Kritanti
Four close friends—Anita, Ravi, Arjun, and Meera—are looking forward to an adventurous vacation, planning to drive through scenic routes with music, laughter, and perhaps a little mischief. But their carefree road trip takes a dark turn when, spotting a police checkpoint on the highway, they impulsively follow a GPS detour. The detour seems simple enough, leading them to a quieter, forested road beside the highway. But after one wrong turn, they find themselves deep in an uncharted jungle as dusk approaches, with no cell signal and an increasingly uneasy feeling.
Desperately trying to find their way back, they stumble upon an old sign for a place called Kanipulanka, and a glimpse of a village down the hill. Reluctantly, they decide to seek help there, but the path is eerie and silent, lined with the burnt remains of buildings and charred signposts, hinting at a tragic past. Meera and Anita urge the group to leave, but Arjun insists they press on, hoping to find assistance. As they reach the village’s edge, they pass a graveyard that feels disturbingly alive, but they push forward, too anxious and tired to turn back.
As night falls, they are drawn to a crumbling mansion with vines choking its walls and a broken holy rope around its door. A haunting, hypnotic melody from inside beckons them in. Despite their growing dread, the friends enter, thinking they might find someone who can help. But instead, the shadows close in around them, whispering secrets of a horrifying past.
Inside the house, they come across an ancient diary, which tells the story of Kritanti, a powerful witch whose thirst for vengeance consumed the entire village. Banished for practicing forbidden black magic, Kritanti cursed the village after her family was brutally killed by the villagers. Her spirit, bound by powerful spells, remains imprisoned within the house, but an unknown intruder has recently broken the seals, freeing her to haunt anyone who dares to enter her home.
As they read, the house itself seems to awaken, trapping them within its walls. Doors slam shut on their own, the windows seal, and an icy wind extinguishes every light they attempt to ignite. The friends are hunted by strange shadows and ghastly visions, each encounter revealing more about the witch’s tragic and violent past. One by one, the friends experience terrifying encounters with Kritanti’s spirit, who appears in twisted, decayed forms, using their fears and memories against them. When they try to leave, the house itself resists, pulling them back into its haunted corridors.
In a desperate attempt to escape, Ravi discovers the holy rope that had been broken at the entrance. He realizes it can weaken the spirit’s power and protect them if they can make it to the temple beside the river. Together, they plan to reach the temple by dawn, the only time the river is calm enough for their escape. But time is running out, and the witch’s power grows stronger as night wears on.
They make a frantic dash through the haunted village, chased by the relentless spirit. Just as dawn breaks, they reach the temple, but not all of them make it unscathed. Anita and Meera manage to escape, barely clinging to life, while Ravi makes a last-ditch effort to save Arjun, who has disappeared, seemingly dragged back to the village by Kritanti herself. The friends, traumatized and exhausted, finally make it to the riverbank and find a raft.
As they drift downriver to safety, they believe they’ve escaped the horrors of Kanipulanka. But as they take a final glance back at the haunted village, Anita catches a reflection in the water—a shadowed, twisted face lurking just behind her, a silent reminder that the witch’s vengeance has only begun.