The Haunting Within: Memory, Motherhood, and Supernatural Belief in Hrishikesh Gupte’s Jarann (2025)

Abstract

Abstract

Hrishikesh Gupte’s Jarann (2025) redefines the aesthetics of Marathi horror by fusing psychological realism with supernatural belief. The film revolves around Radha, a woman haunted by memories of black magic and the emotional residue of her childhood trauma. When she returns with her daughter, Saie, to her ancestral home, Radha’s encounter with an old doll triggers visions that blur the boundaries between reality, superstition, and mental illness. The film examines motherhood, superstition, and moral fear as interconnected themes that reflect personal and collective anxieties.

This study interprets Jarann as a philosophical work of psychological horror that employs fear as a tool for self-examination and self-discovery. Using Noël Carroll’s theory of cognitive horror, Barbara Creed’s psychoanalytic feminism, Xavier Aldana Reyes’s affect theory, and Avery Gordon’s sociology of haunting, this paper explores how Jarann transforms the notion of haunting from supernatural intrusion to ethical reflection. The film’s restrained style, sound design, and moral ambiguity align with the realist and reformist ethos of Marathi films. The findings suggest that Jarann represents a new direction in regional Indian horror, where fear becomes a metaphor for the conscience, memory, and the enduring power of belief.

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