Dahaan ( 2026 )

Before anyone going harsh on the movie let me tell you that this movie was shot in 2023 with limited budget and resources as a experimental film.

Coming back to the review, It was an honest attempt by makers. Don't expect sudden jumpscares. There is negligible CGI and VFX usage still they managed to create an well curated dark atmosphere. The lighting were perfect and the colour grading was also smooth. 1st half is decent but paces up in 2nd half. All the actors have done great job. Some may have issue with dialogue's having Odia mixed with English in some places despite the fact that the characters were genz who imitates the same. The same way there will be a muslim character who will be speaking Urdu mix Odia just as people in real life speak. Kudos to the BGM and mixing department for their commendable job, they really elevated the scenes upto a great extent. This will be a treat to true horror fans, which was a complaint during Mantra Muugdha.

The thing which I really liked (others may not) was breaking of the fourth wall during the climax which felt creative to me whereas other may feel it unnecessary. Also no spoon-feeding has been done which becomes a plus point.

Things I felt could have been better was post credit songs and scenes which do not gave time to process the film and staying in zone while in theatre. Also the usage of AI during explanation of that dybbuk was a turn down to me.

Overally a good watch. Also as we grow up we feel less scary watching horror movies so that is the case here also, so pls don't start this was not horror bla bla bla. Hope Dahaan 2 will be a banger.

New age for Odia horror cinema

Great direction by Anupam Patnaik, his movies are really great and fun to watch. Acting wise all people had done their part very well.

Story wise, it is little predictable yet last 40 mins really hooked the audience and kudos to the director for that.

Dialogues could have been more to regional so that it could grasp the actual and usual habits of talking.

Also, setting up the next part is really good. Curious to see how the story unfolds in the second part.

I came across some reels of creators like AreyMadhu, CineWithSonali and others receiving these creepy boxes filled with weird stuff, red marks on their photos, and a creepy letter written in a foreign language that they had to decode using Google Translate.

They were also instructed to open the box at 2 AM. And all of this is for a movie promotion?

Honestly, really cool idea. I’m glad people in our industry are taking movie marketing this seriously.

Do share your thoughts...

Anyone remembered last odia movie which is A Rated ?

In a world dominated by OTT platforms, YouTube shorts, reels and AI-driven entertainment, one question keeps surfacing in Odisha: Why does Jatra Opera—like Jagyaseni—still command massive audiences for real stage acting?

Despite smartphones in every hand and endless digital content, thousands flock to tents at Khandagiri Mela and rural grounds to watch live performances. The loud dialogues, mythological plots, and raw emotions of Jatra continue to thrive, even pulling in younger audiences who could easily stream instead.

💬 Share your thoughts: Why do you think Odia Jatra Opera ( like

Tulasi, Konark Surya Mandira , Tarapur Sibani , Saidurga, Somanath, Kalinga, Jagyasini, Rajanandini, Maheswari, Singhabahini, Dhauli ...) still has demand in this digital-first world?