Raaz 3 is an extension of the successful Raaz franchise from the Bhatt camp, which has become adept at giving horror thrillers and sequels. The promo posters and trailers were erotic and thrilling and does the movie provide more of the same?

Shanaya is a movie star who is on the decline as she slowly loses her position to a promising new comer, Sanjana. She just can’t accept that her time has passed and looks to somehow bring Sanjana down. She chooses black magic and uses her boyfriend director Aditya as a pawn to achieve her dubious motives. Aditya agrees initially but slowly starts falling in love with Sanjana as time passes and now he just can’t continue falling in line with Shanaya’s wicked intentions. Now, what does Aditya decide, is there respite for Sanjana or does Shanaya continue her torments? Watch Raaz to find out.

The film works big time due to the scorching screen presence of Bipasha, the absolutely thrilling black magic moments and the scary sound design. There are lots of flashy horror effects which work due to the eerie presentation. The 3D effects are shocking at few instances. In fact, whenever you expect those black magic moments, you might be forced to bury your face in your hands.

Emraan Hashmi does an earnest job but this is just not a film where he can stand out as the horror quotient and two hot ladies steal the limelight from him. He has his intimate moments with both the ladies and these scenes are in line with his reputation as the ‘serial kisser’.

BipashaBasu has pushed the limits when it comes to ‘hot’ on screen and she is perfect for this role of the ruthless star. Esha Gupta wins our sympathies during the scenes when she is terrorized by black magic. The TV episode and the joker episode will scare the living daylights out of you. Later, the long sequence when she imagines to being raided by cockroaches is again disturbing.

The songs, though decent, just turn out to be pleasant distractions from an otherwise horror filled movie. The background music is on the mark while the 3D effects and the way horror has been depicted serve the purpose of scaring the audience.

The movie dips in momentum at very few instances and that is a plus for sure and the dramatic climax though not as chilling as expected, is a fitting conclusion.

On the whole, if you wish to get spooked and thrilled, then Raaz 3 won’t disappoint you. It’s a royal return for ‘old-school’ horror thrillers.

Verdict: Thrills and spills galore; Raaz 3 is a chilling experience.