User reviews

Refreshing Indian low-budget hits all the marks for a quality production - great acting, perfect script, A+ atmosphere & photography. The sense of dread throughout was a nice change of pace. The Indian rainforest as well as the magnificent ancient house were the true stars of the film, really making a don't-miss all by themselves. It's IMPOSSIBLE not to love the visuals amongst the rainforest backdrop.

No annoying bickering, audio or lighting issues. Just sit back, relax & enjoy a well-made film for a change. It's a contender in that regard - high standards. And it is mostly in English as well so you don't have to read the movie.

To be honest, the horror elements didn't impress me & the story wasn't that interesting. But the authenticity of the jungle natives was cool. And the whole thing was very believable so you could just go along for the ride.

The movie captures the location and settings of rural, interior eastern mountain ghats and jungles of Bihar like never before. It captivates the audience right from the start and probably holds them till the end. Full marks to Cinematography and the DOP. Use of lights was done exceptionally well in the constrained budget. Actors were decent although there wasn't much scope for performance given the weakest link of the movie - script and screenplay. It's an average story described in a stale way, thus leaving very little for the actors. Overall, the movie does succeed to haunt you in some parts.

The director takes you through a journey of events with a group of travellers stranded in the middle of nowhere near the eastern ghats of India in 1985. Zthe series of events follow a storyline of the travellers, the days they spend in an abandoned guest house and the aftermath.

The story is very well supported with the awesome cinematography and sound design. More than some of the jumpscares, the director has focussed on making you fell eeire through the music and the setpiece. Its more of an environmental horror.

These kinds of movies are very rarely made in India and I wish more and more movies are made in this genre.

From the very start, this so-called horror movie seemed determined to redefine the genre-not by evoking fear or suspense, but by delivering an unrelenting onslaught of dullness. The plot, if you can call it that, meanders aimlessly through a series of clichés and predictable scares that are more likely to elicit yawns than screams.

The characters are as flat as the dialogue they spout, offering no emotional investment or reason to care about their fates. Our supposed protagonists are nothing more than walking stereotypes, devoid of depth or personality. Their interactions feel forced and unnatural, making it impossible to root for or even remember them once the credits roll.

The film's pacing is glacial, with long stretches of nothing happening. When something finally does occur, it's telegraphed so far in advance that any potential shock is lost. The scares, when they come, are tired and unimaginative-think creaky doors and shadowy figures that any seasoned horror fan has seen a thousand times before.

Visually, the movie is equally uninspired. The cinematography lacks creativity, sticking to a drab color palette that only enhances the overall sense of monotony. Even the special effects, which one might hope could redeem the lackluster plot, are subpar and occasionally laughable.

To top it all off, the soundtrack is forgettable, failing to build any tension or atmosphere. It's as if the film is content to merely exist, without striving to engage or thrill its audience in any meaningful way.

In conclusion, this horror movie is a masterclass in how not to make an engaging film. It fails to deliver on every front, leaving viewers more likely to fall asleep than be scared. Save yourself the time and look elsewhere for your horror fix.

This is film making at its best which shifts your thoughts, emotions, feelings, and senses into the space and time of the narrative.

This movie IS NOT like yet other cheap horror flick whose entire goal is to use special effects and sounds to jolt you off into spams of shock.

This slowly releases a spider to you and you start by getting the sting, then the scratch, and you feel the pain spread until it hits you that it is all happening under your skin. And grip of fear becomes palpable.

A great movie after a long long time. A must watch. It is best recommended to watch it in a hall otherwise in a dark room with great speakers.

Film Review: Jungle Mahal : The Awakening Streaming free on YouTube!!

I happened to stumble upon this one ( literally 🙂) during one my YouTube searches. This film is a brilliantly made horror film directed by Arunava Choudhary.

Loosely based on true events & set in the 80's during the peak of the Naxalite uprising , a group of 5 travellers find themselves stranded in the dense jungles somewhere in Bihar & are forced to take refuge in an abandoned forest guest house in the middle of nowhere. As time passes, strange things start happening and it becomes a matter of survival for our protagonists.

The film has been shot with a retro theme which adds to the charm of this period flick. Dense eerie jungles, a dilapidated bungalow, oil lit lamps, old black and white photographs go a long way in showcasing the nostalgic look of a bygone era and at the same time beautifully create a feeling of horror and unease as the film progresses. Doesn't rely on blood & gore at all and yet manages to send a shiver down ur spine !!

Cast of the film ( mostly unknown !! ) Deserve a special mention - Masoomeh Ab · Aditya Baliyan · Farhad Khairy · Suraiya Parvin · Amit Raina · Prashant Shinde.

Somehow such brilliantly made films that r on par with Cult Classics like " The Blair Witch Project" or " Paranormal Activity" never seem to do well or find an audience here in India .. a travesty indeed!! Probably absence of big names in the starcast also ends up pulling the film down 😔

If you r a true horror film buff then u will definitely find this enjoyable!!

Going with 3.5/5 for this... Adios 🙂!!

#sanjuzzreviews #junglemahaltheawakening #Junglemahal #arunavachoudhary #youtube #horrorfilm.

The story and plot both are amazing one of best Indian horror movie I have ever watched .. Sanjeev (lead actor) I watched first time but liked his acting. Actresses who did Maria and Neelama both did great...Ramu's dialogue was great at end of movie" kya mai apke sath aa skata hun saab". The overall story.. shooting location.. music and direction work is amazing....the movie is based on true stories and looks like shot at real location. I recommend to watch the movie if you are true lover of horror movies... seems all cast is new but amazing work done by director and all actors...a must watch movie...

Well,i think that this movie is Horror thriller and full of suspense. Arunava Chowdhary has executed this movie in good order and the Dialogues in the movie were excellent. The timing of music and the scare scenes were all excellent.

I didn't really know that was this movie was based on real event, if it was in found footage format the merit of this movie would've been sky-high .

All the characters were amazing and i think this movie is Masoomeh's turning point in her career. I request you to watch this Horror,thriller movie and Analyse how the parallel cinema is making efforts to improve there art in these kind of the movies.

Now a days Indian Horror movies are made of full length comedy movies with very very few elements of Horror..Top director like RGV also failed to come up with pure Horror flick.. This movie made my day. I am big fan of horror movies and at last got a pure Horror movie after some time.

The story itself started in a unique way and all through the length it will keep the watchers sit tight holding breath. The ambiance suited well for the story. BGM took the movie to the peaks. Horror elements will make u jump from ur seats. These scene will elevate the horror aspect and justify the real devil's act.

All the actors and actresses done their best. I believe that the Director planned everything well before. Seems he executed his imaginations as it is on screen and it went excellent. This flick is a really watchable and undoubtedly enjoyable.

Constantly something creepy happening on the screen and you don't have any time to catch your breath. Out of all the horror movies I've seen this is one of the few that actually had a scene that caught me off guard. I think it is a pretty scary horror movie which you can enjoy safely with your family as there are no explicit scene. Furthermore, you can experience something unusual watching horror movie set in Kolkata. I really recommended this film for those that love horror film. If I have to give a score for this film as a horror I would rate it 10 out of 10. Give this trailer a try first...

This movie is one of the best horror movies released till date, it matches the level of "Raaz" and "Bhoot" in production values, screenplay and direction.

Not many songs to distract, no item songs, straight to story and location is great, jump scares are enough, a good message is also delivered. However reviews of a movie can't justify the experience of individuals tastes as our mind keeps on changing it's views on every information.

Though I learned 1 thing after watching a lot of movies, if you have a lot of expectations, hardly any movie an fill that, if you just want to get entertained any average movie can fill that.

The summary says it all. What a relief from the other horror movies making its rounds. This was one of the most enjoyable movies I have seen this year, and I'm sure everyone else will fell the same way.

Masoomeh Ab ...wow, what can i say. She is so talented and not to mention beautiful. If her solid performance in Junglemahal does not boost her career, noting will. Aditya Baliyan was excellent as well. Director Arunava Chowdhary have registered his name well with this movie, it was a shocker when I came to know this was inspired from some real events .

On a whole, a wonderful movie, that for once, has you guessing till the end. A must see!

This is the best horror movie ever I have seen and this movie is like a Hollywood movie. You have to travel with the movie otherwise you will not understand. Cinematographer has done a great job and big kudos to art director. Director Arunava Chowdhary narrated the story very well. He proved he was a technical guy.

Masoomeh Ab has given her best performance for this movie. And the hero of the film Aditya Baliyan proved that he is a talented actor also Suraiya Parvin done her great job. I think this is very first time a horror movie came in Hindi without comedy and dances. Once again Kudos to the team..

Another thriller by the Hindi Parallel Cinema, and they dont fail to deliver! This movie is destined for great things!!! Not at all predictable, this thriller keeps you on the edge of your seat and guessing the entire time.

In a nutshell the movie is about a young people who travelled to a haunted house for reaserch . And things they encounter during their journey and the hidden threats they should face .

Excellent performances by both the male and female leads . The supporting actors were pretty decent too. This is a movie thats worth spending your time to watch, so hurry and catch it, you wont be disappointed!

This is probably the best horror movie I have ever watched. Junglemahal is even comparable to the Hollywood blockbuster "The Conjuring". It deserves such greatness. I really congratulate all the team,cast and crew of the movie. The story is very well built and organized and it is been shot so well in realistic places .

The music part played a great role to make the audience feel the presence of a ghost. I really appreciate the captain of the ship,director for his efforts to make such a brilliant movie. And last but not least i guess Bollywood is competing with Hollywood by making such grandeur films. I am feeling proud to be a Indian.

The opening shots, grippy editing and camera handling makes this movie to stand out from the other so called ghost thrillers that are being made in Hindi cinema. As soon as the movie began, the plot was very clearly presented to us and so the intention of the director.

The detailing is very good as it provides everything in the first half but we are left clueless about what they are relating to actually. We can get the clear view only in the second half. The acting of the lead characters are very crucial in this movie and they did their part very well. BGM and editing deserves special mention as they made this very gripping. Masoomeh Ab did her part very well.

Overall, it is a very well made thriller which deserves our attention. Must watch Horror Thriller.

Finally a Hindi movie that will give us sleepless nights. It is par with Hollywood standard. Lead actor's of the film Aditya Baliyan is at his best, Masoomeh's support to the lead was nice to watch, Suraiya Parvin was natural and was really impressive. Technically everything was perfect, makers have left no stone to make a perfect edge of the seat Horror. Background Score needs to get special mention. Storyline, Editing, Direction all were so gripping that we can't even afford to miss any scene. Arunava Chaudhary, the Debuting Director done a fabulous job and the movie speaks the hard work done by makers. Do experience it in Big Screen. The House Next Door is Highly Recommended.