Adbhut Movie Review:  The trailer for Adbhut boldly proclaimed it as 'The Most Shocking Film of the Year'. That moment sets the stage for a film to either rise to or fall short of the lofty expectations its promotional material promises. The fact that Adbhut bypassed both theatrical release and OTT platforms in favour of a straight television premiere suggests that even the makers weren’t confident about their promise (Adbhut had premiered on Sony Max). While the film initially showed promise, by the time it drags itself to the finish line, that potential is thoroughly squandered by its lacklustre execution and an utter absence of genuine scares. ‘Adbhut’ Trailer: Nawazuddin Siddiqui Conjures Up Chills in Sabbir Khan’s New Horror Thriller.

Aditya (Rohan Mehra) and Shruti (Shreya Dhanwanthary) are a married couple who have relocated to Anantwan, a hill station. It’s clear from the outset that their marriage is on the rocks despite their luxurious surroundings. As if that weren’t enough, they soon begin to experience supernatural occurrences in both their home and workplace.

Enter Gajraj (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), a brilliant detective hired by the couple to uncover the truth behind the strange happenings. This decision immediately raised a red flag for me—why would they hire a detective instead of going to the police? Gajraj’s investigation leads him to a mysterious woman, Mary Mathews (Diana Penty), who is also known by another identity, Anjali Malhotra.

Watch the Trailer of 'Adbhut':

So, what's the deal with Mary Mathews/Anjali Malhotra? Why does she have a vendetta against the doctors? One claims to know her as a family friend, while the other feigns ignorance. This forms the central mystery of Adbhut, though the horror elements make only sporadic appearances.

'Adbhut' Movie Review - Sabbir Khan's Direction

Adbhut is directed by Sabbir Khan, a director known for launching Tiger Shroff into Bollywood. The filmmaker had made movies like Kambakkht Ishq (the one that had someone fart on Amrita Arora's face), Heropanti (the one where Tiger Shroff turns 'constipation' into a punchline), Baaghi (the one that launched a franchise which might rescue Jr Shroff's now standstill career), Munna Michael (the one where even Tiger Shroff gave up on Sabbir Khan) and Nikamma (the one where Sabbir Khan tried to find a Tiger Shroff substitute in Bhagyashree's son).

A Still From Adbhut

With Adbhut, Sabbir Khan tries to blend horror and mystery genres but ends up delivering a film reminiscent of Vikram Bhatt’s Haunted and 1920 days. Unfortunately, it’s not the right era for this kind of dated filmmaking, especially when audiences can easily access far superior horror content from the West on OTT platforms.

'Adbhut' Movie Review - The Investigation Track Generates Curiosity, Horror Sucks

Despite my reservations, I was intrigued by the central mystery and wanted to see where the film was headed. I have a soft spot for investigative dramas, no matter their quality, and as long as I can’t guess the third-act twist, I’ll stick with a film until the end. So, credit to Adbhut for keeping my curiosity piqued for most of its runtime.

A Still From Adbhut

It helps that the investigative portions are more engaging than the horror scenes. After all, how many flickering lights, pale veiny faces, squeaky doors, and moving beds can one endure before wishing Bollywood ghosts would find new ways to scare us rather than just ruin electrical appliances? At times, Adbhut even veers into unintentional comedy. No offence to the actors involved, but I couldn’t help but chuckle whenever the characters were forced into awkward paranormal chases. Nikamma Movie Review: Abhimanyu Dassani and Shilpa Shetty Can’t Save This Tedious Remake of Nani’s Middle Class Abbayi.

A Still From Adbhut

Sadly, it doesn’t matter whether Adbhut is a better investigative drama or horror film - it ultimately falls flat. The climax is an exhausting barrage of ghostly action, followed by an equally tiring soap opera-style drama, all leading to a limp conclusion. There is a sub-track involving Vikram Gokhale's character, who keeps popping up to offer Gajraj advice. There was a twist to this character in the end, but I am not sure if that twist was even intended - the very first appearance of his character kinda clears the air about what he is.

'Adbhut' Movie Review - The Performances Pass Muster

When the screenplay and direction fail to engage, the cinematography tries to pick up the slack by using Dutch angles at every "scary" moment. There’s even a scene where the camera tilts vertically to show a character walking downwards instead of forward, a bizarre attempt to make things look peculiar.

The performances are mostly average. The heavy lifting is left to Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who, despite delivering a lukewarm performance by his standards, is still watchable. Shreya Dhanwanthary shines in her scenes, but the film strangely sidelines her character for significant portions. Rohan Mehra and Diana Penty are serviceable, though nothing remarkable.

'Adbhut' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

In the end, the only 'shocking' aspect of Adbhut is how it squanders a good premise to become such a hackneyed and forgettable movie. Even the great Nawazuddin Siddiqui could do little to save the day here, and that has been a problem with some of his recent releases.

Rating:2.0

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 18, 2024 10:37 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).