I am curious about Lady in the Water. I have my reasons.

When I saw the trailer of Lady in the Water a few months ago, I wasn’t particularly thrilled. It didn’t grab me. Usually Manoj Night Shyamalan’s films bear a creepy air about them. Somehow Lady in the Water appeared to be quite watered down (pun unintended) in that sense. Of course this is a purely impulsive opinion based on something as deceptive as a promo. But then again it’s said to be one of Shyamalan’s worst reviewed movies wherein most critics have dubbed it “self-indulgent” (Variety Magazine) and “convoluted, ultimately preposterous” (Wall Street Journal). Quite a dampener, huh? Again, no pun intended.

It’s not like the India-born filmmaker hasn’t disappointed before. Unbreakable and The Village didn’t quite rise to the occasion. Even so, Shyamalan never fails to evoke curious speculation. There is always an impermeable secrecy with respect to his projects that one cannot help but anticipate spectacular level of awesomeness.

That said, have you read the book that started it all?

I got it recently as a gift and was fairly impressed with what I saw. Mainly because it has been superbly illustrated by Crash McCreery (a character designer of repute who has worked on films like Edward Scissorhands and Jurassic Park). His keen artwork lends the book a sense of mystery and enchantment.

Published by Little, Brown and Company and dedicated to his two children; Lady in the Water-A Bedtime Story is no glorious piece of literature. It’s not even a ‘bedtime story’ as it claims to be. It’s more of a fascinating introduction to the extraordinary characters --Narf, Vessel, Great Eatlon and Scrunt around whom the movie, eventually, revolves.

Though plainly told, the tone is dark and forbidding. Shyamalan’s offspring might be welcoming of their daddy’s eerie thoughts. But young children are best left unexposed to this dim fairy tale. It could really play havoc with the tender imagination and create unnecessary fears in the mind. The Scrunt is pretty scary, I thought.

Despite its vague setup and mediocre reviews, Lady in the Water has raised an interesting imagery in my head. Something its trailer had failed to do.

What I want to know now is what I think is what I’ll see.

July 28 (release date in India) holds the answer to this query.