Balaji Productions’ Kuchh To Hai is the story of six youngsters who undergo a tragic incident while in college. Four years later, they are hounded by the shadow of the tragedy, which threatens to disrupt their world. Starring Tusshar Kapoor and Esha Deol, among others, it is said to be inspired by the Hollywood flick, I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Tinu Verma’s psycho-thriller, Baaz, explores the psyche of a dual personality. It belongs to the whodunit genre, in that, it tries to unravel the identity of a serial killer who preys on women. With an interesting star line-up of Karisma Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Sunil Shetty, Dino Morea and Preeti Jhangiani, the film is shot in the picturesque backdrop of Nainital.

Starring debutant Zayed Khan and Esha Deol, Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne, directed by Sangeet Sivan, mixes action and romance with intrigue. Taking off from Goa, the film peaks in Bangkok, where Esha is informed by officials that her dead uncle was a wanted criminal. How she dodges her uncle’s accomplices (Gulshan Grover, Rakhi Sawant, Vijay Raaz), who hound her for the lost booty, forms the dramatic action. Zayed Khan’s mysterious identity, which makes Esha swing from trust to suspicion, makes the plot gripping.

Directed by Vikram Bhatt, who was behind Raaz, Aitbaar is stated to be an ‘on-the-edge-thriller’. Starring the mighty Amitabh Bachchan, Bipasha Basu and John Abraham, this film is about the conflict between a father and his daughter’s paramour. How the two constantly try to win the girl over to their side adds dramatic tension to the plot.

Produced by Jackie Shroff, Sandhya, starring both Shroff and Raveena Tandon, explores the complex recesses of the human mind and the relationship between a journalist and a mentally deranged person.

Director Sangeeth Sivan says, ‘This film is more about treatment than it is about plot. It is slick, stylish and scary.’ Said to be in the vein of Hollywood scare fares, it is supposed to be inspired by Urban Legends and Scream.

The catchline of 88 Antop Hill says, ‘Three murders, six suspects, one address.’ The characters are as intriguing — a common man, a cop, a sex worker, a dancer and a blackmailer. This film, which marks the debut of Kushan Nandy as director, has Rahul Dev, Atul Kulkurni, Shweta Menon and Suchitra Pillai playing important parts.

But, the most eagerly awaited of them all is Ram Gopal Verma’s Bhoot. Touted as an urbane thriller, this haunted house tale is more about scaring the audience with shock treatment. With a biggie starcast, including Rekha, Ajay Devgan, Urmila Matondkar and Fardeen Khan, the film has no horror candles or flying curtains. Rather, the makers say, ‘It is about real fear sensed by real people.’

So, as the audiences tighten the seat belts, all that we can say is ... move over mush, 2003 belongs to mystery.

— Leisure Media News