Apthamitra

Ramesh and Ganga are a married couple who relocate to Mysore to purchase an ancient palace, despite the objections of his uncle, Shivananda, and the family elders. The elder insists that the sealed first-floor room must remain untouched, a condition that casts a wary shadow over the new household. The couple are joined by the uncle’s two daughters, Vani and Hema, while a caretaker named Rangajja lives in the outhouse with his granddaughter Sowmya. As they settle in, a history of the palace begins to surface, hinting at a chilling past and a restless present.

The palace once belonged to Raja Vijaya Rajendra Bahaddur, a ruler who had a court dancer named Nagavalli from Andhra Pradesh. Nagavalli’s heart was torn between the Raja and a dancer named Ramanatha who hid behind the palace in a nearby house. When their affair is uncovered on a Durgashtami day, the Raja orders Ramanatha beheaded and Nagavalli burned alive. Before dying, Nagavalli vows that she will burn the Raja alive on the same Durgashtami day, a vow that lingers in the atmosphere of the palace and shadows every present moment.

Strange happenings begin to plague the household, and suspicion immediately falls on Sowmya, who is found near the sites of each incident. To clear the air, Ramesh calls his psychiatrist friend, Vijay, whose presence brings a new, rational lens to the unfolding mystery. However, Shivananda remains wary of Vijay’s methods, keeping a wary eye on him. Meanwhile, Vani becomes involved with an orphan dance teacher named Mahadev, who lives in the same house behind the palace. Learning of this, Vijay informs Shivananda, who approves the budding romance and its forthcoming union.

While the family is away in search of Mahadev to discuss the engagement, Ganga uses a key provided by Sowmya to unlock the forbidden first-floor room. From that moment, attempts on Ramesh’s life persist, and a mysterious force seems determined to erase any peace within the home. Each assault is thwarted by Vijay, which deepens the tension and mystery. Vani is also targeted by an unseen assailant, prompting Shivananda to call in Acharya Ramachandra Shastri, a renowned exorcist, to perform a peace ritual over the palace.

Despite his initial reluctance, Ramesh eventually agrees to follow Vijay’s guidance. On the eve of Mahadev and Vani’s engagement, Ganga accuses Mahadev of trying to molest her—an accusation that both Mahadev and Vijay deny. Anger rises in Ramesh towards Vijay, and Acharya Ramachandra Shastri urges Vijay to reveal the truth behind the haunting disturbances. Vijay then discloses a startling truth: Ganga is inhabited by the Nagavalli personality, drawn to Nagavalli’s diary and driven by a strange empathy for the dancer’s tragic history. This split within Ganga explains the recurring disturbances and the strange behavior that has unsettled the house.

As the revelation settles over the gathering, it becomes clear that Nagavalli’s spirit has latched onto Ganga with a singular objective: to kill Vijay, who had once posed as Raja Vijaya Rajendra Bahaddur on the anticipated Durgashtami day. In a dramatic confrontation in the dance hall on Durgashtami, Ganga, in Nagavalli’s persona, is allowed to burn Vijay alive. Acharya Ramachandra Shastri uses smoke and ash to shield Ganga’s face as she holds a torch, while Ramesh opens a trapdoor to enable Vijay’s escape; an effigy of the Raja is instead burned, signaling the end of the antique curse and the presumed death of the Raja’s restless spirit.

With the immediate danger past, the Nagavalli personality within Ganga withdraws, and she begins to recover. Vijay then helps Ganga regain her true self, guiding her through the psychological aftermath of the ordeal. In a quieter moment before departures, Vijay meets Sowmya in person and invites her to meet his parents if she truly loves him and wishes to marry. Their paths diverge as Mukunda, Shivananda’s elder brother, accompanies Vijay on his journey to the States, having developed a growing respect for him.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:20