Ekta Kapoor had set the tone for Qayamat Ki Raat right on the day she unveiled the first promo of the finite supernatural drama. We knew we were up for some evil and creepy tale that will take us back to the Ramsay horror. Well she herself admitted it to us in an exclusive interaction as she said, “I am a big fan of the Ramsay films. My show also has kitsch horror. As a child, I was obsessed with kitsch horror films. I loved flicks like Cheenkh, Do Gaz Zameen Ki Neeche and Samri was my favourite character. In fact, Friday nights were all about watching horror flicks in VCR screaming away.” Qayamat Ki Raat stars Karishma Tanna and Vivek Dahiya in lead roles. Actress Dipika Kakar has a cameo, while Daljeet Kaur also plays an important role. Here’s our first impression about the first episode of the show…
Plot
1993. Suhaasini (Dipika Kakar) and Mahendar are a newly married couple travelling to a village called Ramnamgarh. Mahendar hails from the Thakur family of this village that has an ancient temple where this couple is headed to seek the blessings of the deity as they enter a new phase in their lives. As they arrive at this village on the amavas ki raat, the station looks spooky. The couple is led to the temple by a village guy named Birju, and as they arrive they see a tantrik Kaalasur (Nirbhay Wadhwa) praying the devil. As Dipika enters the temple, she is trapped by Kaalasur who wants to make out with her as it will increase his powers 100 times. In the nick of time, Mahendar rescues her and they go to the ancestral haveli. ALSO READ: Qayamat Ki Raat promo: Karishma Tanna and Vivek Dahiya awaken the sleeping evil in this creepy tale – watch video!
The men of the house decide to free the temple from Kaalasur and they leave the women behind in the haveli. Cut to a scene where Mahendar is comforting a worried Suhaasini and on their first night after the wedding and beginning to consummate their marriage. From the reflection in the glass, Suhaasini realises it is actually Kaalasur in disguise and escapes from his clutches after attacking him. The people in the house see him lying on the floor when a pandit traps him by drawing a circle with vibhuti. When Kaalasur comes to his senses, he tries to curse Mahendar which infuriates Suhaasini and she chops his head and hands off his body with an axe. Kaalasur is not one to give up, and spells another curse to Suhaasini that none of the girls in her family will be able to consummate their marriage. Kaalasur’s body parts are locked in a trunk and taken far away in the jungle.
2018. Dipika’s daughters Gauri (Karishma Tanna) and Karuna (Daljeet Kaur) have proposals from guys hailing from Ramnamgarh. The girls are on their way to meet their suitors in the village when they meet two guys, one of which is Rajvardhan aka Raj (Vivek Dahiya). The guys take a lift from the girls and there is a missing the train moment between Gauri and Raj, which will remind you of the DDLJ train sequence. Owing to circumstances the four are again off the train together at Surajgarh in the middle of the night, but they decide to set off to their destination via the jungle. Karuna gets trapped in a quicksand which coincidentally has Kaalasur’s chopped arm. Gauri happens to touch it by mistake, and the tantrik gets some of his powers back. Ultimately Raj saves Karuna and the story proceeds.
What’s hot
Dipika Kakar made her first screen appearance after her wedding with Shoaib, and we must say she was exceptionally good. Although a cameo, her role was a powerpacked one. Nirbhay Wadhwa as tantrik Kaalasur is scary. There is some great use of prosthetic makeup here. The show has an impressive narrative with not one dull moment in the episode. Vivek Dahiya looks great in his young character of Raj. There is a fun element to his character that has some corny dialogues and a zany charm. Karishma Tanna as the female lead, is decent.
What’s not
The graphics in the temple sequence are disappointing. It reminded us of the temple in Naagin 3 and left us wondering if the scenes are the remnant cuts taken from Naagin 3 itself! Camera work in those sequences is tacky. Performance wise, we were so impressed by Dipika Kakar, that we wish we could see more of her. Sadly, she only has a cameo and her character is dead when we are in 2018 and her daughters are all grown up.
Verdict
The show has hit it off from the first episode itself. Qayamat Ki Raat is all of gripping, scary and entertaining at the same time. After a long time, this looks like one supernatural drama to watch out for!