Mayasabha

scene - and if you’re the type who enjoys slow-burn mysteries with a heavy atmosphere, this one can really hit. It’s more like getting trapped inside a strange, decaying world with characters you can’t fully figure out till the very end. Right from the beginning, the film feels dark in a very intentional way - music, sound effects, and the way the actors carry themselves all build this uneasy mood. The opening is the kind where you’re like, “Wait… why did it start like this?” and then it slowly makes sense because it’s basically introducing you to the darkness inside this world and its people. What I enjoyed most is how the story keeps revealing itself step by step, and how the setting and design make everything feel different from the usual. A lot of it plays out inside this abandoned/decaying cinema hall where Parmeshwar Khanna lives with his son Vasu, and that single-location tension really works in the film’s favour There’s a stretch where you might feel, “Okay, this is getting a bit dragged.” But then the film suddenly snaps you out of it - like it wanted you to sit through that conversation - because later you understand why it mattered, and why you shouldn’t miss even one moment. That’s honestly the theatre experience for me: when writing has weight, and a scene that feels “small” turns out to be important. Parmeshwar Khanna is the kind of character who can show warmth and, in the next moment, throw something at you emotionally (and sometimes almost anything literally). The film keeps you guessing about him, and that unpredictability becomes a big part of the tension. Jaaved Jaaferi is the backbone of this film as Parmeshwar Khanna - he’s scary, weirdly funny in moments, and honestly hypnotic to watch. Mohammad Samad as Vasu feels like an excited kid who can flip into shock and sadness naturally, which makes the whole situation feel even more tense. Veena Jamkar as Zeenat was a pleasant surprise for me - she keeps challenging and manipulating the situation, and she brings her own kind of madness to the screen. The background score and sound design deserve a special shoutout - the film uses the environment (rain, eerie beats, and little sound details) to make the atmosphere heavier, especially as it moves into the second half. And the second half is just… crazy in the best way: the suspense ramps up, you think you understand the characters, and then the film shows you there’s still more hiding underneath. This one isn’t for everyone, and I don’t even mean that as a flaw - just a heads-up. If someone only enjoys fast, commercial storytelling, they might call it boring, but if you like getting fully absorbed into a strange, slow-building mystery, you might be completely invested like I was. ​