Hidden Gems Series - Kaun? (1999)

Movie: Kaun (Hindi)

Cast: Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpayee, Sushant Singh

Rating: 4.5 / 5

We remember going to watch this movie in the theatre at the age of 13 and 10 respectively. Those were the days when the censor board in India allowed us to watch such movies in the theatre at such a young age. Our mother being a huge fan of Ram Gopal Varma and Manoj Bajpayee after watching Satya the previous year (1998), took us to the theatre to watch this thriller. 

This movie left a distinct mark on us. It is because of movies like these we siblings got attracted to the world of cinema.

Kaun is set up on the simple premise where a woman is alone in her house and suddenly her doorbell rings and a stranger pleads to come inside the house. The whole story revolves around the house with only three characters. With a running time of 90 mins, the movie is engaging, tense, and scary. There are multiple scenes and multiple character traits in the movie which keep you at the edge of the seat. A simple scene in the movie where the character of Sameer is shown through the peephole creeps you out. Various aspects of the movie like the large empty house and the incessant rain pouring outside give an eerie feeling. Btw did we forget to tell that in the movie there is a serial killer on run...

The climax of the movie is spot on and makes you leave the theatre with a “wow” feeling. Also, the word “Madam” keeps ringing in your ears long after the film is over.

After his success with the character of Bhiku Mhatre in Satya, Manoj Bajpayee gives a brilliant performance as Sameer - the mysterious and annoying man who comes at the doorstep of the house. However, Urmila Matondkar's performance takes the movie to another level as the vulnerable and soft Madam of the house. This is a movie when Ram Gopal Varma was at the top of his game and ably supported by a unique and engaging screenplay by Anurag Kashyap. This talented duo could have given us so many more gems if they collaborated more in the future. Ram Gopal Verma handles the limited premise and characters perfectly and creates a memorable movie. The cinematography by Mazhar Kamran makes use of the limited space and props to create tension and suspense throughout the movie. His shots of Manoj Bajpayee through the peephole is one of the most legendary shots of the movie.

This movie was highly underrated but has gained a cult status over time. It has remained close to our hearts and we would urge you all to watch the movie if you haven’t. We are sure you will thank us later.