Baramullah: A Horrific Doctrine of the Kashmir Exodus

Whenever you think of a film on Kashmir, the first thing that crosses your mind is the narrative of terrorism. However, writer Aditya Dhar and director Aditya Jhambale make sure that we don’t forget the painstaking ordeal of the Kashmiri pundits in the valley during the 1980’s.
‘Baramullah’ sets its grim tone from the very first frame as we see a troubled police officer, played wonderfully by the much – talented Manav Kaul, caught in a flux between his own past and a moral dilemma of serving the Government much to the judgement by his own daughter, who calls him a traitor.
The writer delves into the political situation of the valley as we see countless children being missing, throwing light on the extremist ethos of abduction and radicalisation of blooming minds by the jihadis for their selfish endeavors. From creating an undercurrent of pathos to establishing the overall gloom that covers the valley, Jhambale gets everything right. Much kudos to the cinematographer Arnolds too.
When everything for the films goes just alright, the makers somehow get radicalised themselves with the ‘us and them’ emotion rather than corroborating a balanced viewpoint. The ghosts of the Hindu pundits now terrorising the Muslim inhabitants of a long- abandoned house fails to deliver a commentary that’s rooted deep in sociological analysis and cultural consciousness.
However, they do deserve applause for portraying the geo- politics of the nation as the real ghost rather than depending on cheap gimmicks or jump scares. In short, Baramullah will be remembered as a honest effort in breaking the mold of tries- and- tired formula of horror genre. Definitely give it a try.