Jatadhara Review: Sudheer Babu’s Supernatural Thriller Fails to Engage

There hasn’t been much buzz around Jatadhara, but Sudheer Babu made a last-minute effort to draw attention to the film through promotions. Let’s see how it fares.

Story:

Shiva (Sudheer Babu) explores various haunted places, hoping to capture paranormal activity on camera, but always fails. One day, a shocking incident at home changes his life when he discovers that his parents (Rajeev Kanakala and Jhansi) are actually his foster parents.

Performances:

Sudheer Babu doesn’t have much to do in the first half except wander around looking for ghosts. His character gains some importance only in the final act, where he performs a spiritual ritual. The Shiva Tandavam sequence is decently choreographed, but the overall role lacks heroism or emotional depth.

Sonakshi Sinha, making her Telugu debut as Dhana Pisasachi, appears mainly in the climax. She impresses with her screen presence, but the role doesn’t allow her to do much.
Divya Khosla, playing Sudheer Babu’s archaeologist girlfriend, seems miscast and doesn’t fit well beside him. Naveen Neni’s role as the friend is negligible, while Srinivasa Avasarala delivers a routine performance. Shilpa Shirodkar and Ravi Prakash get slightly better roles, but Rajeev Kanakala and Jhansi are limited to formulaic parts.

Technical Aspects:

On the technical front, there’s little to appreciate apart from the production design. The cinematography, background score, and visual effects are below par, and the editing is even weaker. The writing lacks creativity and fails to engage. The film features two songs, neither of which adds value or impact.

Highlights:

• None worth mentioning

Drawbacks:

• Unconvincing storyline
• Boring narration
• Weak lead characterization
• Amateurish direction

Analysis:

Jatadhara is directed by two filmmakers, yet surprisingly, both seem to lack a basic sense of storytelling. The direction feels raw and unpolished — often worse than a low-budget short film.

For instance, in one unintentionally funny scene, Sudheer Babu watches breaking news on his phone, turns the phone toward someone beside him — but when the shot ends, he’s alone. It perfectly sums up the film’s clumsy execution.

The romantic subplot is another example of poor writing. Sudheer Babu meets an archaeologist in one scene, and by the next, she’s already his girlfriend talking about losing him — without any emotional buildup or logic.

After a series of such random and illogical moments, the film finally reveals its central idea — the concept of Dhana Pisachi and Nagabandhanam, an ancient ritual tied to hidden underground treasure. While this could have been intriguing, the screenplay fails to explore it effectively.

Sudheer Babu’s character remains shallow, repeating the same ghost-hunting routine in the first half. The second half tries to add depth with a flashback and Sonakshi Sinha’s character, but by then, the audience is already drained by the dull, disjointed narration.

It’s difficult to understand what made Sudheer Babu choose a script that offers so little scope for performance or heroism.

Bottom Line:

Jatadhara is a tedious, poorly executed supernatural drama that tries to hide weak storytelling behind forced spiritual and mystical elements — but ends up collapsing under its own confusion.