Shree Durga (2025) [Film Review]: Aparajita’s Power Performance Can't Rescue a Flawed Thriller

Pratim D. Gupta’s Shree Durga aims to fuse family drama with a hostage-thriller premise: a household invaded by armed intruders, forcing a mother to fight for her family. The set-up is immediate and emotionally charged, but the film’s inability to sustain tension and its uneven tonal choices blunt the impact.

Plot — Surviving the siege, missing the momentum

Domestic crisis meets predictable beats

Durga (Aparajita Adhya) must protect her handicapped husband, daughter, and mother-in-law when their home is stormed by terrorists. The story tracks her resourcefulness and the family’s fractured dynamics under pressure. While the premise gives the film urgency, narrative choices—abrupt developments and an overreliance on melodramatic turns—prevent it from developing into a taut thriller.

Performances — A single steady light in a dim ensemble

Aparajita’s grit vs the underused supporting cast

Aparajita Adhya anchors the film with raw intensity and emotional clarity; she is often the sole reason scenes remain compelling. By contrast, the antagonists never feel convincingly threatening, and many supporting players (including the star names attached) are left thinly sketched, unable to elevate stakes or believability. Attempts at comic relief feel out of place and undermine the peril.

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Screenplay & Pacing — Torn between drama and distraction

Melodrama and misplaced humour sap the suspense

The screenplay struggles with tonal discipline. The first half drags with unnecessary padding and inconsistent pacing, while the second half picks up sporadically but never sustains propulsion. Logical gaps and forced emotional beats undercut tension—moments that should feel urgent instead feel staged.

Direction & Tone — Ambitious intent, uncertain hand

An earnest premise handicapped by indecision

Gupta’s direction shows empathy for family dynamics but lacks the tightness a hostage thriller demands. Scenes are often staged for effect rather than tension, and whimsical or “fun” moments during crises jar the viewer. The film frequently chooses sentiment over suspense, diluting its own dramatic premise.

Technicals — Competent craft, mismatched score

Cinematography and production design are serviceable; score misfires

Visually, the film is straightforward and functional, but nothing in the mise-en-scène elevates the story’s stakes. The background score sometimes swells inappropriately—chase or high-tension sequences are inexplicably scored as if for lighter fare—further weakening suspense.

Themes — Female resilience explored, but hammered home

Good intentions, heavy-handed delivery

Shree Durga gestures toward socially resonant themes—caregiving, disability, and female strength under duress—but these messages are presented with blunt insistence rather than subtlety. When the film lets quiet moments breathe, its themes land; when it opts for didactic dialogue, they ring hollow.

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Verdict — Worth a watch for the lead, not the thrills

Strong central performance, weak surrounding architecture

Shree Durga is ultimately a film carried by Aparajita Adhya’s committed performance rather than its writing or direction. Fans of Bengali melodrama or character-focused family stories may find value, but viewers seeking a convincing thriller or a well-rounded ensemble piece will likely leave unsatisfied. With tighter scripting and a more disciplined tone, this premise could have produced genuine suspense—here it only produces intermittent heat.

Rating: ⭐⭐ (2 / 5)