'Jatadhara' Review: Sonakshi's Horror Film Is A 132-Minute Endurance Test That Only Summons Boredom

Sonakshi Sinha, Sudheer Babu, Divya Khosla Kumar, and Shilpa Shirodkar came together in the infamous horror thriller, Jatadhara. However, despite the immaculate cast, it seems the only thing viewers can take solace in is that the film ended. As the audience shares their verdict on the film, let's break down what Venkat Kalyan and Abhishek Jaiswal's directorial tried to achieve —and whether they succeeded in what they set out to do. 

Jatadhara brings the enigma of Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple to the big screen

The film revolves around a folk tale from the past in which wealthy men would use tantra to summon a pishachi (demon) to guard their gold against looting. However, every time they wanted it back, they'd have to make a sacrifice, of whatever the demon demanded, from killing a hen or a goat to a human. Jatadhara explores the same folklore as Sonakshi essays the role of 'Dhanpishachani'.

Shilpa Shirodkar plays 'Shobha', a woman driven by greed who summons 'Dhanpishachani' with the aid of a tantric. However, when the demon demands the sacrifice of a child, things go south. After 'Shobha' fails to fulfill the demand, every member of her family dies, leading the young child to become a ghost hunter (Sudheer Babu). 

Jatadhara is a tiring horror saga that falls flat

Despite an entertaining storyline, the film fails to deliver; instead, it feels more like a lecture that tries to explain "Energy can't be created, can't be destroyed, but can be neutralised" in a 132-minute clip. The folklore concepts have been beautifully explored in the film industry. However, Jatadhara lacked the conviction the film needed to translate the legend into a success. 

Talking about the actor's performances. Sonakshi Sinha's lead role felt more like a dragged-out cameo than the film's soul. Her character, instead of being scary, delivers unintentional laughs, which is made worse by the unpleasant sound of her grinding teeth. Shilpa Shirodkar landed her second innings on Bigg Boss, then chose this script after finishing her stint on the reality show. However, it seems more like she wanted a character with no drama, unlike the ones in the show. Sudheer Babu's role as 'Shiva', the ghost hunter who doesn't believe in ghosts, is another tongue twister. 

'Shiva' roams around haunted places to prove a point that ghosts don't exist, only to suddenly encounter the spirits of his real parents. Shocked by this, he begins to believe in spirits and decides to defeat 'Dhanpishachani' to end an ancient curse. In the process, he gets killed, then suddenly lands on Kailash Parvat, meets Lord Shiva, and starts performing tandav...a storyline we are still processing. Divya Khosla Kumar's role as 'Shiva's' love interest is equally paper-thin; they meet, fall in love, and that's it.

Final Verdict on Jatadhara

Jatadhara oversold and underdelivered by a mile and a half. It promises horror but delivers only exhaustion. The movie doesn't just need changes; it needs a redo, with character arcs more sharply drawn and jump scares actually scary.

What are your thoughts on Jatadhara? Let us know.

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