Adhura Review: Rasika Dugal, Ishwak Singh's horror show works despite cliches

Spirituality vs Science is the premise of Adhura, the latest horror series streaming on OTT. It tries its best within the confines of the genre and gives into the tropes of the supernatural narrative. But, to its credit, Adhura has a decent storyline and is driven by good performances. This makes it an easy weekend watch for horror-thriller fans.

3 things you need to know

• The story of Adhura unfolds inside a school where an evil spirit is hunting down its victims.
• It explores themes of childhood trauma and bullying.
• Some scenes feel inspired but have a distinct Indian touch.

Hot Take

Adhura, co-directed by Ananya Banerjee and Gauravv Chawla, builds up the suspense through its 7-episode run. The thrills are scattered right along the runtime.  As the stakes rise, the second half gets pacier and intriguing but the build up in the initial episodes lets the viewers immerse in the story.

All in all, discounting the fact that Adhura is weighed down by cliches, it rises above its material because of the actors' performances. 

Is Adhura worth the hype?  

Adhura follows the story of teen adults who are passing out of school and venturing out to seek a future. Relationships get complicated as friends who thought they were inseparable now face the test of time. Of the lot, Ninad (Poojan Chabbra) and Adhiraj's (Ishwak Singh) relationship gets affected the most.

(Shrenik Arora as Vedant puts up a delightful show in Adhura | Image: Twitter)

Years down the line, they return as alumni for a reunion only to find that their past has come back to haunt them. The makers play to their strengths (VFX is not one). The inter-cutting between the past and present is used to push the narrative forward and weave a story worth investing your time in. 

Effective treatment

Adhura utilises parallel storytelling. This lets the narrative venture into more than one direction at once. While on one hand, the school, which is believed to be haunted, turns into a ground for mysterious killings, parallelly, the search for a missing person reveals complex layers and hidden truths.

Clever editing makes sure the tonality stays consistent throughout and both narratives merge into each other seamlessly. The bluish tone to the frames instill in the viewers a sense of perpetual haunting and fear as anxiety looms large.

Credible performances

Rasika Dugal as a no-nonsense psychologist, who shuns any mention of spiritual kills and hauntings, delivers a credible performance. She lends sensitivity to her portrayal and has a commanding presence. Ishwak Singh channels his vulnerability onscreen and shows restraint and authority in equal measures.

(Rasika Dugal plays psychologist in Adhura | Image: Instagram/Rasika Dugal)

Child actor Shrenik Arora as Vedant puts up a delightful show. The narrative lets him take the center stage and he rises up to the occasion. 

Stream it or skip it?

Though it may seem like watching a mix of horror films of the past, there is a sincerity to Adhura that connects with you. The makers don't take any liberty with jump scares and keep them to a minimum. Instead, they explore themes of bullying, abuse, corruption, homophobia and childhood trauma to make viewers uncomfortable. Some scenes lend themselves to building the horror quotient while others simmer up the drama. 

The Bottomline

Adhura falls short on originality but makes up for it in execution and sincerity. Even though it borrows elements, its heart is in the right place. If anything, it's horror with a message.

(Rating: 3/5)