Shambhala Review: Aadi Saikumar shines in a supernatural thriller that keeps you hooked

Shambhala Review: Aadi Saikumar's devotional thriller has enough thrills that are executed decently. The film is devoid of commercial aspects and keeps you engaged

Shambala Review

Shambhala Story

Shambhala is set in the late 1980s in the small town of Shambhala. After a meteor crashes into the village, a series of supernatural events begin to occur, and a scientist, played by Aadi Saikumar, arrives to study the situation. Things take a crazy turn when an evil spirit starts entering the bodies of different villagers and bizarrely killing them. The rest of the story revolves around how the scientist handles the situation and restores peace to the village.

Shambhala Review

Shambhala has been written and directed by Ugendhar Muni and was in the news for its interesting trailers. Well, is it worth all the hype? Yes, it is. Right from the word go, there is a sense of tension that the director creates in the setup. The way he has linked science with supernatural powers is quite interesting.

It has been quite a long time since we have seen Aadi Saikumar in a good film, and Shambhala does justice to his talent. Rather than opting for a commercial plot, he chooses a film where he plays a character and goes with the mood of the film.

One of the biggest assets of the film is the thrills that have been showcased. The way the evil spirit enters the bodies of different villagers, and the science behind it, is narrated in a solid manner. There is hardly any episode that bores the audience.

Director Ugendhar sets things up quickly and does not waste time establishing characters or settings. He gets right into the story and unleashes the conflict point right away. The last fifteen minutes before the interval have been narrated solidly and set up the pace superbly for the second half.

The best part of the film is the justification given to each character. There are no padded scenes or songs that disturb the flow of the film. Having said this, there are a few scenes that look staged.

The heroine's character and her devotional touch do not sit properly in the narrative. This aspect should have been handled more emotionally. The manner in which Aadi's character changes from an atheist to a God-loving person looks a bit rushed.

The second half is quite racy, and the thrills showcased are gripping. The manner in which the villagers get possessed one after the other is handled effectively. The climax of the film, and the way the evil spirit is freed, are also handled well. A few predictable scenes in the first half could have been handled better.

Coming to the performances, Aadi Saikumar delivers a natural act. He plays his role perfectly and never dominates the scene. Archana Iyer is decent, but her role should have been etched better.

Ravi Varma is neat in his negative act, and Shiju gets a decent role. Annapurna, Madhu, and others are impressive in their respective roles. Swasika gets a brief role, and she is good.

Sricharan Pakala has composed the music for the film, and he elevates the proceedings with an impressive score. The production values are top-notch, as the period setup is handled well.

The VFX is neat, and so are the dialogues. The editing pattern is clean, and director Ugendhar does well to hold attention without deviating from his point, making the proceedings flow smoothly.

Shambhala Verdict:

On the whole, Shambhala is a well-made supernatural thriller with effective thrills. Barring a few predictable scenes, the Aadi Saikumar starrer makes for an interesting watch this weekend.

Also Read: Shambhala: Cast, budget, runtime, and OTT platform, all you need to know about Aadi Saikumar starrer

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