Jatadhara Review: Sonakshi Sinha Drowned in Sudheer Babu’s Supernatural ‘I-Scream-Fest’

The supernatural thriller, which introduces Sonakshi Sinha as the terrifying ‘Dhana Pishaachini,’ is hailed as an all-out effort for Sudheer Babu but is ultimately ruined by its messy, overstuffed plot and the wasted potential of its talented cast.

November 7, 2025: The pan-Indian supernatural thriller Jatadhara, starring Sudheer Babu and introducing Sonakshi Sinha in a formidable new avatar, has premiered with critics pointing to a convoluted narrative that undercuts its sincere efforts and strong visuals.

Directed by Venkat Kalyan and Abhishek Jaiswal, the film attempts to weave together AI, ancient myths, ghost-hunting, and family drama, resulting in an “overloaded” experience.

Plot and Performance: A Mixed Bag

The film kicks off with an AI-generated flashback leading to the introduction of the demonic entity ‘Dhana Pishaachini’ (Sonakshi Sinha) and the ‘Pishaacha Bandhan’ myth. The central figure is Shiva (Sudheer Babu), a businessman who doubles as a skeptic ghost hunter, driven by a recurring, murderous dream.

Sudheer Babu’s Effort: The film is described as an “out and out Sudheer Babu film,” attempting to showcase his entire range—from emotion and romance to action and dance. While the actor “looks sincere in his efforts,” the disproportionate blend of genres spoils the final product.

Wasted Talent: A major point of criticism is the underutilization of key talent. Sonakshi Sinha, despite being visually presented like never before as the Pishaachini, is reduced mostly to “screechy screams,” with her character’s beauty being ironically stripped away by the writing. Seasoned actress Shilpa Shirodkar and Divya Khossla (in a special appearance as an archaeological researcher and Shiva’s romantic interest) are deemed to have “absolutely nothing to offer.”

The core plot revolves around Shiva decoding his dream, learning a truth bombshell about his real parents, and taking on the uphill task of overpowering Dhana Pishaachini’s evil spell.

Direction and Technical Flaws

Directors Venkat Kalyan and Abhishek Jaiswal are criticized for being “in a hurry to infuse everything possible” to make the narrative gripping. The review concludes this approach backfired, describing it as a “mess” and a “clear case of ‘Two many cooks spoil the plot’.”

Editing and Music: The film’s editing is called “not at all on-point,” with an “totally thrusted” item song and a cameo by producer Shivin Narang cited as glaring wastages that should have been removed. While the background score adds value, only the ‘Pallo Latke’ (remix) track has any recall value.

VFX and Cinematography: Technical aspects fare better, with the cinematography helping to gain “a few brownie points,” and special mention given to the VFX creators for walking “that extra mile” to bring the ambitious narrative alive.

The film, originally made in Telugu and subsequently dubbed in Hindi, is noted to have a difficult path to success with the Hindi-speaking audience due to its convoluted and uneven delivery.