Khazana (2014) Poster

(2014)

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8/10
Loved it!
asadullah_khosa24 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This film is very bold at expressing the struggles of a woman living in the South Asian society. The first part of this movie revolves around all the things a wife has to face after getting married and the second part revolves around the consequences her family has to face after they turn her into a monster. As a wife and daughter-in-law, Vaidehi (Ulka Simone Mohanty) tries her best to make her home a happy one. She is very enthusiastic to get started with her married life but soon she realizes that she is completely lonely. She finds out that her husband is cheating on her and her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are nothing but her rivals. When she tries to confront her husband about her suspicion of him having an affair with his secretary, she gets beaten up in return. Her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law make her life a living hell by emotionally torturing her and turning her husband against her at every possible chance. She tries her best to talk to her husband about the emotional detachment she feels, but she is berated in return and reminded about all the facilities and luxuries he is providing her even though she comes from a poor family. She looks for a friend in her therapist who also ends up taking advantage of her. The movie also expresses the stereotype in the South Asian community that it is okay for a man to cheat on his wife, but when a woman is even suspected of having an affair, she is brutally punished without further investigation into the matter. Her every attempt at improving her relationships with everyone around her is met with oppression and abuse. After being brutally mistreated for a long time, Vaidehi has had enough and she gives up hope at making her home a better one and decides to take revenge. And the revenge she has planned is as horrifying as it is well-deserved.
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7/10
A story about rightful revenge!
crazyreader-1992215 April 2020
Khazana, written and directed by Rahul Nath, is a tragic tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the film. Marital abuse, unmet expectations, misunderstandings and revenge are the main themes of this movie, but apart from that it delves a lot deeper into human psychology. It is the story of a young woman, Vaidehi (Ulka Simone Mohanty), who is married into a rich family but never quite fits in. She faces mental, verbal and physical abuse from her husband, Amar (Ahmed Lucan). Her mother-in-law and sister-in-law try their best to bring her down and manipulate her husband against her. All the horrendous injustices plotted against her turn her into a broken, sad and angry woman until she can take no more, so she decides to fight back. In the beginning, the movie highlights all the difficulties faced by women after their marriage in the South Asian society and the emotional toll it takes on them but the movie takes a disturbing twist near the end and turns darker still. It tells the story about how your injustices will end up engulfing you, quite literally. There's a story behind every crime and it's usually the victim who ends up turning into the culprit. The sound effects are relevant and keep the viewer glued to the screen. The acting of the entire cast is admirable, especially that of Vaidehi (Ulka Simone Mohanty), her facial expressions clearly depicting her inner-conflicts and how she is trying to hold her sanity together. Combined with a beautiful script and well-delivered dialogues, it keeps the viewer engrossed throughout the film. It is a thought-provoking film that leaves you stunned at the end. It highlights the dark truths of our society and a must-watch if you are interested in psychological thrillers; and while it can be a controversial topic for some, it sure does stand out from the typical South Asian movies.
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8/10
The mistreated bride
asimaltafmeerani14 April 2020
A tragic story of a young bride who has been suffering from the cruelty of her husband and the daily abuse of her mother-in-law. The movie showcases the aspect of a loving family and the struggles of a mistreated wife. Written and directed by Rahul Nath, Khazana offers a thriller drama filled with love, horror and mystery. The movie displays various attributes of mankind, as to how much can a person endure or act cruelly in their life. The movie is divided into three layers, the first part identifies the main characters role and its importance in the storyline. While the second stage features a tragic and sad aspect of life. The ending part of this drama thriller is a bit tricky as it very quickly turns into a horrifying scenario. Khazana, the movie has a great storyline and well-developed characters, as the story revolves around the young bride. The film also goes deep into the mind of a powerful villain and into the subconscious of the sad, weak hero of the story. It is a splendid movie with a balance screen time for every character in the film. With great dialogues and a well-structured script, Khazana is a good quality family film which will truly leave you at a shock.
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2/10
Garishly, clumsily made, wasting minor potential
I_Ailurophile7 September 2021
The root concept is fine. The execution is not. 'Khazana' is not a good movie. More than that, it's generally so rotten that I spent most of the runtime actively regretting that I'd begun watching.

Screenplay and direction alike are almost totally bereft of all subtlety. Most every scene and line of dialogue is inescapably blunt in its realization; I counted two instances of plot development that were unanticipated in any small way. Meanwhile: I tend to give actors the benefit of the doubt and assume they've been forced into a lacking performance by some element of the film-making. To be sure, I'm extremely skeptical of the capabilities of director Rahul Nath and producer and co-writer Noah Potter, both in terms of overall skill, and when it comes to providing material for or otherwise guiding their stars' portrayals. At the same time - while another point of comparison would be necessary to more completely ascertain the talents of all involved, 'Khazana' is such a mess that I'm not inclined to seek out other pictures of the cast or crew. Judging by this feature alone, the assembled players are an incredibly mixed bag at best.

Star Ulka Simone Mohanty, as protagonist Vaidehi, and Reem Kadem, as Neelima, are the only two actors to immediately impress as demonstrating a measure of range and nuance in their performances. On the other hand, Sonam Arvind Dhage turns in one of the least convincing performances I've ever seen as Sapna, and Laikh Tewari's acting as Dhaman is so unbelievably ham-fisted as to genuinely recall John Reynolds or possibly Tom Neyman in 'Manos: The hands of fate.' Everyone else before the camera is pointedly overacting, and it's up for debate whether all these depictions are an illustration of the limited extent of the actors' craft, or just a matter of leaning into the material and direction they're given.

Against all odds, 'Khazana' isn't entirely putrid through and through. Once more, I do like the concept; the abuse of every variety that Vaidehi suffers from all those around her is abhorrent, making her retribution gratifying. At that, despite the limitations of screenwriters, direction, and cast alike - and a jarring shift in tone - I think the climax is pretty well done... if a little too drawn out. And that's a key here: the movie is scarcely over an hour, and the narrative itself does mostly feel whole. Even so, adept writing, direction, and editing could have trimmed this full-length film into a short of perhaps 20 minutes without losing a significant amount of substance. Why, a shorter treatment of this same material may have actually made it more impactful: While the extra length pads out the story, making characters, their motivations, and the broad arc more complete, it feels like the greatest effect of making 'Khazana' as a feature film was to highlight the deficiencies and weaknesses of all involved.

There was promise in the basic premise. It's undercut by excruciatingly forthright and dubious acting, writing, and direction, while the movie tries unsuccessfully to varyingly embrace genres of sly thriller, domestic drama, and dark comedy. What minor value this movie possesses can be found elsewhere, unspoiled and in greater quantities. I feel bad being so critical, but it's painful to behold. I simply cannot recommend 'Khazana.'
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7/10
Interesting story!
arwakhqbb20 April 2020
What happens when you force an innocent person into hopeless submission? What lengths can a human being go to when he or she makes up their mind to take revenge from their perpetrators? When you break a person to such an extent that they are forced to become corrupt, are they actually the culprit? Or are you? Find out the answers to these controversial questions and many more in Rahul Nath's movie, Khazana, which is a dark film that makes you realize that your actions can resonate and come back to you in the worst of forms. Rahul Nath does a good job at portraying the dark part of the society in this feature film. You know that feeling when you are watching a scene in a movie and it becomes so shocking that you find it horrifying to even breathe? That's how the last 30 minutes make you feel. The movie does not have a huge cast and the best cinematography. But it sure does have a huge impact on how you view society. Every character is realistic and you realize that these people exist all around you. The cast did an amazing job portraying their characters especially Vaidehi (Ulka Simone Mohanty) whose character development from victim to culprit is smooth and convincing. She played the multilayered character of the newly-wed bride, who is a victim of every kind of abuse by the hands of her husband, Amar (Ahmed Lucan) and his mother (Shruti Tewari) and sister (Sasha Timo). They merge into their characters so beautifully that it becomes hard not to hate them. Her doctor (played by Rahul Nath himself) and psychiatrist (Bahram Khosraviani) try to help her but gloomy circumstances and human desires come in the way. The movie does not seem to show any unnecessary details or scenes that seem useless. Every scene of each character perfectly represents their inner thoughts and the sound effects balance each scene. This thriller may seem like any other South Asian drama out there but the end will leave you in shock. It's horrifying because it happens in real life.
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10/10
Wow, this is death in the round circle
davidsamoo16 April 2020
Khazana - an interesting movie directed by Rahul Nath. Vaidehi (the wife), really gave it all to them equally, this is what I call absolute and perfect revenge. Amar (the husband) and all his friends are so cruel, Neelima, that bad mother-in-law and her childish daughter who took after her mother deserves to experience the same on earth instead of the death which i think was actually a quick and better option. I love this movie because it actually speaks true life stories. Women should not be abused, in any way they have come as a wife; they should always be cared for in the arms of their husband and listening ears should be rendered from the husband too. Haters will comes from the family, work place, old friend but if the husband is wise he will snub them all... I learnt a lot of lessons from this movie actually - Rahul Nath has really done a great writing job here. Oh, you haven't watched Khazana? Go and watch it please, it is highly recommended (smiles).
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8/10
A Thoughtful Film
Stephanzuril24 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Before watching this film, it is critical that you have somewhat of a great ability to keep your emotions intact. If I did not have my brother next to me pointing out the small references of other movies written by Rahul, I would not have been able to enjoy the prize that comes at the climax. Understanding the significant details of each scene makes it more interesting and adds a specific intensity to anticipate the other scene, like you know something that the characters don't, and always keeps your eyes glued. The movie was all about an abused wife who finally takes revenge on all who have caused her pain. Although Rahul- the writer really made most scenes gentle, like showing that the wife was not by herself at all, but had her servant to smile with, the harsh reality of what new brides can sometimes face, was the foundation of the movie. Amar-the husband is literally spoon fed throughout the movie, which can somewhat justify every brutal scene he portrays (which he does very well) but his mother played by Shruti Tewari really took the cake, when it came to brutality. What mother would want her unborn grandchild aborted? Other strong characters include a shady therapist and a vixen like mistress, but the honor goes to the mute servant - who is a real surprise package- and we mean an outstanding surprise. I can understand how Khazana may not be for everyone, but if you stay with the journey, there is a piece of art that shines as the movie progresses with a huge rewatch medal at the end.
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10/10
Deadly End!
Zikhan0118 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
As a lover of South Asian movies, I didn't hesitate to watch Khazana and not only that I was amazed by this great story written by Rahul Nath but I also got to know characters as in form of people's plan to destroy a happy family, also the disgusting experience many wives need to bear during marriage as shown in the eyes of the innocent wife who just wants nothing rather than being happy with her family, she even showed kindness to the spoilt daughter-in-law, calmness before the wicked mother and truthfulness to her husband, yet it wasn't enough. When the wife heard it all, she didn't even hesitate on what was right to do. I can imagine she has been made beast by the husband who maltreated her. Then suddenly, she became a killer of not even 1 but of 6 - damn! This is what many have turned into from their past experience of which is making the world more scary. I must appreciate the effort of Rahul on this movie titled Khazana, it is just superb and full of surprises till the end.
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10/10
Khazana!!! A women in action.
Lakisha_jamal19 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I can't remember the last time I saw a movie that contained a distinctive genre as "Khazana". The movie starts out like absolutely none of the South Asian movies I have watched, just like a "tumbling ocean" - the disturbed husband abusive to his wife, slowly to the "calm sea" - the daughter-in-law showing love which I later knew was fake, and the mother in law, ready to attack the new wife at any opportunity.

This movie really did have everything about what marriage entails. Strictly a bad home with no trust, no love, deceitful in-laws, poor wife, corruption etc. This movie respect its audience. There are so many details in this movie that are crucially important and yet the film trusts its audience to notice them and acknowledge them without ramming them down our throats.

There are a lot of layers to this film and I suspect for this reason its re-watch ability factor will be very high. Rahul Nath had this movie well written and directed it to be perfectly performed. It doesn't portray the evident adult behavior, like some kind of movies but lets the audience have the opportunity to look before they leap. I will definitely re-watch this movie.
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10/10
wow, It amazing
roxymayford21 April 2020
Khazana, written and directed by Rahul Nath, is a tragic story that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the film. Spousal abuse, unmet expectations, misunderstandings and revenge are the main themes of this film, but other than that, it delves much deeper into human psychology. It is the story of a young woman, Vaidehi (Ulka Simone Mohanty), who is married into a wealthy family but never fits in. She faces mental, physical and verbal abuse from her husband, Amar (Ahmed Lucan). Her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, do everything possible to bring her down and manipulate her husband against her. Multiple injustices happen to Vaidehi, converting her into a broken woman, until she cannot take anymore, so she decides to fight back. Initially, the film highlights all the difficulties women face, after marriage, in the society of South Asia and the emotional toll it takes on them. But the film takes a disturbing turn near the end, and it darkens. There is a story behind every crime and usually the victim, who eventually becomes the culprit. That's what Khazana shows. The sound effects are relevant and keep the viewer glued to the screen. The performance of the entire cast is admirable, especially Ulka Simone Mohanty. Her facial expressions clearly represent her inner-conflicts and how she is trying to keep her sanity together. Combined with a beautiful script and dialogue, this keeps the viewer engrossed throughout the film. It highlights the dark truths of our society and a must-watch if you are interested in psychological thrillers; and while it may be a controversial issue for some, certainly does stand out from the typical films from South Asia.
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10/10
Builds quickly and pulls you in
sukrit-kumar21 April 2020
Khazana speaks to you through muted expressions and stifled screams. It tells the story of a mistreated wife who is tortured to the point of a horrifying albeit grand climax. It repulses you with its socio-cultural walls, invites you with an ever-tightening grip, and then plunges you into a purgatory.

The protagonist suffers closed-doors domestic abuse and lives in a shell impenetrable to empathy. Vaidehi is entangled in a loveless marriage with Amar who does little to veil his affair with Neelima. His mother disdains Vaidehi's humble origins and pushes Amar to abort his own child. He complies without remorse by blackmailing the local doctor Arun, played by Nath himself.

Vaidehi's plight is not an extreme or obscure example of what long-standing gender inequality assails on the life of women around the world. Her reaction to it, however, impresses and abhors you in equal measure.

Khazana wraps around you with references to itself. You'll ask questions which will fall to the deaf years of a smiling young woman. Vaidehi's revenge is a disturbingly delicious consummation which will bring you back to watch the movie again. I promise.
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10/10
UN-predictable Movie
dsadeleye20 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Well, I know how to predict a movie from the cover picture but I got it all wrong for this. When I went to see this movie, I thought I knew everything already, thinking the events, the lady on the poster and the image of the happy wife (Vaidehi) would all be a predictable story line. I never thought the movie would be so brutal on her - it was like a beautiful wife was made to suffer. However, I was really not prepared for the real action of the sorrowful ending of all her enemies. (which you have to watch, to understand) The movie was not graphic, yet includes and describes pain as reality. The way Vaidehi was maltreated by her husband (Amar), even at the presence of her in-laws touched my soul. If you ever asked yourself what the real ending was for all of them, I would say it is deserved and terrific. What makes it terrific is that the Vaidehi and her male servant came together as one to destroy their enemies. Do not expect anybody laughing or even to talk during the movie until it is over, because then you can only feel the pain and treatment of what Vaidehi went through. It is a great and thoughtful movie though you may get some ideas on it, on how to take revenge on those who have avenged you. Don't miss it!
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