Baramulla - The History of a Home

Baramulla

Hindi - Supernatural Thriller
114 mins
Netflix

Set in the snow-quiet valley of Baramulla, a young boy — the son of a local MLA — disappears without a trace. Enter DSP Ridwaan Shafi Sayyed (Manav Kaul), newly posted, who dives head-first into the case. More disappearances follow, even as his own family begins adjusting to their new situation. The daughter senses a dog, the boy hears lullabies and the villa they have moved into seems to breathe with unseen memories.

The film’s technical work stands out. The cinematography and lighting turn both the house and the landscape into characters of their own. The sound design is subtle, while the score — credited to Clinton Cerejo -  opts for silence and slow burn over cheap jumps. 

Manav Kaul does what he can with quiet intensity. Bhasha Sumbli as Gulnaar Sayyed holds her own with a grounded, quietly haunted presence. The children — Arista Mehta as Noorie and Rohaan Singh as Ayaan — are very good. Believable in their curiosity and fear with that slow dawning of something much larger than themselves.

What I appreciated most is how the film uses its supernatural premise to dig into the real world, without “milking” the situation, as many filmmakers have done so often in current political clime. That said, the director’s (Aditya Suhas Jambhale) reach sometimes exceeds his grip. The themes are bold and relevant, but the treatment lacks the finesse they deserve. As a result, the film occasionally feels undercrafted when the supernatural and the real worlds begin to collide.

That said, the final reveal lands well — emotional and quietly unsettling.

The pacing is languid, but never dull. The slow-walk tension gives you time to sink in — to feel the weight of the house, the echoes of the missing kids in the valley. If you like supernatural thrillers that favour mood and thought over cheap scares, Baramulla could be on your radar