Typewriter Review

Directed by Sujoy Ghosh and co-written by him and Suresh Nair, 'Typewriter' is set in the quaint town of Bardez in Goa, the centrepiece of which is the haunted Bardez Villa. More than two decades after Madhav’ death, his granddaughter Jenny (Palomi Ghosh) moves from Mumbai along with her husband and two children. The family moves into Bardez Villa and the quiet Goan town starts ratcheting up a high body count. Three seemingly natural deaths take place in quick succession, all of whom have one thing in common: Jenny. As the police led by inspector Ravi Anand (Purab Kohli) begin their investigation, a precocious group of four children – Sam (Arna Sharma), Nick (Aaryansh Malviya), Gablu (Milkail Gandhi) and Bunty (Palash Kamble) – start a parallel probe into the mysterious past of the villa and its erstwhile resident novelist. A shape-shifting ghost turns out to be on the loose, spilling blood in Bardez after assuming the form of Jenny. Competing for villainy with the supernatural entity is Amit Roy (Jisshu Sengupta), a shadowy character who wants to get his hands on Madhav’s typewriter.

'Typewriter' comes off as an Indian riff on Stranger Things and The Haunting of Hill House. We got extremely strong Stranger Things vibes. It’s not exactly the same — here’s it’s little kids chasing ghosts in the present day, not teens dealing with monsters in the ’80s — but the similarities were evident.

With a group of kids as protagonists in many respects, it does feel more like a family adventure than a classic horror series. It does work pretty well though, and it’s funny to experience their little insights. Though it lacks chills, Typewriter keeps the plot twists coming, and Sujoy Ghosh’s experience with the thriller genre comes in handy in this regard. Palomi Ghosh is perfectly mysterious in her dual role as Jenny, playing both the haunter and the haunted. The usually easy-on-the-eye Purab Kohli pulls off the look of a dowdy police officer who could desperately use a hair cut and a shave. The children provide the series some fun moments and the leader of the brat pack, played by Aarna Sharma, puts in a charming performance. The short running length and the element of intrigue makes Typewriter an easy binge, but the series would have worked much better if it had more haunting and less hunting into the past.