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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Andhera Season 1 review: Supernatural thriller flies high on ambition, low on chills
Andhera review Cast: Priya Bapat, Karanvir Malhotra, Prajakta Koli, Surveen Chawla, Vatsal Sheth, Parvin Dabas, Pranay Pachauri Director: Raaghav Dar Star rating: ★★ No one, as far as I can imagine, wants to be left alone in this world. It is the fear of abandonment, yes, but also the fear of not being understood that drives us to be seen and heard. These are primary, urgent impulses that today's youth are concerned about. Andhera, the latest horror/sci-fi entry on Amazon Prime Video is concerned about the traumas and anxieties of the youth and their capacity to be understood in a world that is largely growing distant. It is the manifestation of these internal fears that this show is concerned about. Great on paper, but unfortunately, that does not translate on screen as Andhera walks within a timid, misguided circle of what is scary. Andhera review: Karanvir Malhotra leads the new horror show, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The premise Andhera, which translates to darkness, starts off with quite a promise. The seedy lanes and corridors of Mumbai at night trace back to the frantic cries of a distressed woman running away from something, and seeking help from a certain Dr. Prithvi, inside a hotel room. That is of no avail as a dark matter emerges from the walls, creeps up to her, and seemingly, engulfs her. This leads to an almost failed police investigation, but Inspector Kalpana Kadam (Priya Bapat) is reassigned to the case, and this leads her to the woman, named Bani Baruah, who was presumed to have fallen, mysteriously, from the hotel window. In a parallel track, we also track the recurring hallucinations that Jay Sheth (Karanvir Malhotra) keeps having about the same woman and a sinister force of darkness that comes alive. It will be revealed that his brother Prithvi (Pranay Pachauri) is in a coma- and that Jay's visions are, incidentally, linked to the disappearance of Bani. Jay gets in touch with Rumi (Prajakta Koli), a YouTuber with a show on paranormal presence in Mumbai- a track only the makers can make sense because I failed to do so. Together, they have their own search for what this 'andhera' means, and whether it is a bigger threat than what is imagined. What doesn't work Andhera is clearly ambitious in its concept and design. Created by Gaurav Desai, Andhera sprawls over a range of characters and is interested in exploring the space between supernatural horror and sci-fi. The catalyst for these ideas to land is, however, thinly imagined, where this central entity of this 'andhera' and whether this can be pulled into create another realm of human unconsciousness. To land these ideas, it needed a tighter, more ruthless script that could push these characters to their extremes so that Jay's fear and emotional disconnect, in particular, would feel palpably real. It is not just internal horror but even external forms of fear as well, and the show seems heavily disconnected in cracking where to draw the line between the two. Even as Ketan Sodha's brooding music is quite effective here, the show quickly crumbles under its own weight. Chances are taken, but is that all there is to Andhera? Final thoughts In a show where there is an element of suspense and intrigue, the viewer is already two steps ahead in calculating what might arrive next. In Andhera, Bani's disappearance is the focal point, and the viewer is not kept in secret about the fact that there are threads which will connect her case to Prithvi, and then to this healing centre called Aatma (herein comes Surveen Chawla as the manager, in a thankless role). The point is, by the time the show connects these dots and arrives at the conclusion, the plot is lost in overwrought thrills and thankless suspense. The subtext of mental health issues, which starts from Jay's anxieties and panic attacks, leads nowhere after a point. It goes from a missing person case to a missing context case. The looming dread of AI is somewhere in the close vicinity, mainly with the experiment that Andhera focuses on later on, but even that is not given any vitality. The horror fails to land. The ambition starts to feel misplaced. Fear is a very valid emotional response today, given the amount of misinformation, displacement, and violations that take place in the world around us. Is it not scary to see where the world is headed, driven by capitalism and greed? Of course it is. It appears that Andhera started off somewhere in these discussions and amalgamated into a stagnant mess, after which there were no answers. Andhera drags on, testing your patience.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Andhera Season 1 released on OTT: When and where to watch Prajakta Koli, Surveen Chawla's supernatural thriller
Synopsis Andhera, a new supernatural horror series, has premiered on Amazon Prime Video. The show stars Priya Bapat, Karanvir Malhotra, Prajakta Koli, and Surveen Chawla. It follows an investigation into a young woman's disappearance in Mumbai. The series explores a sinister force beneath the city. All eight episodes of Andhera Season 1 are available for binge-watching.
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Andhera Season 1 released on OTT: When and where to watch Prajakta Koli, Surveen Chawla's supernatural thriller
Synopsis Andhera, a new supernatural horror series, has premiered on Amazon Prime Video. The show stars Priya Bapat, Karanvir Malhotra, Prajakta Koli, and Surveen Chawla. It follows an investigation into a young woman's disappearance in Mumbai. The series explores a sinister force beneath the city. All eight episodes of Andhera Season 1 are available for binge-watching. Andhera Season 1, starring Prajakta Koli, Surveen Chawla and Priya Bapat, is currently streaming on Prime Video. Andhera , the upcoming supernatural horror-investigation series, is all set to take audiences into a world of eerie mysteries and chilling secrets. The show features Priya Bapat, Karanvir Malhotra, Prajakta Koli, and Surveen Chawla in lead roles. The show is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, and it's going to be an interesting watch over the long weekend. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the makers announced that Andhera Season 1 is out. It started premiering on August 14 at 12.00 am, will all eight episodes dropping at one. This binge-friendly release format gives viewers the chance to dive deep into the story without waiting for weekly drops. — PrimeVideoIN (@PrimeVideoIN) Set in Mumbai, the series Andhera explores the unsettling events triggered by the mysterious disappearance of a young woman, gradually unravelling a sinister force hiding beneath the city's glamorous exterior. With a gripping narrative, intense performances, and a dark, atmospheric tone, the show aims to deliver a thrilling experience for fans of the elements of supernatural horror and investigative drama, Andhera follows Inspector Kalpana Kadam (Priya Bapat) and Jay, a medical student (Karanvir Malhotra), as they join forces to uncover the truth behind the disappearance. But as their investigation progresses, they find themselves entangled in a terrifying mystery that pushes the boundaries of logic and reality. Besides the lead cast, the show also features Vatsal Sheth, Parvin Dabas, and Pranay Pachauri in key roles. During the trailer launch, Prajakta shared that she was immediately drawn to the world of Andhera. She described her character as bold, impulsive, and often questioning the unknown, while also being emotionally impacted by the unexplainable. Directed by Raaghav Dar and backed by Excel Entertainment, led by Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, Kassim Jagmagia, Mohit Shah, and Karan Anshuman, Andhera season 1 also features a gripping screenplay by Gaurav Desai, Raaghav Dar, Chintan Sarda, and Karan Anshuman.
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First Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
Prajakta Koli and Surveen Chawla's 'Andhera' web-series review: It's more than just a horror show
Credit must be given to the makers to put together all their ideas and mix it into one show. Even when it overstays its welcome and is marred by inconsistent vein, Andhera ultimately feels like a tolerable attempt Cast: Priya Bapat, Karanvir Malhotra, Prajakta Koli, Surveen Chawla, Vatsal Sheth, Parvin Dabas, Pranay Pachauri Director: Raaghav Dar Language: Hindi Prime Video's Andhera begins with a couple's homily conversation on a CGI-coded beach that soon morphs into the show's first jump scare. We get another one before the opening credits begin to roll, and by the time we reach the third episode, the total goes up to 786 with little exaggeration. It's hard to describe what the show is aiming for since the makers bite more than they can chew. It has multiple pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that creator Gaurav Desai and director Raaghav Dar try to intertwine with hit and miss results. But they do try to legitimize the moniker by keeping things in the dark, both for the characters and the viewers. And there are endless conversations about how they feel darkness around them. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A bruised Priya Bapat who's investigating the case of a missing girl has visions about her traumatic past that leads her to the omnipresent Surveen Chawla. An encounter supposedly for healing exposes her sexual identity. The social subtext is handled with care and restrain. The other piece of this puzzle is Karanvir Malhotra, who's battling depression and PTSD. He's terrorized by an evil spirit whose screeches bring back memories of Vikram Bhatt's endless 1920 franchises. There's Prajakta Koli, (almost) playing herself, called Rumi. Given the noir splashed on us, this name suggests she could be the only character to lighten up the scene. The idea to keep the frames gloomy is unquestionably intentional. They are mostly bathed in blue, and all the spots are soulless set-pieces, be it a children's healthcare or a police station or a content creator's workplace. People in Andhera don't use electricity purely to make sure they are able to justify the name of the series. Unlike Prime Video's Khauff, which was more brutal and visceral in its telling, this one aims for a Bollywoodized treatment that adds jump scares more for effect than impact. And given the changing and evolving landscape of horror, especially with Together and Weapons recently, Andhera, despite the heightened ambitions, gets dwarfed in the crowd only because of its inability to decide what tone to adapt to. That's not to say it's a sore thumb. The idea to create a concoction and cocktail of mental health, sexual identities, supernatural, and horror is as ambitious on paper as it's on screen. The creepy yet crackling visuals accompanied by a daunting background music, especially towards the end of episode three, give the show the mood it needed and deserved. What takes away the essence of the narrative is the ill-timed humour. A scene where Rumi and Jay invite the evil spirit is so Jaani Dushman-esque that you yearn for Raj Babbar's hysterical expressions while calling Manisha Koirala's Divya with all his eroticism. The long-lost Kavin Dave makes an appearance that feels straight out of I Hate Luv Storys. There are some glaring cliches too. Two male police officers deride a female cop for what else but her gender. She has a cringe cohort that cracks lunatic jokes. But the real issue here is the big reveal! Why he did what he did! It could be acquired taste. It's not your usual revenge saga. It has to do something with human consciousness and immortality. After ticking the boxes of horror, comedy, whodunnit, Andhera makes an endeavour to veer into the space of sci-fi. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Credit must be given to the makers to put together all their ideas and mix it into one show. Even when it overstays its welcome and is marred by inconsistent vein, Andhera ultimately feels like a tolerable attempt. But do you know how it feels when you feel a film or a show that could have been so much more ends up being middling? DARK! Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars) Andhera is now streaming on Prime Video
