📌 Key Points
- Naveen Chandra transforms! Sacrifices daughter to dark ‘Pilli Maya’ rituals.
- Forget ghosts! ‘Honey’ conjures chills with terrifying tantric rituals.
- Wife’s desperate battle: Save daughter from husband’s occult obsession!
- Obsession for money destroys family: ‘Honey’ reveals black magic’s true cost.
Naveen Chandra plunges into chilling black magic in ‘Honey’, a terrifying horror thriller that has gripped Telugu audiences since its February 6th release. This A-rated film explores dark occult rituals, showcasing Chandra’s character unleash mayhem and destroy a family. With Divya Pillai’s standout performance adding another layer of intrigue, ‘Honey’ promises a truly suspenseful and terrorizing cinematic experience.
Occult Pursuit, Familial Horror
Naveen Chandra unleashes mayhem with black magic in the film ‘Honey,’ leaving audiences terrorized in theaters. This horror thriller, centered on occult rituals, has successfully piqued audience interest since its release on February 6th. Divya Pillai‘s performance stands out as a special attraction in the film, which has been granted an A rating. ‘Honey’ promises a narrative rich in suspense and thrilling elements, with Naveen Chandra deeply entangled in the allure of black magic.
Directed by Karunakumar, ‘Honey’ features Naveen Chandra, Divya Pillai, Divi, and Raja Ravinder in key roles. Produced by Ravi Peetla and Praveen Kumar Reddy under the OVA Entertainments banner, and presented by Sekhar Studios, the film premiered on February 6th.
The story revolves around Anand (Naveen Chandra), who, aiming for quick money, develops an interest in tantric practices. After being beaten and fired from his office for performing these rituals there, Anand teams up with his guru Sarangapani (Raja Ravinder). Together, they delve into black magic, specifically seeking to perform ‘Pilli Maya’ (cat sorcery) to achieve an undisclosed goal. When a child is required for these rituals, Anand threatens his wife, Lalitha (Divya Pillai), and chooses their daughter, Meera (Jayanni), for the task. Consequently, Lalitha and Meera face immense difficulties, with Anand even holding them captive in a remote house away from the village. The film prompts viewers to discover the true nature of ‘Pilli Maya,’ Anand’s ultimate objective, and the struggles endured by his wife and children due to his obsession.
The narrative commences with a scene depicting occult rituals, setting the stage for Divya Pillai’s desperate struggle to save her daughter. Anand’s character is portrayed to be quite terrifying, and the film becomes engaging from the moment he joins forces with Sarangapani. Scenes depicting Anand tormenting his wife and daughter evoke a significant degree of emotion. The entire first half focuses on gathering the elements for ‘Pilli Maya’—a concept that, while novel and initially thrilling, could have benefited from greater clarity. Although initially suggested as a pursuit for money, the film doesn’t clearly illustrate any tangible gains from these actions. Scenes involving the child’s suffering are somewhat disturbing to watch. Rather than relying on conventional ghosts, the filmmakers opted to scare audiences through tantric and black magic rituals. However, the second half tends to drag, and while such films usually offer numerous twists and thrilling scenes, ‘Honey’ provides fewer than desired, making the climax predictable. Despite this, the film successfully delivers scares in certain horror sequences. With its ‘A’ rating, ‘Honey’ is suitable only for adult audiences. It presents a thriller about a man who destroys his own family due to superstitious beliefs.
Tantric Terrors, Uneven Thrills
Naveen Chandra, who has previously impressed audiences in similar thrillers, once again delivers a stunning performance as the black magic practitioner. Divya Pillai excels in her emotional scenes as the tormented wife, her acting effectively eliciting pity for her character. The child artist portraying the daughter also performs commendably, as do Raja Ravindra, Divi, and the rest of the supporting cast in their respective roles.
Technically, the cinematography visuals are very good, presented in a dark tone that perfectly complements the story. The background music is quite effective in creating scares. However, some lagging scenes could be tightened during editing. Despite working with a low budget, the production managed to deliver good output. The director has competently executed this horror thriller, effectively conveying a storyline about misguided belief in tantric rituals for money leading to familial destruction.
Overall, ‘Honey’ is a horror thriller featuring occasional scary occult and tantric rituals, earning a rating of 2.75. Please note that this movie review and rating are solely the personal opinion of the analyst. ‘Honey’ continues to scare audiences in theaters, largely driven by Naveen Chandra’s superb performance.
Looking Ahead
Despite its 2.75 rating, “Honey” truly terrifies through its occult rituals. Naveen Chandra’s superb performance is the compelling black magic driving its success, chilling audiences. This role undoubtedly elevates him, positioning him as South Indian cinema’s go-to for powerful, dark thrillers that linger long after the credits.
