Pindam Movie Review

Pindam, the horror drama starring Sriram, Kushee Ravi in key roles is gearing up for a grand release for December 15. The film marking the directorial debut of Saikiran Daida is produced by Yeshwanth Daggumati under Kalaahi Media. After making the right noises with the trailer, teaser, song and other promotional material, the film wrapped its censor formalities this week. The CBFC has granted it an A (adults only) certificate.

Surprisingly, the makers were asked for several cuts despite getting an A certification, which generally isn’t the norm. Meanwhile, the team has released a strict disclaimer stating Pindam is strictly not advisable for pregnant women. The revelation has contributed to the curiosity around the film. The film, based on a true incident in Nalgonda, revolves around a middle class family trapped in a house possessed by spirits.

Srinivas Avasarala and Eswari Rao essay other pivotal roles in Pindam and the aggressive promotional strategy has helped the film hog the limelight since the last few days. The team braved past several supernatural occurrences through the shoot and practical issues and yet wrapped up the filming before schedule. The director has stated that Pindam is a straightforward horror drama without any forced cinematic liberties.

The film unfolds across multiple timelines – 1930s, 1990s and the present-day scenario. While Krishna Saurabh composes the music, Sathish Manoharan has cranked the camera.

Roja Poolu, Aadavari Matalaku Ardhale Verule fame Sriram, Kushee Ravi are teaming up for a horror drama Pindam, directed by a debutant Saikiran Daida. Yeshwanth Daggumati of Kalaahi Media is the producer. After encouraging responses to the first look, teaser and the song – Jeeva Pindam – the trailer of the film was launched today. The film is releasing in theatres on December 15.

The trailer commences with a discussion between Srinivas Avasarala and Easwari Rao on spirits, if people after their death can harm others lives. The story shifts to a 90s backdrop when Anthony and his family move to a mysterious house. The house has a past they’re unaware of and the family is soon affected by a series of eerie events. Two children hear strange conversations from one another.

The parents and the grandma are naturally worried and do their best to protect the children. After a spirit healer enters the house, she confirms that the house is affected by multiple spirits and asks the family to take care of the younger child. They need to protect their child before the ‘mahalaya amavasya’. A dialogue suggests regardless of one’s efforts to destroy something, they can’t restrict its internal power.

Pindam lives up to the ‘scariest film’ ever caption with its engrossing trailer that pleases horror enthusiasts with intriguing drama, thrills and a chilling backstory. The aesthetics of the film are certain to be a major attraction, with the cinematography, unique lighting techniques, music and sound design contributing to its appeal. One also can’t wait to watch the gripping premise, performances on the screen.

Pindam will unfold across three timelines – present-day scenario besides dating back to the 1930s and 1990s. Ravi Varma plays another crucial role. Saikiran Daida, Kavi Siddartha have written the story while Satish Manoharan is the cinematographer. Krishna Saurabh Surampalli has composed the music and Shirish Prasad is the editor. Jashuva and Vishnu Nair are the stunt director and the art director respectively.

Roja Poolu, Aadavari Matalaku Ardhale Verule fame Sriram, Kushee Ravi are pairing up for a horror thriller Pindam, directed by a newcomer Saikiran Daida. Yeshwanth Daggumati of Kalaahi Media produces it. The first look, teaser and the song from the film have released to encouraging responses from audiences. Ahead of its release later this month, the makers shared interesting insights into its making with audiences.

Director Saikiran Daida on his experiences:

I was inspired to write this story based on a gruesome incident narrated by my grandma and felt the horror genre was the best way to interpret it on screen. The script took great shape with time. I and Kavi Siddartha ensured that there’s a scary block every 10 minutes and we stayed true to the genre. The screenplay developed organically.

I am someone who generally doesn’t scared easily, but after noticing a few eerie incidents on set, my perspective changed. There was some practical problem every day since we began the shoot, so much that we had to take a ‘dishti’ of the set in which we were shooting. Despite that there were multiple setbacks, but we all rose above it to make a thrilling film.

Casting child actors wasn’t easy at all, our executive producer ensured I got everything I asked for. Extracting performances from children during the nights were difficult. Easwari Rao’s dates were an issue but we still managed to shoot as per schedule. Making a horror film is a challenge technically and we had a capable team who were driven by a single vision.

Sriram on why Pindam is a true horror film:

Pindam was one of the best experiences I had on a set. The director was very clear about what he wanted and made us feel comfortable. Generally, filmmakers dilute the horror genre with a lot of unnecessary commercial elements and songs but he stayed true to the story. All of us were committed to make a film that’ll genuinely scare crowds. There was one particular scary incident where Easwari Rao garu would’ve almost lost her eye. The film will keep audiences invested in the storytelling and offer many surprises.

Srinivas Avasarala on his learning curve with team Pindam:

I said yes to Pindam after watching a short film – Smoke – that I really liked. I am always excited to work with young directors and teams. More than watching films, working with such teams provides you a new perspective to the craft. I found Pindam to be a learning curve and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity. Screenplay is always the backbone of any film and Pindam will surprise you.

Kushee Ravi on how she prepped for her role:

I was really excited about the idea of working for a horror film. I play a pregnant woman in my segment set in the 90s and I had to put on weight to look my part. For a change, I could forget my diet, eat well and be healthy while I came to the set. I had to look like a woman from a different decade who’s slightly plump. The ambience of the set was also scary and it helped me get into the mood of the film.

Kavi Siddartha on co-writing the screenplay with the director:

Pindam is a script that has beautifully evolved with time and we liberated the story for it to flourish and take interesting turns. Times may change, but the grammar of a script won’t and one must adapt to varying tastes to develop a good script. The film will offer a refreshing experience to audiences.

Meanwhile, cinematographer Satish Manoharan shared that he had good sync with the filmmaker Saikiran Daida and that the team responded to the challenges of making a horror film well. Composer Krishna Saurabh expressed confidence that the film will live up to the scariest film ever caption. Pindam will unfold across three timelines – present-day scenario besides dating back to the 1930s and 1990s.

Roja Poolu, Okariki Okaru fame Sriram and Dia fame Kushee Ravi are coming together for Pindam, a horror thriller directed by a debutant Saikiran Daida. Yeshwanth Daggumati produces the film under Kalaahi Media. After wrapping up the shoot, the film is gearing up for a November release; the promotional campaign commenced recently, with the launch of the first look.

Ahead of the release, the makers have now launched the teaser with renewed enthusiasm. The teaser, which promises to be the ‘scariest film ever’ starts with a spirit healer entering a haunted house where a series of eerie events transpire. The focus later shifts to a different incident, which the healer claims was the biggest challenge she confronted in life.

In a middle class family, several negative spirits destroy the normalcy in their lives. Much like the previous incident, a child is affected and there seems to be no hope in sight. How do they get past the obstacle in front of them? Pindam’s teaser does well to pique the curiosity of the viewer, with the spine-chilling treatment, slick visuals, haunting sound design and technical finesse.

Easwari Rao’s commanding screen presence, firm dialogue delivery create the necessary tension in the glimpse while Sriram, Kushee Ravi, Srinivas Avasarala impress with their performances. Pindam will unfold across three timelines – present-day scenario besides dating back to the 1930s and 1990s.