In the demonetisation-themed (2020), Amruta Subhash’s character has a fit when she hears about the note ban. Subhash is brilliant in this scene, covering a gamut of emotions in mere minutes.

The highly mobile face that can switch expression without warning, the ability to summon complex emotions, the power to create empathy – Subhash’s protean talent gets the platform it deserves in Jarann. Much of the impact of Rushikesh Gupte’s Marathi movie is down to the choice of Subhash for the lead role.

Gupte’s Jarann (black magic, or bewitchment) attempts to reorient the horror genre. Subhash plays Radha, who has been living under a dark cloud since her childhood. Ganguti (Anita Date), who is deemed a witch, dooms Radha to life-long misery. Given whatever befalls Radha in her adulthood, Ganguti’s curse appears to be working.

A recent mishap in Radha’s life has compelled her to consult the psychiatrist Dhananjay (Kishor Kadam). Ganguti’s malevolent influence reasserts itself when Radha visits her ancestral house along with her daughter Saie (Avanee Joshi). Ganguti follows Radha and Saie back to their own home, pushing an already high-strung Radha further to the edge.

Cinematographer Milind Jog and editor Abhijeet Deshpande are in perfect sync, conveying Radha’s perilous situation though creeping camerawork and judicious transitions....