Srishti

Film: Srishti

Year: 2025

Director: Paul Antar

Writer: Paul Antar

Starring: Sumeet Thakur, Chitrangada Satarupa and Indira Tiwari

Review:

This was a film that I got the chance to see thanks to the Raindance Film Festival. It made its world premiere there. Knowing that this was considered in the horror genre, that was enough. Then figuring out it was from India helps with my end of year list to have a broader range of candidates. Other than that, I came into this film blind.

Synopsis: lured to the forbidden forests of the Himalayas, a photojournalist unearths secrets that unravel his mind and challenge the very nature of reality.

We start this off learning that we’re in India. This follows three children: Neerav (Orko) and siblings of Kamli (Nazia) and Mugda (Kaustab). Neerav has a crush on Kamli and it sounds like they’re planning to run away. Mugda pulls him aside, tells him not to involve his sister. Neerav has dreams of being a photographer, so he steals a camera from an old man in the slum where they live. He then locks a door, preventing Kamli from coming with him.

This then shifts to the present. Neerav (now Sumeet Thakur) is a photographer but he’s struggling. He is a journalist. His passion though is taking more artistic pictures. The problem is that the gallery around him doesn’t want the shots he is taking. They’re going more for capturing the beauty of where they live and not so much the grittiness. He is working with Martin (Surjyakar) as they try to find the balance.

There is then the area that he’s from. We see a bunch of children that are picking through trash, looking for things that can be sold. Among them is Jitin (Amiruddin) and his sister, played by Narghis. In this landfill, there is a bounty put out with life changing money. It sounds like a hard drive with crypto-currency on it and the owner will give 80 million dollars to get it back. Working as a nurse in the area is Kamli (Indira Tiwari). Her brother is also still here, with Mugda as an adult being Deb Deep.

Now an opportunity then comes to Neerav. At the base of the Himalayas is an area called Sector K. There are strange things happening where people are going missing. Others are driven mad by this sound called the ‘Humm’. Neerav wants to go there and see if he can find it with the idea to take its picture. He is taken to the area by a guide, Dileep (Ravi Dudeja). An old sheep herder and his grandson also join, showing where they’ve encountered it. This trip will change his life and the others with him forever.

That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that this is an interesting film. The opening section had me wondering if this was going to be a horror film. Then it starts to introduce Sector K and the folklore of the local people, that is what hooked me to see where this would go. I will be honest; it is lighter on the genre elements. It develops more into a drama and a mystery to figure out why certain things are happening. I wanted to start my thoughts off with this disclaimer.

Where I’ll then go is saying that I don’t want you to think that I disliked this. This is more of a character study of the Neerav character. I love that we set up that he’s from a slum in this city. There isn’t much work. We see these children picking through trash in the landfill, mostly I’m guessing for metal that can be sold. The fill is on fire to help break down what is there and we see this sad aspect where Jitin’s lungs are damaged. Kamli states from playing by burning plastic. Neerav decides to return to the area he’s from, to capture the plight of these people. We also see this gets him into trouble when the locals don’t recognize him. Neerav is also trying to make his passion for photography work in the way that he wants. I can commiserate with him.

Then there’s this other angle. He goes down a rabbit hole in looking into this creature that is roaming Sector K. This brings in folk horror elements where prolonged exposure to its hum can drive people mad. It is said to have blinded travelers. Neerav ignores the warnings and tries to find it. It is from there that when he returns to the city, we don’t know if it is this entity that influenced everything afterwards. The other angle is to think that maybe he believes it, but it is all self-fulfilling prophecies. Either way, I do like this concept and Thakur’s performance is good as our lead.

Other elements to bring up here is that Neerav escaped where he is from and is semi-successful. He is seeing Anvi (Chitrangada Satarupa). She wants to start a family. We see that he might not be ready. This leads to a horrible thing that he does to her in secret. Neerav was in love with Kamli as a boy so now that he’s found her, he does spend more time where he’s from with her and her brother. He does want to help the area, along with Martin, since the plight of the children there is sad. This does include a gallery curator as well.

That should be enough for the story so let’s go over to the acting performances. I’ve already said that Thakur is good as our lead. I do like Satarupa as his significant other. She is supportive of him. Wanting him to follow his passion. They do also have bills to pay so there is that. What Neerav does to her is horrific. I do like Tiwari and Deep as the adult version of his friends. Once they’ve reconnected, he is torn by his current life and the area he’s from. The children's versions were solid as well. I do also like Khanna, Surjyakar, Dudeja and the others to push Neerav to where he ends up. Credit to the children as well who are working in the landfill. It is heartbreaking to see.

All that is left then is filmmaking and this is where it shines. The cinematography is great to not only capture the beauty of the forest by the Himalayas but also the grittiness of where these people are from. Setting part of it in a burning landfill is great. The camera work also shines when we see this almost Lovecraftian entity that is living in Sector K. There’s a distortion to where it is. If you’re paying attention, you can see it in scenes where it isn’t the focal. I love that. This is limited to the effects, aside from that. It is more about the characters and their plight so that makes sense. I do think that the soundtrack and design was also good. It helps build the atmosphere this film needs.

In conclusion, this is a compelling and thought-provoking film that I highly recommend, though perhaps not specifically to hardcore horror enthusiasts due to its lighter genre elements. It excels as a character study, delving into the struggles and choices of Neerav amidst a backdrop of social commentary and intriguing folklore. The strong performances, particularly from Thakur, coupled with the exceptional cinematography, create a visually striking and atmospherically rich experience. This is a well-made movie that effectively blends drama, mystery, and subtle supernatural undertones to deliver a unique and impactful narrative.

My Rating: 7 out of 10