More than a decade after Haunted – 3D attempted to redefine mainstream horror, director Vikram Bhatt returns with Haunted 3D: Echoes Of The Past. Blending supernatural horror with romance and tragedy, the film tries to revive the franchise but ends up feeling like a relic of a bygone era.
Story
Seeking escape from his troubled life, a man moves to a remote mountain mansion in Maniktal. But as dark secrets emerge from within its walls, he finds himself trapped in a terrifying nightmare of fear, trauma, and mystery.
Review
The story follows Dev Dutt (Mahaakshay Chakraborty), a troubled man who retreats to a secluded mansion overlooking Maniktala Lake in search of peace. Instead, he finds himself entangled in a web of supernatural events linked to the mansion’s dark past. As buried secrets emerge, Dev is forced to confront memories of his lost love, Sunheri (Chetna Pande), and the spirits that continue to haunt the property.
On paper, the premise holds promise, but the screenplay by Mahesh Bhatt, Suhrita Das and Shubham Dhiman quickly slips into familiar territory. The narrative relies heavily on overused horror tropes—creaking doors, shadowy figures and loud jump scares—without offering anything new. As a result, most of the scares feel predictable and fail to create genuine tension.
The film’s biggest issue is its sluggish pacing. The mystery unfolds at a frustratingly slow pace, and key revelations arrive too late to leave a strong impact. The emotional angle fares no better. Dev and Sunheri’s love story is meant to be the heart of the film, but the relationship lacks depth, making it difficult to invest in their journey.
The tonal imbalance further weakens the experience. The film awkwardly shifts between romance, horror and mystery without fully committing to any of them. The climax is particularly disappointing, reducing what should have been a supernatural showdown to a routine physical fight that unintentionally draws laughs.
To the film’s credit, the scenic mountain setting and isolated mansion create an eerie backdrop. A few sequences effectively capture a gothic horror atmosphere, hinting at the film it could have been. However, inconsistent visual effects frequently break immersion, while the CGI often looks dated. The background score, instead of building suspense, occasionally turns unintentionally funny, especially during scenes involving ghostly apparitions.
Mahaakshay Chakraborty delivers a sincere performance and does his best to convey Dev’s emotional turmoil. Chetna Pande brings vulnerability to Sunheri, but her underwritten role gives her little room to shine. The supporting cast, including Gaurav Bajpai, Hemant Pandey, Shruti Prakash and Praneet Bhatt, are largely reduced to plot devices.
Haunted 3D: Echoes Of The Past had the opportunity to modernise a decent horror franchise, but it settles for outdated storytelling and recycled scares. Despite a few atmospheric moments and decent performances, the film never finds its footing as either an effective horror film or an emotional love story.
