Never Ending Movie Carnival
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Adhura review: Thoroughly gripping and unexpectedly scary humane horror
What: Adhura - Prime Video’s first Hindi horror series starring Rasika Dugal, Ishwak Singh and Shrenik Arora is chilling and nicely developed. Streaked with unexpected eerie moments and a human angle which makes it different.
OTT web series Adhura synopsis
Vedant Malik (Shrenik Arora) is a ten-year-old child cute but quite child studying in a prestigious boarding school located in a picturesque location.
Bullied by his classmates led by Sarthak (Adhrit Dua) Vedant keeps quiet and feels lonely. Vedant parents are not willing to take their son back.
The school is set to host a grand reunion of its 2007 batch. The best student of the that batch Adhiraj Jaisingh (Ishwak Singh) meets Vedant and things turn scary that shakes everybody especially the 2002 batch students who have arrived for the reunion - Malvika Seth Jamwal (Zoa Morani), Parth (Aniruddh Singh), Aru Krishansh Verma (Parth), Dev Pratap Jamwal (Rijul Ray).
Supriya (Rasika Dugal) is the child counselor assigned to take care of Vedant and strangely she also gets involved in this eerie web of fear, guilt, revenge, love, lost, faith, fate wrapped in seven episodes of this supernatural realm.
Adhura – writer director duo Ananya Banerjee (Kaun Banegi Shikharwati – writer) and Gauravv K. Chawla (previous Kaun Banegi Shikharwati, Baazaar – director) spins a rare surprise though it begins in those traditional spooky horror mystery genre as ordered by the masters.
The fear does not feel imposed, but emerges unexpectedly directly from the emotions that the story draws on unfolding through two timelines, in 2022 and 2007 and brings the issue of bullying in the forefront.
The secrets that come out through those chilling events give Adhura a layered perspective of bonding, friendship and relationship.
The torments of childhood/teenage bullying are as disturbing as a solid supernatural thriller and in Adhura the audience experiences it as their heart feels for Adhiraj (Ishwak) and Ninad Raman (Poojan Chhabra) the best buddies.
Plus, their ae back stories that adds to the haunt and atmosphere laced with comic, horrific and affecting moments.
Ishwak Singh is marvelous fighting his inner fears and guilt and adorable when he lends his helping hand to Vedant. A restrained and nuanced performance.
Rasika Dugal as Supriya is amazingly natural and her back story gives you goosebumps.
Shrenik Arora is the bundle of surprise. The scene stealer.
Rahul Dev is fine.
Poojan Chhabra as Ninad Raman deserves special mention.
Zoa Morani as Malvika Seth Jamwal leaves her mark and is fantastic during the final episode.
Arjun Deswal as the young Adhiraj is outstanding.
Good support comes from Aniruddh Singh, Aru Krishansh Verma, Dev Pratap Jamwal and child actor Adhrit Dua – Sarthak.
Adhura is grim, chilly, and has a humane angle in this horror cut from a different cloth than most eerie horror tales shot on picturesque locale.
Adhura is streaming on Amazon Prime Video from July 07, 2023.
A child born from life & fed by cinema. A filmi keeda from child & a film journalist for the last fifteen years. a father, seeker, foodie who loves crooning bollywood melodies twitter.com/cineblues More By vishal verma