Bhairadevi review: Radhika Kumaraswamy and Ramesh Aravind shine in this fantasy thriller

Bhairadevi, which stars Radhika Kumaraswamy in the lead, is a tailormade vehicle for her comeback. The film also produced by Radhika Kumaraswamy, sees her in a double act, where she gets to woo audience in two distinct shades of portrayal.

Director Shri Jai’s film might have taken a few years too long to release, but it might just be the right thing that Radhika’s fans might want to see of her.

And she has found the perfect person to star alongside her as the parallel lead in Ramesh Aravind, who excels in his range of acting and emotions.

A film with pure thrills

Bhairadevi might have been conceptualised over half a decade ago, but what remains is the fact that it keeps the frights and thrills intact. The movie has pure thrills and supernatural elements at a time when horror is almost only suffixed with the word comedy. So this offers something more unfiltered for the lovers of this genre in India.

Sure, there might have been advancement in terms of technology, but Bhairadevi has that old blend of supernatural and horror flavour mixed with some shades of Indianness and spirituality that still hits the right spot.

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A cop’s tryst with karma

Ramesh plays a senior police officer in this film, who senses something is amiss. He seeks the help of two aghoris who try to find who is trying to communicate with him. When the two aghoris get to work, they unearth a can of worms, which takes everyone by surprise.

The way the story traverses through the entire twists and turns might not entirely be dexterous or novel, but it does provide the necessary entertainment, which keeps the audience engaged.

Performances take the narrative ahead

This film belongs majorly to Radhika and Ramesh, both of who compete with each other throughout the film, making this a delight for anyone who watches Bhairadevi.

Anu Prabhakar adds a graceful and power-packed touch to the story in her extended cameo. Rangayana Raghu and Ravishankar provide able support.

Performances aside, it is music that defines the success of fantasy horror thrillers and this film has a good background score. Some of it might sound cliche to the genre, but they serve the purpose and lift the narrative.

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Final take

Bhairadevi is a reasonably good comeback vehicle for Radhika, who has been seeking that good hit to ensure she finds that footing once again in the Kannada film industry.

If you don’t mind the good old horror thrillers with a tinge of supernatural elements, then this one is right up your alley.

(Views expressed here are personal.)

(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula)