‘Baramulla’ review: A tale of horror involving humans
Aditya Suhas Jambhale’s Netflix film features Manav Kaul and Bhasha Sumbli in a chilling narrative set in 2016, three years before the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The story unfolds as children mysteriously begin to disappear whenever a white tulip is seen.
The first suspect in these strange vanishings is a magician, taken in by Deputy Superintendent of Police Ridwaan (Manav Kaul). Ridwaan has moved to Baramulla with his family following a professional scandal.
Setting and supernatural elements
Ridwaan’s family — his wife Gulnar (Bhasha Sumbli), daughter Noorie (Arista Mehta), and son Ayaan (Rohaan Singh) — settles in a house filled with eerie signs: creaking wooden floors, disembodied voices, and noises in the night. Gulnar, Noorie, and Ayaan quickly sense a supernatural presence haunting their new home.
Dual investigations and allegory
While Ridwaan’s official inquiry into the disappearing children stalls, a terrorist sleeper cell is also active, recruiting young Kashmiris under the guise of freedom fighters, paralleling the mysterious spirit's role in the story. The film layers these threads with symbolism and anger.
Baramulla is "produced by Aditya Dhar of Uri fame and directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, who previously directed Dhar’s production Article 370."
The film fits within the genre of social horror that connects unexplained supernatural events to historical trauma, drawing on local djinn folklore.
"Keep up the pressure on the open wound," a militant advises, capturing the film’s intense emotional core.
Author’s summary: Baramulla blends supernatural horror with political allegory, reflecting deep regional wounds through a chilling story of lost children and unseen forces.
Would you prefer the text to emphasize more on the political context or the supernatural horror aspects?