#NewsBytesRecommends: 'Barat'—short horror film reinforces how humans are scariest species
What's the story
The best kind of horror films almost always reinforce the idea that the deadliest horror doesn't lurk in the shadows but often lies in humans' minds and hearts.
This is an idea that Tumbbad explored deftly, and Barat, a short film directed by Hitesh Dhawan, weaves a similar tale of greed and overindulgence and fuses it with the right amount of supernatural elements.
Plot
Story focuses on central character, revolves around him
The film follows an unnamed middle-aged man.
He is on a deserted road that cuts through a dense forest, so we know that Barat will be heavily dominated by themes of foreboding and fearful apprehension.
Early on, he exploits a panipuri seller, then picks up unclaimed Rs. 20 notes lying on the road; by the time the story ends, he meets karma most unexpectedly.
Seven sins
Film deals with 2 of 7 deadly sins
I quite liked how the film explored the ideas of two out of the seven deadly sins, greed and gluttony, and how these both sins blend with each other from the first scene itself.
His hedonistic sins tell us early on that he is perhaps already beyond redemption, and despite the film being under 19 minutes, we know enough about this miserly man.
Themes
Exploitation of themes such as horror, greed
Though you will need to watch the short to grasp the plot and the way the themes play out completely, without giving anything way, I can say that the movie digs its claws into the psyche of a greedy person well.
This turns it into the real "horror" of the story.
In essence, his greed becomes more horrific than a literal gang of ghosts.
Foreshadowing
Foreshadows everything, yet remains engaging
Barat remains consistently entertaining despite featuring only one primary character (Sarfarosh fame Akhilendra Mishra) and foreshadows almost everything (even the title is a direct giveaway).
This foreshadowing, however, doesn't take away from the surprise factor that springs at the end of the film.
Even in scenes sans any dialogue, Barat leverages Mishra's expressions and sound effects to prepare us for what's about to come.
Performance
Project led by Mishra's remarkable performance
Barat would not be what it is without Mishra's terrific performance, which puts on display a wide range of emotions such as horror, greed, shock, manipulation, nonchalance, or wrestling with crippling anxiety.
He spends most of his time riding a scooter, without even conversing with anyone, and yet, delivers with his expressions—in doing so, his years of experience in the craft shimmer well.
Verdict
Stream it on YouTube today
It's not difficult to gauge Barat's plotline and sequence of events. Yet, it manages to pull you in with its treatment of the central theme and mellowed-down but confident pace.
It consistently makes you wonder, "What next?"
One of its biggest triumphs is how it makes us develop a vehemence for the central character in such a short period.
It is available on YouTube.