Religious horror, whether we speak about classics such as William Friedkin's “The Exorcist” or more recent examples like Keith Thomas' “The Vigil”, hold an interesting premise by definition. The idea that out of the everlasting battle between good and evil or that faith can bring forth monsters able to destroy a family, is quite intriguing to say the least, shedding light on the nature of faith, but also on the relationship of faith, family and modernity. With regard to his most recent directorial effort “Kriya” writer and filmmaker Sidharth Srinivasan (“Soul of Sand”) explains how the story “was born out of an acutely personal reaction to what was happening in my country, where Hindu fundamentalism and chauvinistic religious persecution were ripping India apart”. Thus, “Kriya” becomes a story about the problematic notion of religion being an extension of images of gender and patriarchy as well as a feature which, given the tradition of the sub-genre, is defined by its unique mood between tradition and the uncanny.
“Kriya” is screening at Fantasia Festival
One night, Neel (Noble Luke), a DJ, encounters Sitara (Navjot Randhawa), a beautiful young girl, and falls for her. When the two of them are in his car, she tells him she wants to have sex with him in her home, but upon arrival, his plans for the remaining hours of the night change drastically since Sitara's family is in the middle of giving her deceased father the last rites. Even though Neel wants to leave the family on multiple times, Sitara holds him back, claiming she and her sister Sara (Kanak Bhardwaj) are in grave danger. However, while her mother Tara Devi (Avantika Akerkar) becomes increasingly irritated by the stranger's presence, even going so far as to say he is the “God of Death”, the Hindu priest (Sundhanva Deshpande) seems undisturbed by Neel's presence and even includes him in the rituals.
As the night continues and Neel is still unable to leave, he suffers from strange visions with a stranger calling his name. When eventually he is told about an ancient, evil curse which has befallen the family and which had taken possession of the body of the deceased, he realizes, he is now also part of this curse and an integral part in lifting it.
Especially to those viewers unfamiliar with Hindu traditions and rituals, a feature like “Kriya” will offer quite a lot of new and quite strange aspects. The various rules and the protocol regarding the ceremony for the deceased even seem strange to some of the characters, while it also becomes obvious, this is not just a traditional farewell to another world, but an exorcism of some sort, one which includes the whole family. With the help of the outsider's perspective, in this case Neel's, we are introduced to this setting which is both familiar, since he also lost both of his parents, but at the same time strange, and even disturbing, as the intensity of the visions he experiences increases as the ritual continues.
This blend of the familiar and the uncanny, the feeling of a vague dread infuses the story with a distinct atmosphere. In terms of its aesthetics, the images created by DOPs Lakshman Anand and Karan Thapliyal support the increasing sense of the uncanny, a certain surreal tone evident in the lighting and the framing of each shot. At the same time, it adds a level of intimacy to the story, quite fitting given the horror in “Kriya” has little to do with an external force, but more within a monster born within the strict hierarchy of the Hindu family who is at the core of the narrative.
Additionally, it is quite interesting how Srinivasan establishes the unique hierarchy, power struggles and relationship within the characters in his script. Especially Navjot Randhawa gives a fearless performance of a woman struggling between following a ritual which, as the priest says, “has to be followed, but not understood” and the devotion to her father. At the same time, her story, her dialogues with Neel and her arguments with her mother suggest a drive to be free and to divert from the fixed protocol defined by another male, an outsider.
In the end, “Kirya” is an intriguing, atmospheric horror movie placing the source of the horror in the midst of the relationship of family, modernity and (Hindu) faith. While the unfamiliar aspects of the story might take some time for especially Western audiences to get used to, Srinivasan's second feature as director shows much promise and his ability to handle a genre production which does not hold back with its social commentary.
