Trunk Review: A well-made horror film with a realistic touch

Rishika Sharma’s directorial debut is a welcome relief from all the messes in this genre we've seen lately
Trunk Review: A well-made horror film with a realistic touch

In the last few of  weeks, Kannada cinema has seen a number of horror-themed films. But only a few have been able to hit the right spot. Thankfully, Rishika Sharma’s directorial debut is one of them. It has the right mix of fear, romance and relationships to make it a gripping tale. Rishika’s Trunk is a welcome relief from all the messes in this genre we've seen lately. It makes us sit up, sometimes at the edge of the seat, and face our fears. But that’s not to say that it’s flawless. 

Director: Rishika Sharma
Cast: Nihal Rajput, Vaishali Deepak, Aruna Balraj, Sundarshree

The plot is based on the lives of Rahul (Nihal Rajput) who lives with his mother, Sussane (Aruna Balraj) in a gloomy abode after the death of his father. A filmbuff, Rahul loves horror films and often has nightmares. His girlfriend, Harini (Vaishali Deepak), lives with her mother (Sundarshree). The young couple manage to convince their families and tie the knot.

Just as Rahul and Harini are settling in life, the family experiences paranormal activities. It is later revealed that Harini is possessed by a ghost. But what is the connection between the ghost and Harini, and how does a small trunk brought in by Harini after marriage become the reason for much distress? 

The inclusion of a paranormal investigative team gives a realistic touch to Trunk, which is able to engage the audience in a believable manner. Though based on a true incident believed to have taken place years ago in North Karnataka, the psychological thriller has a contemporary setting.

Rishika’s strength is that she never deviates from the basic plot. However, a tighter edit, with fewer repeats and half-hearted elements of fear in certain sequences, would have worked even better.

The handful of artistes, Nihal, Vaishali Deepak, Aruna Balraj and Sunder Shree all perform well. In a film of this nature, the technicians have a significant role to play, and the music team (Dinesh Kumar, Albin Dominic and Karthik, Ganeshan and Pradeep) has experimented with the tunes. Cinematographer Bajrang Konatham and Sandeep Aluri have done well shooting in the dark.

For a first-timer, Trunk is a laudable effort, and Rishika seems to be a filmmaker to watch out for.

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