Baramulla Review: Manav Kaul’s Haunting Ode to Loss, Memory, and Exile
Manav Kaul delivers one of his most powerful performances in Baramulla, a Netflix film that explores grief, memory, and exile as the true source of horror. Instead of relying on jump scares or typical ghostly elements, the story deeply examines the fear of separation and identity loss.
The Deeper Horror
Baramulla is less about the supernatural and more about internal devastation — the terror of losing one’s roots and being torn from familiar ground. What initially feels like a thriller soon unfolds into an exploration of pain shaped by history and displacement.
“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 took you in.”
Plot and Themes
The narrative, written by Aditya Dhar and directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, follows DSP Ridwaan Sayyed, played by Kaul. He investigates a string of child disappearances in Baramulla, where the only evidence found is their freshly cut hair. As he delves deeper, the investigation evolves into a painful confrontation with Kashmir’s unresolved past and the echoes of exile.
A Portrait of Memory and Belonging
The film’s true horror comes from memory itself. Through Ridwaan’s journey, Baramulla transforms from a procedural mystery into a poetic reflection on loss, remembrance, and the persistence of belonging amid exile.
“A chilling reflection on loss and belonging in the Kashmir Valley.”
Author’s Summary
Baramulla transforms a crime investigation into a haunting meditation on identity, exile, and the lingering ache of separation in the shadowed beauty of Kashmir.