Khauf Review: Patriarchy haunts more than a ghost in this meticulous horror drama

Khauf Review: Story: In the dark underbelly of Delhi, minus the aesthetic cafes and people, exists Pragati Women’s Hostel, where four women have been spending months in captivity. Something stops the four girls, played by Priyanka Setia, Chum Darang, Riya Shukla, and Suchi Malhotra, from stepping out of the hostel ever since they lost their friend Vicki (Aasheema Vardaan)—an evil spirit, they say. One fine day, Madhu (Monika Panwar) comes to Delhi from Gwalior and moves into the haunted room. Herself a sexual assault survivor, now Madhu must not just fight the ghost of her past but a literal one too. Amid all of this is a self-proclaimed doctor, aka Hakim (Rajat Kapoor), who wants to exploit Madhu and the spirit in her to extend his life.

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Khauf Review:

In the day and age where “trend” is the most hated word and “algorithm” is soon going to be classified as an explicit term, it takes one good script that breaks the cookie-cutter and works as a brick that shatters the notion that content is being curated on at large. It is away from the genres that are mass popular, far from being palatable for a large audience, yet served with so much conviction that everyone will at least give it a try. Whether or not they continue till the very end is subjective. Well, it is a very sad note to begin the review for a horror show that has a majority of seasoned actors. But look around you on the streaming space—what exactly is not sad right now? Well, Amazon Prime Video this week has offered a beacon of hope with a show that works as an antidote to every algorithm-fueled show and should be on your watchlist already. We are talking about Khauf. Meanwhile, watch Churails and Dhoop Ki Deewar on Zee5 for your monthly dose of Pakistani dramas.

Created by Smita Singh (writer on Sacred Games and Raat Akeli Hai) and directed by Pankaj Kumar (DOP on Atrangi Re, Tumbbad, Lagaan, Rangoon) and Surya Balakrishnan (Kheer), Khauf is a script that was written to be converted into a show that was not just about ghostly horror but the horror of mere existence. And if you are a woman, the horror of being one is also something that becomes the core highlight. The show, spread across eight episodes of around 40 minutes each, is a masterclass in how a story must grow, travel, and transition without really screaming into the viewer’s face. It is not preaching to you anything, it is not just full of jump scares, and no one has to crack a joke in a tense situation. It can survive without trying, and that is a great victory for a script.

Khauf is about a bunch of women who represent us. A mother worried about giving birth to a girl child again because the family wants a son, a girl from the North East harassed because she looks like someone from the North East, a woman assaulted because she said no to a man, a girl physically assaulted by the warden of her school hostel—having a tough time even using the washroom alone. These aren't fictional problems elevated to create drama, but are about people around us. The dominant bat that patriarchy gives patriarchal men—and they feel hitting people, especially women, with it is their birthright—is what Khauf looks at with a very meticulous lens.

The narrative in Khauf, of course, is about a woman who is possessed by a ghost we have no idea about. But then the ghost she lives with—of the past—is no less dangerous and scary. The beauty of Khauf lies in that very fact. The story doesn't need a ghost to be scary; the lives these women are living and representing are even scarier. A visual of a burnt ghost feels less scary than the visual of a woman being scared to take a subway or a bus ride. Men throwing themselves at women as if they were born with a green card to touch them. Khauf excels when it makes sure it never makes all of this preachy.

So it always creates grey characters. While being harassed every point of the day by men and by a ghost at night, these women are still strong and can hold their fort without a man to their rescue. The only man they trust at one time is trying to exploit them even more. Enter the stellar Rajat Kapoor and Geetanjali Kulkarni. These two could play a table and still be the best actors in that frame. Smita, who has a knack for including elements that are rooted in the story but are actually otherworldly, does it yet again with Khauf. Rajat eats the souls of young women to stay alive. The balance of how much mystical element will keep the story grounded is taken care of so well that you will fall in love with it.

It captures women across all age groups. It makes sure every character has an arc, and there is so much more to Khauf than the basic blueprint. I am sure at some point in my life I may revisit this show just to decode things that I may have missed. Priyanka Setia, Chum Darang, Riya Shukla, and Suchi Malhotra are brilliant actors, and we need to see more of them soon. Shalini Vatsa is effortless, and there is an ease with which she plays the warden very impressively.

Of course, I am not going to talk about the ghost because we are entering spoiler territory. But Khauf is much scarier when it is away from the ghost—and that is a victory. Director Pankaj Kumar’s expertise in cinematography is visible in how uncomfortable he makes one feel with the framing, lights, and the lack of it. However, Khauf never takes us deeper into the life of the Hakim to know what he is exactly up to. It leaves a lot about him hanging, with no sign of returning to him.

Khauf Review: FinalVerdict

What happens when a properly cooked script meets a bunch of supremely seasoned actors? Shows like Khauf are born, and they teach how ‘content’ is done without an algorithm. Khauf takes you to the most uncomfortable space and leaves you there for some moments, only to make you realise a fictional ghost is much less scary than the life some of us are living.

Khauf is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.