Aranmanai 3 stars Arya and Raashi Khanna. (Photo: PR handout)

There is nothing new about the widely startled eyes of characters who have come nose to nose with a scary-looking ghost or watched paranormal tricks played by a vengeful spirit. We have seen it all, over and over again. If not in the Aranmanai franchise, then in the Kanchana series or hundreds of other horror movies from around the world. For years, we have been subjected to all kinds of jump scares. If one continues to react to overused scare tactics, it doesn’t mean the director has managed to succeed. It is just in human nature to shudder when something ugly or frightening pops up in front of us. Any 10-year-old with a ghost mask can do it. Then, what’s the point of a director with over 30 years of experience to spend a fortune on a movie to achieve the same effect?

There is nothing novel about Aranmanai 3. At the heart of the story is a huge palace with a dark history. And somewhere in the corner of this palace, there is a locked room. Many haunting secrets remain buried as long as the room is locked. But, once it’s open, it unleashes a dark force, which is almost impossible to contain. Does the synopsis sound familiar? It is because Sundar C, who has written, directed and acted in this film, draws heavily from Chandramukhi, which was the remake of Malayalam hit Manichitrathazhu. Instead of “Raa Raa” song, which is a woman’s yearning to meet her lover, we get “Sengaandhale”, a mother’s lullaby, emerging from a room, which has now become a den of supernatural forces.