‘Baramulla’ Movie Review: Horror Lies In The Eyes of the Beholder

‘Baramulla’ Movie Review: Horror Lies in the Eyes of the Beholder

Aditya Suhas Jambhale’s film combines partisan politics with supernatural horror, resulting in a complex narrative that is both sneaky and unsettling.

Release Information

Release date: Friday, November 7
Cast: Manav Kaul, Bhasha Sumbli, Arista Mehta, Vikas Shukla, Mir Sarwar, Neelofar Hamid
Director: Aditya Suhas Jambhale
Screenwriters: Aditya Suhas Jambhale, Aditya Dhar, Monal Thaakar

Plot Overview

The film opens with a striking single shot: a solitary flower bud in the snow catches the eye of a child named Shoaib. This quiet moment usually signals violence, but instead, the camera rises, revealing the valley before Shoaib walks away and soon vanishes during a local magic show.

Hard-nosed DSP Ridwaan Sayyed (Manav Kaul) is then called to the town to investigate Shoaib's disappearance. Shoaib is the son of a former MLA.

Investigative Track

Ridwaan’s investigation is grounded in reality. More children disappear from the same school, and the film depicts a group of militants, led by a faceless figure named “Bhaijaan,” responsible for the kidnappings. Their sinister recruitment methods are revealed through sinister farming analogies. The militants’ hierarchy and connections are clearly outlined as Ridwaan and his team follow leads loosely inspired by the 2016 attack.

Supernatural Thread

Alongside the grounded investigation, a paranormal storyline slowly develops in Ridwaan’s home, adding layers to the tension and horror of the narrative.

“It’s the sort of shot that usually ends with the sound of a bullet and the image of blood splattered across the whiteness.”

Author’s summary: Baramulla artfully merges political intrigue with supernatural horror, delivering a chilling and layered story that shakes traditional genre boundaries.

The Hollywood Reporter India — 2025-11-07