Plot
The village of Salbardi, a quiet and remote settlement in Maharashtra, is plunged into fear when young boys, each the only child of their parents and all below the age of ten, begin going missing one by one, only to be found dead.
Police Inspector Manorama Pradhan is assigned to investigate the killings. Determined and sharp-witted, she arrives in the village and begins methodically working through the case despite mounting resistance, both from locals whose beliefs are steeped in superstition and from political power brokers who would rather the truth remain buried. Her investigation leads her to the dark interior of an old mansion, where she begins unravelling a dangerous web of power games, deep-rooted superstitious beliefs, and shocking revelations that expose the true nature of the village's influential elite.
When the mystery is finally solved, the culprits and their accomplices are brought to justice, but not before the investigation forces a reckoning with the ugliness that silence, corruption, and fear can breed within a tight-knit community.
Release and reception
Salbardi was officially announced in January 2026 and released theatrically on 17 April 2026. The film's teaser was released on 2 March 2026, followed by the official trailer on 4 April 2026, both of which generated attention on social media. Its box office opening was reportedly poor, with limited theatrical shows. The film was later released on Amazon Prime Video in mid-May 2026.
Critical response
Critical reception for Salbardi was mixed to negative. While Pooja Sawant's lead performance was widely praised across reviews, the screenplay and direction were criticized for lacking engagement and emotional depth.
Santosh Bhingarde of Sakal gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "The director has shown in this story that despite how advanced science is today, the habit of superstition is still rooted in villages." Sujit Shirke of Lokmat also awarded 3 out of 5 stars, stating that "Salbardi succeeds in creating interest due to the acting of the actors"
