Baramulla review: Manav Kaul's haunting ode to loss, memory and exile
Manav Kaul delivers one of his most haunting performances in Baramulla, a Netflix film that finds terror not in ghosts but in grief, remembrance, and the torment of exile. This is a story steeped in sorrow and belonging, echoing through the valleys of Kashmir.
Grief beyond horror
Baramulla is not a conventional horror film. It doesn’t rely on shadows or sudden frights but exposes a deeper dread — the agony of separation, the erasure of identity, and the loss of home. It asks what becomes of memory when the land that shaped it turns unfamiliar.
Manav Kaul’s performance
Kaul brings a piercing intensity to DSP Ridwaan Sayyed, a meticulous officer exploring mysterious disappearances in Baramulla. The only clues left behind are strands of children’s hair clipped as if by scissors, a quiet but haunting symbol of absence.
The story and its unfolding
Written by Aditya Dhar and directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, the narrative begins as a police procedural but soon evolves into a layered reflection on exile and memory. As Ridwaan investigates, his search turns into a confrontation with history’s unhealed scars and the silenced pain of the displaced.
“What 'Baramulla' does so effectively is build dread not from the supernatural, but from memory itself.”
A meditation on loss
The film shifts from the external question of crime to the internal struggle of remembrance. What starts as procedural becomes personal, revealing how history’s violence lingers through generations, haunting not as ghosts but as memories that refuse to fade.
Author’s Summary: A deeply emotional portrait of grief and homecoming, Baramulla turns memory into its most haunting ghost, blending crime, loss, and exile into one unforgettable reflection.