What Is Aval About?
The premise of Aval in 332 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the tranquil Rosina Valley, a modern home perched on a ridge becomes the quiet meeting point for two families whose lives are about to intertwine. The house, surrounded by mist‑shrouded hills and ancient wells, carries an uneasy stillness that suggests histories hidden beneath its walls. When the D’Costa family moves next door to the home of a respected neurosurgeon, the simple rhythm of daily life begins to ripple with subtle, unsettling currents.
Dr Krishna is a celebrated brain surgeon whose calm, methodical disposition masks a curiosity that draws him into the unknown. Beside him, Lakshmi offers steady warmth, balancing his rational world with the tenderness of a growing family. Their new neighbors, the D’Costas, are anchored by Paul, a pragmatic father, while his teenage daughter Jennifer—known as Jenny—radiates restless energy and a daring edge that sets her apart. The couple’s household also includes Joshua, a solemn figure called upon for spiritual guidance, and Dr Prasad, a psychiatrist whose keen mind bridges the gap between science and the uncanny. Together, the characters create a mosaic of perspectives, each reacting differently to the subtle disturbances that begin to surface.
The film’s tone is a slow‑burning blend of domestic drama and lingering dread, where ordinary moments are tinged with an atmospheric suspense. Shadows linger in corners, the wind carries faint echoes, and the valley’s natural beauty feels both protective and foreboding. The narrative invites viewers to feel the tension between the comfort of routine and the prickling sense that something unseen watches from the periphery, hinting at a lineage of unresolved anguish.
At the heart of the story lies a revenge‑seeking spirit whose connection to one of the families adds a layer of mystery that challenges the characters’ reliance on rational explanations. As the households navigate their intertwined lives, the presence of this lingering force creates an undercurrent of intrigue, compelling each person to confront the fragile boundary between the tangible world they know and the hidden forces that may be shaping their fate.
What Happens in Aval?
The complete story of Aval, from the first scene to the last, in 1,023 words (about 4 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 6 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
In a quiet flashback to 1934, the film opens with a tender, domestic life shared by a mother and her daughter, setting a haunting mood that threads through the rest of the story. Fast forward to 2016, where Dr Krishna [Siddharth], a celebrated neurosurgeon, and his wife Lakshmi [Andrea Jeremiah] enjoy a peaceful life in a handsome house high in the Rosina Valley. Their neighborhood harmony is disrupted when the D’Costa family moves into the house next door. Jennifer D’Costa [Anisha Victor], known as Jenny, is a bright but rebellious teenager who nonetheless adores her family and her half-sister Sarah. Jenny and Sarah quickly strike up a friendship with Lakshmi, and Jenny is soon drawn to the charisma of Dr Krishna, whose calm presence stands in stark contrast to her stormy impulses.
A dinner invitation brings the two families closer, but the evening takes a strange turn when Krish, as he is affectionately called, notices Jenny disappear into the house and leaps into action to pull her back from danger in a well. This early incident foreshadows a string of unsettling events. Jenny’s defiant streak expresses itself through smoking and risky behavior, and during one stealthy moment she scavenges belongings from a deceased person. Her behavior becomes increasingly erratic as she sleepwalks toward a cliff edge, only to be saved yet again by Krish and Paul [Atul Kulkarni], the D’Costa family’s father. The situation prompts a cascade of professional help: Krish refers them to his psychiatrist friend Dr Prasad [Suresh], who conducts a hypnotherapy session. Jenny reveals that someone is urging her family to abandon the house and suddenly begins speaking in Chinese, a clue that something more ominous lurks beneath the surface.
Dr Prasad diagnoses paranoia with disturbing visual and auditory hallucinations and recommends an exorcism, arguing that paranormal forces may be at play. Paul, uneasy with the idea of spiritual intervention, brings in Pastor Joshua [Prakash Belawadi] to perform the rites. The exorcism reveals three ancient Chinese spirits haunting the home: a bloodthirsty male entity and a mother-daughter pair who want the family to leave without trouble. Jenny appears to respond to the ritual, yet the cost is steep: Joshua sustains injuries and falls into a coma, while Krish and Paul are also hurt. The house’s atmosphere intensifies, and a sense of looming danger settles over Lakshmi as she discovers she is pregnant.
Normalcy is short-lived. Paul’s housemaid vanishes, and Krish and Lakshmi notice escalating paranormal disturbances in their daily lives. Paul uncovers troubling evidence from the house and calls in the psychic from before, who confirms the presence of the mother and daughter spirits and directs them to leave. They also locate skeletal remains near a cliff, alongside the body of the male spirit. As the sinister history begins to surface, Dr Prasad’s curiosity deepens; he learns that there is a village witness who can illuminate the house’s past—a woman who survived the events eighty years earlier. Krish and Prasad meet the old villager, who uncovers a brutal tale of black magic practiced by a man named Lu Wei.
According to the elder, Lu Wei tried to perform a ritual to guarantee a male offspring, but the ritual was interrupted. In a cruel twist, Lu Wei lures his own daughter and sacrifices her instead, an atrocity witnessed by his distraught wife, who stabs herself and her unborn child. Grief and rage drive Lu Wei to take his own life by drowning in the same well. The old lady also reveals that all of this unfolded on a rare solar eclipse day, and another eclipse is predicted to occur the following day.
Back at home, Krish and Prasad’s quiet reflection is interrupted by Lakshmi’s plea for help with Jenny, who is possessed once more. When Krish and Lakshmi arrive at Jenny’s house, Lakshmi surprisingly locks Krish in a room, and the truth comes to light: Joshua has awakened from his coma with a chilling revelation. He explains that during Jenny’s exorcism, it wasn’t only Jenny who was possessed; Krish himself had been possessed by Lu Wei’s spirit. Lu Wei’s influence would resume its work and target Sarah, hoping Lakshmi would bear a son who might fulfill Lu Wei’s dark prophecy. It is revealed that Krish, under possession, had already killed Dr Prasad, and the danger intensifies as Krish fights for control.
The struggle culminates in a dramatic confrontation: the Chinese spirits intervene, overpower Krish, and dispel Lu Wei’s spirit from Krish’s body as the solar eclipse ends. Krish returns to his true self, but the battle leaves scars on the family and their neighbors. In the aftermath, a few years pass and the close-knit circle remains neighbors, though the shadow of the past lingers. Lakshmi and Krish go on to have a son, and Jenny and Sarah continue to play with him, their friendship enduring amid the memory of what occurred.
The closing shot lingers on the newborn boy’s eye, which slowly shifts to reveal twin irises—a chilling hint that the bloodline may carry darker forces. The film thus closes on a provocative, ambiguous note: the family seems settled and safe, yet the final image suggests that the peril from Lu Wei’s possession may have left a mark that could surface again in the future. The story blends family drama with supernatural dread, weaving a tale of inherited trauma, haunted houses, and the uneasy line between protection and danger.
- Siddharth carries the central medical and supernatural tension as Dr Krishna, a character whose calm demeanor masks a deeper, otherworldly invasion.
- Andrea Jeremiah gives life to Lakshmi, a steadfast partner and mother whose calm grace becomes a anchor and a target as the past resurfaces.
- Anisha Victor embodies Jennifer/Jenny, a rebellious, impetuous teen whose risky curiosity unlocks the secrets buried in the house.
- Atul Kulkarni portrays Paul, the practical, skeptical neighbor whose search for truth heightens the horror.
- Prakash Belawadi brings the eerie authority of Joshua, the exorcist whose presence marks the turning point of the haunting.
- Suresh plays Dr Prasad, the psychiatrist who bridges science and the supernatural, guiding the investigators toward a deeper history.
Aval Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
14 key events in the order they happen, from “Past happiness in 1934” to “Ending twist: the boy's eyes”. 14 events name a place, across 14 locations.
- 1
Past happiness in 1934
The film opens in 1934 with a mother and daughter enjoying a carefree life in their home in Rosina Valley. The scene establishes a warm, intimate family dynamic before the shadows of the haunting advance. Their happiness hints at a history buried in the house.
When:1934 Where:Old family home, Rosina Valley
- 2
Present life in Rosina Valley
Fast forward to 2016, Dr. Krishnakumar, a successful neurosurgeon, and his wife Lakshmi live a peaceful life in their mountain house under Rosina Valley. The routine is gently disrupted when the neighboring D'Costa family moves in, bringing a troubled teenage girl into their orbit. A sense of unease begins to creep into their otherwise quiet life.
When:2016 Where:Krish and Lakshmi's home, Rosina Valley
- 3
D'Costa family moves in
The D'Costa family moves into the next house, which had belonged to the previous residents years ago. Jenny, though rebellious, forms a bond with Lakshmi and spends time with her. Jenny's charm masks a deeper restlessness that unsettles the adults.
When:2016 Where:Next-door house, Rosina Valley
- 4
Krish saves Jenny from the well
During a dinner visit, Krish saves Jenny when she lunges toward danger by jumping into a well. Krish's calm presence earns her tentative trust, while Jenny's wild streak grows fiercer in small, unsettling ways. Her behavior hints at something more sinister beneath her rebellious surface.
When:2016 Where:Well near the houses
- 5
Cliff edge incident
Jenny sleepwalks to the edge of a cliff, and both Krish and Paul intervene to pull her back to safety. The incident deepens the adults' concerns as they notice increasingly strange behavior. The danger threads through their daily life in the valley.
When:2016 Where:Cliff edge near the house
- 6
Prasad's hypnotherapy and diagnosis
Prasad conducts a hypnotherapy session with Jenny after she reveals a mysterious presence guiding her. The therapist's assessment points to paranoia with visual and auditory hallucinations, yet a pattern suggests something supernatural at work. He recommends monitoring and potential exorcism.
When:2016 Where:Prasad's clinic
- 7
Exorcism begins
Paul contacts Pastor Joshua to perform an exorcism, uncovering three ancient Chinese spirits haunting the new house. Jenny seems cured after the session, but Joshua is gravely injured and Krish and Paul are also hurt in the process. The spirits reveal themselves as a mother and daughter who want the family to leave.
When:2016 Where:Paul's house
- 8
Strange disturbances and skeletal remains
After the exorcism, life appears to return to normal, but tension rises as Lakshmi discovers she is pregnant. Paul uncovers disturbing evidence at the house and confirms the supernatural presence; skeletal remains show a brutal past on the cliff edge.
When:2016 Where:Paul's house and cliff edge
- 9
Old village witness and backstory
Prasad and Krish visit an elderly village woman who knows what happened eighty years ago. She recounts Lu Wei's black magic, an attempted kidnapping, and a girl sacrificed to fulfill a twisted ritual for a male heir. The fanatic ritual ends with Lu Wei's wife killing herself and a final drowning in the well, on a solar eclipse day.
When:80 years ago (1934), solar eclipse day Where:Village, near the well
- 10
Solar eclipse omen
The elder reveals that a rare solar eclipse occurred on that day, and that a similar eclipse is due the next day. Krish and Prasad realize the present case may be tied to the same dark omen, heightening the danger to Jenny and the baby.
When:the next day following the 80-year-old eclipse (present day) Where:Village/near the well
Show the other 4 events of Aval Hide the last 4 events
- 11
Krish possessed
The next day, Lakshmi locks Krish in a room at Jenny's house, and Joshua wakes from his coma to reveal that Krish is possessed by Lu Wei's spirit as well as Jenny's possession. The malevolent influence intensifies as they prepare to protect the unborn child. The events point to a deeper connection between Krish's past rescue and the haunting.
When:the day after the eclipse (present day) Where:Jenny's house
- 12
Climax: destruction of the possession
Krish fights the possession, but the evil influence drives him to target Sarah. The Chinese mother-daughter spirits intervene and, as the solar eclipse ends, destroy Lu Wei's spirit within Krish, restoring him to himself. The threat to the family subsides as the eclipse passes.
When:end of the solar eclipse Where:Inside Krish and the house
- 13
Epilogue: a quiet neighborhood grows
A few years later, Krish and Lakshmi remain neighbors with the D'Costa family and have a son. Jenny and Sarah continue their friendship with the children, and the valley seems peaceful on the surface. The memory of the past lingers, but life goes on.
When:a few years later Where:Rosina Valley neighborhood
- 14
Ending twist: the boy's eyes
The final shot lingers on the baby's eye, which shifts to show double irises, implying a possible demonic legacy tied to the events in the story. The film leaves an eerie hint that the bond to Lu Wei may not be fully severed. The family looks toward an uncertain future with a haunted omen in their midst.
When:present day (a few years later) Where:Home, family scene
Who Are the Main Characters in Aval?
6 characters, among them Joshua (Prakash Belawadi), Paul (Atul Kulkarni) and Jennifer 'Jenny' (Anisha Victor): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- J(
Joshua (Prakash Belawadi)
Played by Prakash Belawadi
A seasoned exorcist called to assist with Jenny's symptoms, he embodies moral ambivalence as the ritual unfolds. He suffers injuries during the exorcism and slips into a coma, becoming a catalyst for revelations about the house’s haunting. His eventual awakening is tied to the uncovering of Lu Wei’s long-ago crimes and the spirits’ influence on the living.
- 🕯️ Exorcist
- 🛡️ Protector
- P(
Paul (Atul Kulkarni)
Played by Atul Kulkarni
A protective father who initially resists outside help, yet becomes a driver of the family’s fight against the haunting. He uncovers disturbing evidences in the house and pushes for answers, even as the danger escalates. His actions anchor the community’s response to the supernatural threat.
- 🧭 Rationalist
- 👨👧 Family man
- J'
Jennifer 'Jenny' (Anisha Victor)
Played by Anisha Victor
A troubled yet loving teenager whose rebelliousness masks a deeper vulnerability. Jenny’s sleepwalking and possession reveal the house’s dark legacy, and her bond with Lakshmi and Krish makes her central to the family’s fight against the spirits. Her experiences highlight the effects of the past on the present generation.
- 🧒 Rebel
- 👧 Daughter
- DK
Dr Krishna (Siddharth)
Played by Siddharth
A successful neurosurgeon who becomes entangled in the haunting as Lu Wei’s spirit inhabits him. His medical mind collides with the supernatural, and he becomes an ambiguous conduit between science and superstition. His struggle to distinguish healing from possession drives the film toward its dramatic conclusion.
- 🧠 Doctor
- 🧭 Cautious ally
- L(
Lakshmi (Andrea Jeremiah)
Played by Andrea Jeremiah
Krish’s wife and a pregnant, stabilizing presence in the family. She navigates the growing disturbances while supporting Krish and Jenny. Lakshmi’s role becomes pivotal as she uncovers the truth about the house and the danger facing her unborn child.
- 🤰 Expectant mother
- 👩🏻 Neighbour
- DP
Dr Prasad (Suresh)
Played by Suresh
A psychiatrist who diagnoses Jenny’s paranoia and later pursues the deeper mystery behind the house. He partners with Krish and the old woman to reveal the lunar eclipse-linked tragedy and Lu Wei’s human sacrifice. Prasad’s efforts place him at the heart of the investigation and the darkest events.
- 🧠 Psychiatrist
- 🤝 Ally
Where and When Is Aval Set?
Aval is set in Rosina Valley, D'Costa House, the well and the cliff (1934, 2016). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
1934, 2016
The film unfolds across two time periods: a tragic 1934 incident that sets the house's dark history in motion, and the present-day 2016 storyline centered on a successful neurosurgeon and his wife. The house in Rosina Valley carries long-buried secrets that resurface when Jenny and the family settle in. The two eras form a cycle of possession, vengeance, and the possibility of redemption.
Where
Rosina Valley, D'Costa House, the well, the cliff
Rosina Valley serves as the quiet, mountainous backdrop where the D'Costa family moves in next to Krish and Lakshmi. The D'Costa House, with its long-buried secrets, becomes the epicenter of the haunting, while the well and nearby cliff frame the historical tragedy of 80 years ago. The setting blends serene domestic life with eerie, supernatural disturbances that escalate through the story.
- 🌄 Valley setting
- 🏚 Old house
- 👻 Haunted locations
What Are the Themes of Aval?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Haunting, Secrets and Possession.
-
01
Haunting
A haunted house and its surrounding locations are inhabited by three ancient Chinese spirits. The haunting manifests through Jenny’s behavior, the exorcism, and the violent disturbances that threaten the living. The spirits’ interruptions force the characters to confront a hidden past that refuses to stay buried. The supernatural presence ultimately drives the plot toward a climactic confrontation.
-
02
Secrets
The village history and the house hold long-buried truths about Lu Wei and a failed sacrificial ritual. Investigations by Dr. Prasad and the old woman uncover the truth behind the bones, the well, and the eclipse that marked the tragedy. The revelation reframes the present danger as a consequence of past choices. These secrets bind the present to a violent, fated history.
-
03
Possession
Possession threads through Jenny, Krish, and ultimately Krish’s own peril as Lu Wei’s spirit inhabits him. The danger is not only external but internal as the line between healer and vessel blurs. The climax centers on a battle to free the living from the dead’s control when the solar eclipse ends. The possibility that a child could be born under such dark influence hints at genes and fate interwoven with supernatural forces.
What Kind of Film Is Aval?
Dark in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Ambiguous
A steadily building supernatural horror film that creates an ominous and claustrophobic atmosphere, filled with psychological dread and disturbing revelations about a family haunted by a malevolent ancestral spirit.
- haunting
- ominous
- anxious
- claustrophobic
- sinister
- unsettling
- supernatural horror
- possession
- family trauma
- exorcism
Content notes: child sacrifice, suicide, exorcism, possession, graphic supernatural violence.
Quiz
How well do you remember Aval? Test yourself on the story.
