| “ | Hi there kiddo, you want a balloon? | „ |
| ~ Woh tricking a child. |
Woh (English: It) is the main antagonist of the 1998 Hindi-language television horror-thriller series of the same name and is based on the Stephen King novel It. He is the Indian version of his mainstream counterpart. However instead of being a monstrous sentient being (as portrayed in the book, miniseries and films), in this iteration he is a vengeful clown-turned spirit who murders children and people as an act of vengeance for his tragic life.
He is portrayed by Indian comedic actor Lilliput.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Woh is said to have been a kind and gentle young man named Vikram who lived in the town of Panchgani. He was short and small in stature so he was often picked on and bullied by those around him. He eventually fell in love with a beautiful girl in his neighborhood and when he expressed his feelings for her, she mocked his height and rejected him which left him crushed and heartbroken. Vikram eventually took a job as a clown to always remind himself of all the laughter and mockery he has experienced in his life.
Becoming Woh[]
Some time later, a depressed Vikram commits suicide. He was magically resurrected from his grave as an evil force hellbent on seeking vengeance against the townspeople of Panchgani for his mistreatment by feeding on people, mostly children. He would continue to do so for years to come.
Woh[]
Seven teenagers Ashutosh, Raja, Julie, Shiva, Ronnie, Sanjeev and Rahul battle against Woh, and rid Panchgani of his menace. They promise that they'll return, if Woh ever returns. Fifteen years after they had parted ways, Ashutosh starts seeing balloons, at the places where children are being kidnapped. He immediately recognizes that Woh has returned and calls his friends to return.
All the friends return except Sanjeev who is killed by Woh. The day they realize it once the police take the friends into custody and they narrate how they battled Woh with the help of Samidha 15 years ago. Police believe them and release them. They go and meet Samidha and she joins their group. They finish Woh with difficulty. The same day Ashutosh comes to know his wife is pregnant. Raja proposes to Samidha. All the friends return to their normal lives. Bad omens happen during the birth of Ashutosh's child Siddharth, his doctor and years later Ashutosh's wife's aunt is mysteriously killed. Ashutosh's friends arrive for Siddharth's 7th birthday, they realize Woh has returned in form of Siddharth. They go to the same caves and find out from the mother of Woh that he is her son who faced trouble from the society due to his short height. He committed suicide and became a vengeful ghost. The friends convince him to leave Siddharth's body and help him attain salvation. Siddharth is saved and the story ends on a good note.
Trivia[]
- Although Woh is basically an adaptation of It, there are differences between the series and the book.
- Woh is a vengeful spirit who has a tragic past who kidnaps and kills children as revenge, while It is a sentient being from the cosmos who feasts on humans 27 years purely out of sadism and hunger. However, they both have the same powers.
- In the series, Woh meets Georgie in his swimming pool in his backyard, while in the novel and other adaptations, It meets Georgie by a drain. Apparently that was because the town Woh was filmed in didn't have any sewer drains.
- Woh redeemed himself at the end, while It remained evil.
- Although Woh committed many crimes, his motive is a real life issue. Short height can lead to madness.