Just watched Baramulla on Netflix, and I can say this with conviction — Bollywood might just be entering its Renaissance era of horror!
Directed with an eerie calm and starring the ever-brilliant Manav Kaul, Baramulla isn’t your jump-scare, blood-and-ghosts kind of horror film. It’s something deeper — something that crawls under your skin slowly, whispering stories of loss, exile, and memories that refuse to die.
Set against the haunting backdrop of the 1990 Kashmir Exodus, the movie uses the supernatural as a metaphor — not for fear, but for what humans fear to face within themselves. It’s not about monsters hiding in shadows, but the ones we carry inside.
Fun Fact:
Did you know that Baramulla was reportedly inspired by real survivor accounts from the early 1990s, making its “ghosts” symbolic of unhealed collective trauma?
What makes Baramulla stand out is that it doesn’t belong to any one genre — it’s horror, it’s political, it’s poetic. The cinematography paints Kashmir like a dream frozen in snow, and the sound design alone deserves an award — every silence screams louder than a scream.
Of course, it’s not perfect — the “Bhaijaan terrorists with altered voices” scene was a bit cringe, and a sprinkle of Kashmiri folklore could’ve added real spine-chills — but that last 30 minutes? Pure brilliance.
When you think about it, this film sits perfectly with modern Indian horror gems like Tumbbad (a fable of greed), Bulbbul (a feminist gothic), and Talaash (a haunting on grief). These aren’t just horror movies — they’re mirrors.
So yes, Baramulla may not be the scariest film you’ll see — but it’s one of the most human. And that’s what makes it unforgettable.
Trivia Corner:
- Manav Kaul once mentioned in an interview that he believes “real horror lies in memory,” and his performance here proves it.
- Baramulla was shot across real Kashmiri towns during winter — no artificial sets for snow! ❄️
- This film marks one of the first times an Indian supernatural movie doubles as a commentary on political exile and displacement.
If Bollywood continues to give us layered horror like Baramulla and Tumbbad, we’re not far from our own The Babadook or Hereditary. The age of “Bhoot Banglas” is long gone — it’s time for intelligent horror.
Baramulla doesn’t scare you to death — it scares you into thought.
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