book apart and stands tall. It's time we grew up and encourage such films. The BO saw poor numbers but my rating at IMDb won't! Go for it!

Prawal Raman infamous for Darna Mana Hai and Darna Zaroori hai is the one directing it which I came to know later. The movie starts off well with all the ragging stuff. You might be bothered for below average acts by almost every character in the movie. The concept of the movie is nice but I really wish it could have been incorporated in a better direction and it would have had a bigger budget. Still its not boring and manages to drive off in a nice pace. The twist in the end is appreciating and so is the climax. The movie gets stretchy in between but its worth with respect to the end. So I would say you can definitely go for it for surprise. One time watchable.

saw 404.. most original script.. never saw such a brilliant film.. a film which is a philosophy in itself.. indeed a piece of art(subash k jha)it conveys a lot more than what appears.. it questions all in every way.. a true classic.. each view has a hidden meaning surfacing..and comparing it to other films is actually true horror..i pity the ignorance of the uneducated viewer.. i saw 1408.. a classic like 404 is way beyond compare with any world cinema..1408 is a regular horror film and other than the digital name nothing is common. 1408 is complete trash in front of 404..i web searched and not a single film has ever been made on the subject 404 has dealt with... therefor the most original.. i pity those who couldn't understand such classics .. hats off to raman.. and to nishikant kamat and tisca chopra..looking forward for more such work Raman.. and congratulations.. 404 is this years most acclaimed film.. 14 four star ratings out of 23.. not a single film this year is rated so highly,.. congrats..hats off to you raman

This film should appeal particularly to students of psychology.The topic of the film is bi-polar disorder of the brain. This film also describes a dangerous experiment which induces the above symptoms and then attempts to reverse it with disastrous consequences.The star of this film beyond a Shadow of a doubt is actor Nishikant Kamat who plays Professor Aniruddh. The rest of the cast also give a good performance.Plot: Abhimanyu Rajvvir (Aroraa) enrolls himself in a medical institute and gets a room in the hostel. He finds that ragging is rampant, initiated by Chris (Immaduddin Shah) who is a senior student along with his fellow senior students.When he himself becomes a victim, he speaks out and complains, only to have his room trashed. He then requests that he be moved to Room 404 - a room that was occupied by Gaurav, a student who committed suicide three years ago. The authorities initially refuse as the room has been under lock and key since the suicide and no one dared to occupy it. But Abhimanyu insists and assures them that this will remove the myth associated with it, and he is accordingly permitted to do so.Shortly thereafter, he will start to hallucinate about not only seeing but also speaking with Gaurav. He also witness strange phenomenon in his room. When he shares these with his friend, Neha; and Professor Aniruddh and his wife, Dr. Meera (Tisca Chopra), they express disbelief.Dr Aniruddh who is also a researcher and renowned author in his specialist field thinks Abhimanyu is only hallucinating due to the effects of ragging initiated by Chris. Meanwhile Abhimanyu visits Gaurav's parents to gather more information about him.Is Abhimanyu speaking the truth or is he suffering from mental illness? It is for you to find out! Verdict: This film also reminds me of another film I saw a long time ago starring Russel Crowe called A Beautiful Mind(2001) which is directed by Oscar winning director Ron Howard. This film won 4 academy awards. I strongly suggest you see this film as well. I also suspect Prawal Raman stole ideas from this film.I give this film a 7/10.