Jungle Mangal is a layered forest thriller set in the Western Ghats, driven by haunting performances and grounded storytelling. Read our full review to explore why this film leaves a quiet yet powerful impact.
đł Jungle Mangal Review: A Lyrical and Lurking Tale of Love, Loss & Survival
Director Rakshit Kumar crafts an evocative forest-bound thriller in Jungle Mangal, where the wilderness becomes both a battleground and a metaphor. Set in the haunting beauty of the Western Ghats during the COVID-19 lockdown, this emotional slow-burner blends suspense, psychological trauma, and cultural commentaryâanchored by deeply felt performances.
đŹ Plot Overview: Pandemic, Patriarchy, and a Loaded Gun
The film opens in a remote village under lockdown, its silence echoing the emotional suppression of its characters. At its center is Divya aka Ammi (Harshitha Ramachandra), the eldest of four daughters burdened by her father Santhappaâs unspoken disappointment over not having a son. The social strain is amplified by generational patriarchy, family expectations, and emotional isolation.
When Ammi and her boyfriend Praveen (Yash Shetty), who has been rendered jobless by the pandemic, escape into the jungle for some solace, they unwittingly spiral into a waking nightmare. Looming over them is Babu aka Babanna (played chillingly by Ugramm Manju), a self-appointed protector of the forest, whose dark obsession with Ammi becomes the filmâs emotional and psychological spine.
The film builds mystery through nonlinear storytellingâflashing between past and presentâas it weaves in themes of betrayal, ancestral guilt, and obsession.
đ Performances: Deeply Rooted, Emotionally Raw
What truly elevates Jungle Mangal is its cast. Harshitha Ramachandra offers a restrained yet deeply vulnerable performance as a woman caught in the emotional crossfire of duty, desire, and fear.
Yash Shetty balances sensitivity with masculine insecurity, while Bala Rajawadi and Ugramm Manju bring opposing male energiesâpatriarchal rigidity and violent delusion, respectively. Manju, especially, emerges as a terrifying yet pitiful antagonist, turning the jungle into a symbolic trap for womenâs agency.
đ„ Visuals & Sound: The Jungle as Character
Cinematographer Vishnu Prasad P masterfully captures the Western Ghats as more than just sceneryâitâs a character with moods. Wide, serene shots morph into shadowed, claustrophobic frames that echo Ammiâs internal imprisonment.
The score by Poornachandra Tejaswi and Prasad K Shetty avoids theatrics, opting instead for a subtle build-up of dread and melancholy. Production design feels authentic and minimal, aiding the filmâs rooted aesthetic.
â What Works
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Emotionally grounded performances, especially from Harshitha and Manju
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Atmospheric cinematography that turns setting into emotion
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Subtle yet potent social commentary on gender, power, and legacy
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Evocative direction with a strong character-driven narrative
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Restraint in storytelling, avoiding melodrama for mood
â What Doesnât
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Nonlinear storytelling occasionally muddles pacing and character arcs
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Supporting characters could have been more developed
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Some narrative beats feel drawn out without strong payoff
đ§ Deeper Themes: More Than Just a Jungle Thriller
While it may appear as a suspense story about a couple stranded in the woods, Jungle Mangal is much more. Itâs a parable about every woman navigating through the âwildernessâ of familial pressure, patriarchal disappointment, and male obsession. The gun that changes hands becomes a powerful symbolânot just of threat, but of shifting agency and buried rage.
The film dares to explore what happens when emotional repression collides with natural chaos. And when it ends, it doesnât shoutâit whispers, leaving a trail of introspection rather than just thrills.
đŻ Final Verdict
â Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Jungle Mangal may not roar like a traditional thriller, but it resonates like a thoughtful tale. Itâs haunting, atmospheric, and grounded in emotional truth, even if it occasionally meanders. A film worth watching for its performances, themes, and the haunting silence of the forest.
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