Jatadhara movie review: Sonakshi Sinha, Sudheer Babu conjure up a film which needed more magic, more scares

Jatadhara movie review: It is directed by Venkat Kalyan and Abhishek Jaiswal and follows a ghost hunter haunted by dreams of a child's murder.

Jatadhaara movie review
Director: Venkat Kalyan and Abhishek Jaiswal
Cast: Sudheer Babu, Sonakshi Sinha
Rating: ★★

Don’t get startled at me mentioning Harry Potter and Jatadhara in one breath. Plot compels me. And before anyone raises their wand to curse me, allow me to explain myself.

In Jatadhara, ghost hunter Shiv confronts a chilling mystery involving black magic and his haunted past.

The story of Jatadhara, written and directed by Venkat Kalyan and Abhishek Jaiswal, follows Shiv (Sudheer Babu, who you might remember as the antagonist from Baaghi), a ghost hunter. He's haunted by dreams of a child being killed by a woman. One day, he stumbles upon a picture of the same people inside his own house. Who are they? Why does he, unknowingly, keep escaping death? And who exactly is Dhan Pishachini? That forms the core of the film.

What works in Jatadhara

First, the good bits. Jatadhara doesn’t rely on conventional jump scares, nor does it tread the same tired path as most horror dramas. The first half builds up the mystery rather well, barring what might be the most unnecessary item number of the year- Pallo Latke, already recycled once in the 2017 film Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana. The one here is a classic example of crass choreography meeting equally crass styling.

The plot follows a clear structure that ties its many threads together quite well. The second half introduces a chilling black magic sequence that manages to unnerve. From mythology to religion and even the Padmanabha Swamy temple, the film leaves nothing out to make it effective.

Movie Review

Jathadhara

2/5

Horror, Thriller

In Jatadhara, a ghost hunter is plagued by visions of a child being murdered. When he finds the same figures in an old photo in his own home, it leads him into a mystery tied to the enigmatic Dhan Pishachini.

Director

 Venkat Kalyan and Abhishek Jaiswal

Cast

Sonakshi Sinha, Sudheer Babu

Verdict

Jatadhara is an ambitious blend of myth and modern horror that works in flashes. It reaches for something fresh, but over-the-top theatrics and uneven emotional beats keep it from fully landing, leaving a film that’s part intriguing lore, part muddled chaos.

What didn't work

Now, for what doesn’t quite land. The exaggerated portrayal of Dhan Pishachini- with her chattering teeth, manic laughter, and bulging eyes- is brought to life earnestly by Sonakshi Sinha, but the execution borders on tacky. The love story between Shiva and Divya Khossla’s character also feels out of place, interrupting the film’s otherwise dark rhythm. Even the background score, impactful at first, gradually slips into being shrill. The big reveal takes ample inspiration from Harry Potter... you will know what I am referring to if you watch Jatadhara.

Performance-wise, Sudheer stays true to the brief and delivers with restraint. Sonakshi is attempting something new for the first time, and she tries hard. But the writing lets her down.

Overall, Jatadhara is an ambitious attempt to merge myth and modern horror, and it succeeds in parts. It tries to be different, even if it loses its footing in over-the-top theatrics and forced emotion. What could have been an unsettling supernatural thriller ends up being a mixed bag: half compelling myth, half confused mayhem.