Phobia (2016 film)
Phobia is a 2016 Indian psychological thriller film, directed by Pavan Kirpalani and produced by Viki Rajani. The film stars Radhika Apte in the leading role as Mehak, an artist suffering from severe agoraphobia. Produced jointly by Eros International and Next Gen Films, it was released on 27 May 2016. Development began in 2015, when Rajani signed Radhika Apte for a film to be made under his banner. Rajani worked on the script, with principal photography taking place in Mumbai. The film features music by Daniel B George. The film features only one song. The lyrics for song 'Roke na ruke' were written by Jay Shankar Prasad and sung by Sakina Khan and Sidharth Basrur. Phobia was released on 27 May 2016 to positive response, with praise centered on Radhika Apte's performance. Apart from her performance, the film's other production elements and picturisation, background score and special effect works were also praised by the critics and audience. Plot
Mehak Deo (Radhika Apte) is a highly talented artist. An unfortunate traumatic event - being molested by a taxi driver – causes her to develop extreme Agoraphobia, a condition in which the individual is paranoid about being in public places and dislikes socializing with large groups of unknown people. Mehak's sister Anusha (Nivedita Bhattacharya), initially supportive, becomes exhausted with her eccentric behavior, especially when it starts impacting her own 5-year-old son. Shaan (Satyadeep Mishra), a close friend, takes Mehak to an empty apartment, on the assumption that living alone for a while might benefit her. At the new apartment, Mehak befriends Nikki (Yashaswini Dayama), a college-going girl who lives in the neighbourhood. Her other neighbour Manu (Ankur Vikal) is working on anger management issues and is part of a community laughter club. Manu is devastated because his girlfriend, Jiah Khurana (Amrita Bagchi), has left him. Jiah had earlier lived in Mehak's new apartment and suddenly disappeared without a trace; without paying rent and without claiming her advance deposit back leaving behind most of her belongings. Mehak comes across Jiah's diary chronicling her tempestuous and abusive relationship with Manu due to his temper issues. Mehak concludes from the diary that Manu killed Jiah, convinced by Jiah's sudden departure, Manu's seemingly questionable behaviour and a series of vivid visions she has of what seems to be Jiah's death like a severed finger in her freezer, a red knife on her bathroom floor (identical to one she saw in Manu's hands earlier), a male intruder in her bedroom and a wounded woman in her bathtub. This prompts her to call Jiah's parents to convey her suspicions, though Shaan is sceptical. Jiah suddenly arrives and confronts them regarding Mehak's call to Jiah's parents. Jiah then reconciles with a reformed Manu, confirming that Mehak was mistaken leaving Mehak questioning her very reality. When Shaan confesses that he has always loved her and tries to kiss her, she spurns him and berates him furiously, accusing him of exploiting her weakened state of mind. During the resulting confrontation between them, since the exact sequence of events occurs just like her visions, Mehak realizes that they were premonitions of her future. She then concludes that she's the one who's going to be killed by Shaan (who she realises is the intruder and that she is the wounded woman with her finger severed). In a paranoid delusional panic she attacks him with a knife. Shaan's attempts to calm her result in her finger getting severed accidentally. Shaan calls for an ambulance after preserving her severed digit in her freezer. She locks up Shaan in her bedroom and exits her building in a daze finally having overcome her fear. In the climactic scene, her vision once again coincides with reality, as we see a painting she created earlier, showing hands reaching out to her, mirrors the situation in which she is injured and goes out in the open for help, overcoming her condition. 