STORY: Shanaya is a fading superstar whore sorts to black magic to salvage her career, and raze rising star Sanjana’s chances atstardom.MOVIE REVIEW: There’s only one raaz about stardom. That it’s nobody’s ‘keep’ – but every body’s ‘mistress’. Easily seduced by then next hot number on the bloc. Sometimes it walks away silently into the dark night, butmostly it screams like multiple orgasms in the vanity van. Shanaya ( Bipasha Basu) is atop star who is gradually falling off the dizzying heights of stardom, while hot new aspirant Sanjana (Esha Gupta) is sweeping away movies, awards and the coveted top spot.

In denial of her waning career, the self-obsessed and fiercely ambitious Shanaya will do anything to cling to thelast fringes of her career. Even if that means risking love, manipulating her director boyfriend, Aditya ( Emraan Hashmi) and losing Godly faith. She moves over to the dark side – of Kali Vidya (black magic), tantra-mantra, meeting (and mating) with aatmas and seducing her boyfriend into becoming partner-in-crime, with a lot of jism show, sex (and dialogues like, “If you love me you can be stupid for me!” Bah!).

Sanjana is haunted by spells of black magic, and in between shrieks, screams (and yeah, steamy sex too, courtesy Aditya) she loses her mind and heart. Throw in a bhatakti aatma ( Manish Chaudhury) and some shocks, shivers and songs – and there you have the third part of the Raaz series. With a storyline that’s fairly simple withone-dimensional characters, Vikram Bhatt, dishes out this horror show (which turns ‘horny’ as hell at times) in 3D, with glossy production values (and cliched elements like the usual fog, kabrastans and howling voice overs aplenty), dollops of sex, horror and a few terrifying scenes. The 3D effectisn’t state-of-the-art, but a few innovative scenes impress.

The music, however, is disappointing for a Bhatt film, with songs used as patches between insignificant scenes. Bipasha looks scarily stunning in this role with only one shade – deep, dark black. It’s a challenge and she takes it onwith a vengeance. Emraan, shows different shades, but in the struggle between pecks, passion and possession he comes across asa confused soul. Esha Gupta is an attractive package and strikes in emotional scenes (when she’s not shrieking, that is).

For all those who want to move over from the Ramsay Bros… go watch ‘Raaz 3’in 3D, at your own risk. But don’t take it to your grave.

Cast: Bipasha Basu, Emraan Hashmi, EshaGupta, Manish Chaudhury

Direction: Vikram BhattGenre: Horror

Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes