Sabdham Review: A Slick Ghost-Hunting Thriller with Some Hiccups

Director: Arivazhagan
Rating: 2/5 stars

Aadhi Pinishetty takes on the role of a paranormal investigator in Sabdham, armed with high-tech ghost-hunting equipment instead of traditional rituals. The film presents an intriguing premise—detecting spirits through sound rather than occult practices, bringing a fresh take to the horror genre. While the narrative has its gripping moments, a few inconsistencies hold it back from being a truly immersive experience.

The story follows Aadhi, who is called to a medical college in Munnar to investigate a series of mysterious suicides. Lakshmi Menon plays a skeptical lecturer and Ph.D. student researching paranormal hallucinations, initially dismissing the existence of spirits. However, as Aadhi delves deeper, he finds a link between Lakshmi, the deaths, and an eerie library that only select students seem to visit.

Using specialized tools like Magnetic Field Detectors, Thermal Lighting, and Infrared Race Cameras, Aadhi discovers not just one but multiple spirits. As Lakshmi experiences paranormal events firsthand, her skepticism fades. When the college management tries to dismiss her case as possession, Aadhi uncovers shocking evidence tied to differently-abled children, their caretaker, and a doctor (played by Simran), who is in a coma. The victims' deaths, all marked by severe ear bleeding, are traced back to an unbearable sound caused by hundreds of bats, culminating in Aadhi identifying a unique church bell sound that holds the key to the mystery.

The film begins with the tragic fall of a female student, prompting the college to seek Aadhi’s expertise. Introduced as a skilled investigator in Mumbai, he is first seen helping a child's spirit reunite with her parents before taking on the Munnar case. While his high-tech approach to ghost hunting is engaging, the film shifts into a deeper mystery as he and Lakshmi uncover the library’s haunting secrets.

Aadhi delivers a restrained yet convincing performance as the ghost hunter, maintaining composure under pressure. Lakshmi Menon does well in her role, though her character’s sudden shift from skepticism to belief feels slightly unconvincing. Redin Kingsley attempts comic relief with mixed results, while Simran delivers a poised and composed performance. Composer Thaman’s background score enhances the eerie atmosphere in certain sequences.

Director Arivazhagan deserves credit for breaking away from the usual horror tropes, opting for a more scientific approach to ghost detection rather than the traditional reliance on rituals and tantrik exorcisms seen in films by directors like Raghava Lawrence and Sundar C. However, while Sabdham introduces a fresh concept, occasional lapses in logic and execution prevent it from reaching its full potential.

The film offers a unique spin on the horror genre with its sound-based ghost investigation, but the film stumbles due to inconsistent pacing and underdeveloped subplots.