Bhoot
Had to see Bhoot on the first day of its release. I didn't want anyone to spoil my suspense, as they did in the case of "Kaun".
Bhoot certainly has its share of chills and thrills.

Synopsis
Bhoot is a supernatural thriller set in Mumbai City. Vishal (Ajay Devgan, looking dapper), a stock analyst is in search of a flat. He likes a flat on the 12th floor of a building. The catch is, the previous occupant, a young woman, had plunged to her death from this flat's balcony. This does not bother him, and he and his wife Swati (Urmila Matondkar in the best performance of her life) move in. They keep a maid (Seema Biswas; giving a good performance) who had served the earlier tenant.
Ajay doesn't bother to tell Urmila about the flat's history, as he doesn't want to trouble her. When she gets to know about it, she starts getting mentally disturbed. She starts sleepwalking, and the situations that ensue are harrowing, to say the least. A murder is comitted in the apartment, and Inspector Liyaquat Qureshi (Nana Patekar; not in his element) enters the scene.
Ajay enlists the help of a psychiatrist, Dr. Rajan (Victor Banerjee; in a wonderfully restrained performance) to help Urmila. When this does not help, Ajay brings in a medium (Rekha; looking as beautiful as ever, coupled with a tremendous screen presence). The landlord's son (Fardeen Khan; hamming his way through the role) and the earlier tenant's mother (Tanuja; in a blink and you will miss her role) come in towards the climax to bring events to a head.

Analysis
Short and trite (1 hour 59 minutes), the movie has more than its share of chilling moments. Some scenes make you nearly bolt out of your chair, or clutch at someone. The no-songs, no-foreign locations format impresses you. Urmila Matondkar deserves applause for her role as the possesed woman. One moment extremely vulnerable, and the next violent, she certainly takes your breath away. Ajay Devgan provides ample support as her harried husband.
Nana Patekar's role could have been done by any novice, as it does not require much. Victor Banerjee seems a natural. Seema Biswas does justice to her role. Tanuja and Fardeen Khan are mostly spectators. The scene stealer in this movie without any doubt is Rekha. We feel that age doesn't seem to have touched her, as we see her moving gracefully through her part.
Barring the supernatural part, the movie is a welcome experiment. The goings-on take your breath away on many occasions. A scene to look out for is when Urmila is practising faces in front of the mirror.

Technique
When one goes for a Ram Gopal Verma directed film (notice that I did not mention produced, as some of his productions have been real duds) , they have a certain standard in mind. These standards are maintained; and the film is technically brilliant. Some RGV fans might be dissapointed, as the expectations from him are sky high. They might argue that if the film was from the Ramsay brothers, they would have praised it endlessly but coming from Ramgopal Verma, it is just above average.
The director of photography; Vishal Sinha uses some innovative angles to scare you.
But, what really enhances the thriller feel and the suspense is the background score by Salim-Sulaiman, and the sound effects by Dwarak Warrier. You are instantly reminded of the background score of What Lies Beneath, that used the absence of sound to scare you. Unlike the score of Raaz, which was irritating and screeching, this one is absolutely haunting.
The story is credited to Sameer Sharma and Lalit Marathe.

Verdict
Would I recommend this movie to someone?
Definitely not for those weak of heart. For others, who would like to have a spine chilling time at the movies, a definitely watch movie. Moreover, coming at a time when the only other options are either XMen2, Andaaz or Armaan; you should make a run for it.
Important tip for guys: Think of taking along your significant other to this movie with you. Yours can be the shoulder she will cling to when she is scared.
Warning: Do not try this if you are uncertain of your own reactions to the scary moments.
Note: I am sorry if this review seems a little short and superficial. I received lots of mails stating that I should try not to reveal much about the film, as it would spoil the readers' movie experience.