SOC Films Pvt. Ltd., Kaushal Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., Samsara Talkies and VPA Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.’s Hocus Focus (A) is about a bank robbery and the chilling conspiracy surrounding it.
A bank in Agra is looted. The story is about the preparations for the heist and what happens after the bank robbery. Babli (Sona Bhandari) is a call girl whose several videos have been clandestinely shot so that her boyfriend, Ajit Pandit (Suchhi Kumar), can be coaxed into looting a bank. The person (identity unknown as yet), who wants to loot the bank, asks Ajit to have a spy camera on his body at all times. He also asks police inspector Khan (Satinder Singh Gahlot) to keep an eye on Ajit Pandit. Inspector Khan is also instructed to have a spy camera on his person all the time. Ajit takes the help of Mulla (Jitendra Singh), butcher Kabir (Gurvesh Pandit) and Raju (Sandeep Yadav) to loot Rs. 2 crore from the bank. To their horror, the four realise that the money looted is actually only Rs. 85 lakh and not Rs. 2 crore. Anyway, inspector Khan soon kills the gang of four. Before long, police inspector Khan is also killed by someone. Babli now lays her hands on the cash but she dies as soon as she consumes alcohol which has been laced with poison. It is then revealed that Ricky (Pranav Dodeja) and Binny (Harsh Malhotra) are behind the bank robbery. Who are Ricky and Binny? What is their motive? Do they get the cash?
Paierry Dodeja has written a story and screenplay, both of which are contrived. Everyone in the drama is playing games with the others. In other words, everybody is scheming, planning and plotting. It seems very easy for people to mix poison in eatables and drinks. It is equally easy to eliminate people at the drop of a hat. While watching the drama unfold, people would be convinced that anyone can get away with just about anything — and that too, in a jiffy. It is because of such writing of convenience that the proceedings fail to have any impact on the viewers. To put it differently, the drama fails to engage the audience. Frequent flashbacks also confuse the viewers. Paierry Dodeja’s dialogues are average.
Suchhi Kumar does an ordinary job as Ajit Pandit. Sona Bhandari is so-so as Babli. Satinder Singh Gahlot performs routinely in the role of police inspector Khan. Jitendra Singh (as Mulla), Gurvesh Pandit (as butcher Kabir) and Sandeep Yadav (as Raju) pass muster. Pranav Dodeja (as Ricky) and Harsh Malhotra (as Binny) lend ordinary support. Rajnish Mohan hardly gets any scope to perform as bank manager P.K. Singh. Others are just about passable.
Paierry Dodeja’s direction is dull. Music (Samsara Sounds and Ajay Vas) is a letdown. Prerna Sahetia’s lyrics hardly deserve mention. Aashish Rego’s background music is not impactful. D’Deb Dutta’s camerawork is functional. Dileep Daz’s production designing is just about alright. Avinash Walzade’s editing leaves something to be desired.
On the whole, Hocus Focus is a poor fare and will face rejection at the turnstiles.
Released on 9-8-’24 at PVR Juhu (daily 1 show) of Bombay thru Boom Box Pvt. Ltd. Publicity & opening: poor. …….Also released all over. Opening was weak everywhere.