Darna Mana Hai (meaning you must not be frightened), is a compilation of six individual stories.

Seven friends get stranded in a dense forest one chilly night when their car breaks down.

With no other alternative, they seek shelter for the night in an old ruin. They soon settle down to enjoy each others company.

Trying to be adventurous, they come up with the idea that each individual should tell a horror story.

Six diverse stories each with an unconventional twist begin to unfold.

So we have the first tale of a married couple, Karan (Sohail Khan) and Anjali (Antara Mali) whose car breaks down on an isolated road.

Due to Karan’s habit of playing pranks, the couple end up in a very serious situation.

The second story revolves around Anil (Saif Ali Khan), a chain smoker, on his way to Mumbai.

He books into a hotel for the night. But the eccentric owner (Boman Irani) hates cigarettes.

The third in this series is about a school-teacher, Dayashankar Pandey (Raghuvir Yadav) who is obsessed about homework.

Due to his obsession, he is haunted by childhood demons in the form of a little student Pramila.

Then there is the paranoid housewife (Shilpa Shetty) who buys the 'mysterious' apples from a weird vendor (Rajpal Yadav) but find that she is being ‘haunted’ by the fruit!

This is followed by the most interesting tale of all which is a conversation between Vivek Oberoi and Nana Patekar.

Waiting for a bus after visiting the graveyard, a hitchhiker (Nana Patekar) gets a lift from a youngster (Vivek Oberoi).

But suddenly something strange happens during the journey.

The final story is that of a student (Aftab Shivdasani) who wants to commit suicide because he feels neglected by his family and the girl he is in love with (Isha Koppikar).

But one day, he gains the magical powers which helps him get the girl of his dreams.

As these tales unfold, they become part of a horrifying story which promises to frighten the wits out of you!

Can this be the Bollywood version of the Blair Witch Project and the Twilight Zone? See for yourselves.

The highlight of the film is its background score which enhances the suspense.

With no songs to hinder the storyline, the film keeps you glued to your seat throughout.

Cinematography involves the use of the hand-held camera throughout the movie which explains why I mentioned the Blair Witch Project earlier.

Darna Mana Hai is a film which falls into the ‘film noire’ genre. The movie can be described as an intelligent piece of Bollywood celluloid.

It may not appeal to the masses. But having said this, its reassuring to know that Bollywood is venturing into unknown terrorities as far as film making is concerned.

Gone are the days when we are subjected to run of the mill love stories.

Variety is the spice of life. Bollywood for one is certainly taking heed of this motto!