Jatadhara Movie Review: Zee Studios, Prerna Arora Come Up With A Mythological Thriller for the Modern Audience

Directors: Venkat Kalyan and Abhishek Jaiswal

Writer: Venkat Kalyan

Cast: Sudheer Babu, Sonakshi Sinha, Divya Khossla, Shilpa Shirodkar, Indira Krishna, Rajeev Kanakala, Ravi Prakash, Rohit Pathak, Jhansi, Subhalekha Sudhakar

Rating: 4

Duration: 135 minutes

Zee Studios and Prerna Arora joins their creative forces to build this thrilling and mega universe of Jatadhara, a supernatural mythological thriller that dares to connect science, spirituality, and the ancient mysticism of India. Helmed by duo Venkat Kalyan and Abhishek Jaiswal, the film is set against the enigmatic Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple, narrates a tale about its hidden treasures and evil forces protecting it, and pushing the surreal into realistic space the team for the first time in mainstream Indian cinema, used authentic Tantric rituals and chants during production. This is as real as it can get!

The supernatural thriller captivate its audience from the first scene, a mood of wonder, thriller and eerie settles in from the opening act, and keeps the experience going till the last credits. The narrative offers rich symbolism, which we all know it all too well, but never before presented at such a massive scale.

The makers tackles the tricky subject of spiritually and mythology with sincerity and visual elegance.

South sensation Sudheer Babu is seen in a never before avatar, he plays the role of Shiva, a modern day ghost hunter, who doesn’t believe in supernatural but logic and facts, but soon his journey from non-believer to awakened consciousness forms the emotional spine of the narrative. He is rugged, charming and emotionally charged in his performance, making his career best so far.

On the other end of spectrum is debutante Sonakshi Sinha, who is playing the role of Dhana Pisaachi, a tormentor spirit consumed by greed and grief, marking her Telugu debut. She is picture prefect in every frame, she is loud and terrifying, yet graceful and powerful. She slides into the demonic goddess with seamless ease, creating one of the most talked-about moments of the film.

Veteran Shilpa Shirodkar, along with established and seasoned ensemble including Divya Khossla, and Indira Krishna bring in warmth and poise. While Rajeev Kanakala, Ravi Prakash, and Subhalekha Sudhakar, who anchor the movie with realistic, heartfelt performances to balance the scale of its grand mythology.

The film is penned by Venkat Kalyan, the screenplay revolves around a taboo ritual known as Pisacha Bandhanam, bind spirits in order to guard lost treasure-is both chilling and fascinating, and the writer marries ancient folklore with modern reasoning with firm grip.

Shyam Babu Meriga and Sai Krishna Karne wrote the dialogues, and there is no heavy headedness used throughout the film. The dialogues are poignant and sharp. The writing duo strikes a balance between philosophical reflection and emotional resonance.

Cinematographer Sameer Kalyani also breaths lives into visual scope of the movie, his use of light and shade, and attention to details are delightful to watch.

The huge shout out to the visual effects, they deserve standing ovation. Though majestic, yet keeping the supernatural realism intact.

The music and BGM design are nothing short of rhythmic trance. Rajiv Raj’s score, infuses the classic ragas with subtle electronic tones. The music, especially during the climactic confrontation, pulsates with power and emotion. Tracks like "Shiva Stotram" and "Pallo Latke Again" are packed with powerful energy and emotion that is hard to find elsewhere.

Choreographer Sandeep weaves absolutely hypnotic temple dance sequence led by Divya Khossla, exuding devotion and intensity. The action quotient of the film is superb, action choreography impresses with a mix of physical combat and supernatural elements.

Jatadhara is a marvel that transform mythology into something vivid and real, with stunning visuals, soulful music, and performances that both captivate and provoke reflection.