Jatadhara

Jatadhara Movie Review Rating:

Star Cast: Sudheer Babu, Sonakshi Sinha, Divya Khossla, Shilpa Shirodkar

Director: Abhishek Jaiswal & Venkat Kalyan

What’s Good: The core idea and theme

What’s Bad: The climax is very filmy and thus underwhelming

Loo Break: Depends on you!

Watch or Not?: A different ‘horror’ watch—so you decide!

Language: Hindi

Available On: Theatrical release

Runtime: 135 Minutes

User Rating:

A ghost-hunter, Shiva (Sudheer Babu), who still looks for negative energies with some ‘apt’ gadgets, encounters a rationalist organization, the Indian Paranormal Society, headed by Manish (Avasarala Srinivas), where they discuss his views publicly at an event. Shiva continues doing what he fancies, with his friend, Rajesh (Naveen Neni), as a reluctant ‘assistant.’ During one of his forays, the spirit he ‘finds’ turns out to be Sithara (Divya Khossla), who has her own explanation for being in the same location. The two soon fall in love, as Sithara is no spirit but a simple girl.

Shiva also keeps having a dream wherein an infant is being attacked by a woman out to kill it. Before Shiva comes into the ‘picture’ (pun intended!), there is a sequence where a couple in an old mansion (Shilpa Shirodkar and Rohit Pathak) are conducting a tantrik ceremony with a specific aim. They see the vision of a Dhan Pishachini (Sonakshi Sinha) before the narrative cuts to the present day.

Shiva’s parents (played by Jhansi Laxmi and Rajeev Kankala) are forever very protective of Shiva, and they would like him not to get involved in such ghost-hunting activities. Sithara’s family priest, Neelkanth Shastri (Subhalekha Sudhakar), also warns that Shiva has a lot of mrityu-dosh (prospects of death) in his horoscope. Undeterred, Shiva investigates such energies, and soon he comes to know a shocking truth about the baby in his dreams. He now goes on a specific ghost-hunting mission with an underlying very noble cause, as per Hindu traditions. Manish and his team support Shiva, though he places himself in mortal danger.

Jatadhara Movie Review: Script Analysis

I have to admit that the film eschews classic horror templates in its plotline and core, though it does follow the clichéd patterns in its climax, with the usual “scope” generated for a sequel!

Essentially, the film explores the conflict between rationalism, logic, and modernity, and tradition, religion, faith, spirituality, and more. This unique perspective becomes a highlight, even if, ironically, things become gimmicky. Yes, for horror buffs, there is a lot of ‘meat’ (literally, as they will see!) in the script, but the unidimensional and even (finally) ambiguous depiction of the pishachini is more than a shade trite.

The story’s gist lies in that real ‘evil spirit’ that possesses many humans—unlimited greed (amounting to lust!) for Mammon. Venkat Kalyan spins a tale that is similar, eventually, to many horror dramas, but with a difference in its core and narrative intent.

Jatadhara Movie Review: Star Performance

Sonakshi Sinha, as the pishachini, also features a puerile dance sequence, but her evil self is limited to gnashing her teeth and displaying ferocious expressions. This unilateral characterization does not allow her scope to act. Sudheer Babu is effective as Shiva, although he could have conveyed a greater range of emotional intensity in his expressions. Divya Khossla is ho-hum, but Shilpa Shirodkar excels as the greedy middle-aged Shobha, who is unrelenting in her craving for money and ruthless in her ways. She effortlessly steals the acting show here!

Naveen Neni is very good as Shiva’s friend, and Jhansi Laxmi and Rajeev Kankala are effective in their roles. I also liked Ravi Prakash and, even more so, Indira Krishnan in their roles in the backstory. Also standing out as the weak Balraj is Ravi Pathak.