Census Bloodbath: Boom

Note: The only copy of this movie that I could access was in unsubtitled Tamil, so take my review with a huge grain of salt.

Year:
1981
Director:
Bharathiraja
Cast:
Kamal Haasan, Madhavi, Radha
Run Time:
2 hours 15 minutes

Plot: Tik Tik Tik follows photographer Dilip (Kamal Haasan, who also starred in this film's Bollywood remake, Karishmaa), who makes friends with a group of models and ends up dating one of them, Sharadha (Madhavi). When the models begin dying one by one, Dilip becomes the prime suspect. He strives to protect Sharadha and discover the identity of the real killer while avoiding the police.

Analysis: I have seen quite a few Indian slashers from the early 1980s at this point, and the majority of them are boring. While I can't say that I liked Tik Tik Tik either, it is certainly never boring.

The second half of the movie is something I can fully get on board with. It takes Indian cinema's habit of blending horror with the romance and musical genres and goes one step further by adding an action-crime component with a full-on James Bond villain thrown in for good measure (he doesn't have a cat, but he does roll around shirtless on a bed of diamonds, which is just as good).

The movie is over-the-top and kooky as hell once it really gets rolling. However, it takes a looooooong time for it to get to that point. The first hour is a real slog, for a multitude of reasons. This includes the erratic editing, which I think is supposed to build Dilip's photography into the visual schema of the movie by shoving in random still images. This almost never works, instead making Tik Tik Tik feel distracted and manic.

Also, the lead is an abrasive, bumbling, "don't take no for an answer," lecherous idiot. I was never once on his side, and it was tough to be asked to root for him on his two-hour-plus adventure. He never improves, it's just that the movie eventually adds enough other material to drown him out.

Another demerit for Tik Tik Tik is that, considering how many other subgenres it's balancing, it doesn't focus much of its time on being an effective slasher. While the erratic editing does result in a few genuinely horrific images (largely via superimposed shots that combine two of the movie's manic moments), there are no onscreen kills and the murder plot frequently takes a backseat to underbaked romance or flop-sweaty slapstick. 

Oh, and the musical numbers are pretty boring. They lack bombast and just kind of sit there taking up space.

All in all, I guess I wasn't furious that I watched it, but I don't think I would recommend it to anyone but the most slasher faithful among us.

Killer: Oberoi (Shamasundar L. Asrani) and His Henchmen

Final Girl: Dilip (Kamal Haasan) feat. Sharadha (Madhavi)

Best Kill: The ultimate death of the villain Oberoi is melodramatic as all hell. He swallows all the diamonds that he smuggled into the country (via the models that he has murdered) and shoots himself on the front steps as the police approach. It's quite a scene.

Sign of the Times: There are more corded phones in this movie than characters.

Scariest Moment: Sharadha is menaced by an underwater assailant while swimming in a pool.

Weirdest Moment: In one scene, every time Dilip moves his head to reveal the horse-themed shot glasses that are on the shelf behind him, there is a neighing noise on the soundtrack.

Champion Dialogue: N/A

Body Count: 7; give or take - it was not always easy to tell exactly what was happening, and to whom.

1. Sherley (Sarika Thakur of Sannata and Karishmaa) is killed offscreen.
2. Swapna is stabbed in the chest with a knife offscreen.
3. Radha is killed offscreen.
4. Ambulance Driver is killed offscreen.
5. Woman is shot in the back.
6. Goon is shot by the police.
7. Oberoi shoots himself in the head.

TL;DR: Tik Tik Tik is a kooky good time, but only after you slog through the first hour.

Rating: 6/10