The conversation around Baramulla has turned into something much bigger than a film review. Netflix’s new supernatural thriller, set in Kashmir, has sparked a storm of opinions. Some journalists and critics are calling it Hindutva propaganda, while many viewers believe it finally tells the story of Kashmiri Pandits with honesty and sophistication. The divide is wide, and social media has become the battleground.
Directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale and starring Manav Kaul, Baramulla tells the story of a police officer investigating the disappearance of children in a haunted town. Beneath the ghost story lies a deep emotional thread about the trauma of the Kashmiri Pandit community. The supernatural angle, where the spirits of a Pandit family protect the children, adds both beauty and tension to the narrative.
This blending of politics, faith, and horror is exactly what has made the film so controversial. On X, some accuse it of turning real suffering into a political statement. Others see it as a long-overdue recognition of pain that was often silenced. Supporters praise the film’s restraint and emotional depth, saying it gives space to a story rarely told with such dignity.
If we see the story of Kashmiri Pandits then Bollywood has long been silent about it. They don’t wanna show the genocide that happened less than 4 decades ago. Shikara talked about it in a very sush manner but it was The Kashmir Files that opened up the path. However, The Kashmir Files did not bring us a sophisticated film and it was very very loud. Baramulla looks like a beginning of sophisticated narrative that the right wing of the country really needs.
What Baramulla has truly done is bring a difficult conversation back into focus. It has reminded audiences that art about conflict will always make people uncomfortable. Whether it divides or heals, the film has already succeeded in making people remember a past many had chosen to forget.