Baramulla Review: Manav Kaul's Haunting Ode to Loss, Memory, and Exile
Manav Kaul delivers one of his most intense performances in Baramulla, a Netflix film that explores horror through grief, memory, and the pain of exile rather than supernatural elements. The film offers a chilling reflection on loss and belonging in the Kashmir Valley.
Unsettling Horror Beyond the Supernatural
Baramulla does not rely on jump scares or traditional ghostly themes. Instead, it presents a deeper horror — the terror of separation, identity loss, and being uprooted from the land that once shaped you.
A Story of Grief and Displacement
The plot follows DSP Ridwaan Sayyed (Manav Kaul), a determined officer investigating mysterious disappearances in Baramulla, Kashmir. Children vanish without a trace, with only their scissor-cut hair left as evidence. As Ridwaan digs deeper, the story evolves from a straightforward investigation into a profound exploration of historical wounds and the silent suffering of displaced people.
Memory as the Source of Dread
Rather than drawing fear from supernatural forces, Baramulla builds tension through memory and emotion. Starting as a procedural drama with political undertones, it gradually shifts focus inward, revealing pain, remembrance, and harsh truths.
"Baramulla is not spooky, it's far more unsettling than that. It doesn't deal in jump scares or shadows, but in a greater horror – the horror of separation, of losing one's identity, of being uprooted from the soil that once defined you."
"What 'Baramulla' does so effectively is build dread not from the supernatural, but from memory itself."
Baramulla stands as a powerful meditation on the lingering scars of exile and the haunting silence left by those lost to history.
Author's summary: Manav Kaul's Baramulla hauntingly portrays grief and exile through a layered narrative that transforms a mystery into a poignant reflection on loss and identity in Kashmir.