Horror is synonymous with you now. Does that help or are you under the pressure of raised expectations?
Oh yes, I know. (sighs.) Nobody else makes Horror, I am the only one. See I am like a ‘paw bhaji wala’ selling Horror to people. I understand that it is time to change. Making Horror is tough. Plan is to do unadulterated Horror even in Bollywood films, like this short film.
Can you tell us the thought behind the name of your film “Let’s Play” ?
Just that nobody wants to be lonely.
What according to you is the advantage of the short film format for such a genre?
In a normal Bollywood film, the music company funds you so that there are songs in the movie and songs mean a romantic story, story means the conflict of a story. All these dilute the fear that a Horror film in Hollywood can produce. In this short film, I have been fortunate and free to try and create pure undiluted Horror.
When did this story idea hit you?
In a flight back from London. I was there for a holiday with my daughter. When I was coming back, I was just staring blankly into space and I must have looked so horrific, even the steward got worried. That’s when this idea hit me : 4 people trapped in a house where they die one by one. We can’t really answer this question without giving the suspense away.
Is the 3D format better suited for this genre?
It depends you know, the problem with us is that you want to make a 3D film if you want things coming at us, in India specially, or else they will say ‘ Are isme to koi 3D nhi hai yaar.’ (smirks.) We don’t believe in the immersive 3D experience of course. So, how many times can you do that gimmick? So, unless it’s a tool of story telling, it doesn’t really make sense.
You said in an interview earlier: “Apart from 6-7 stars who sell, the rest is about making your own films and selling it” is that the reason the cast has no big stars?
There are some genres worldwide that sell in the absence of stars too. One is Horror. No known cast is required because when you are selling fear, people are coming to get scared. If it was a Romance, then you would need a couple to look good on screen and you would need someone like SRK to fling his arms. Even Erotica is like Horror, it sells without cast.
Romance, Thriller, Masala, Fiction, Horror- you have done it all. Which genre did you enjoy the most?
What I enjoy most is what I have not made as yet. I would request Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films, if they would fund my dream genre that is Sci-fi. I just love Sci-fi. But then, I tell my mother about Quantum Physics and the parallel universes, she just asks me to shut up and have the roti (laughs).
Do you believe in ghosts?
Yes, I definitely do. In fact, I have experienced incidents which make me believe in them.
So what are the ingredients of a good horror film?
Silence, darkness and focus on an object are three ingredients for a horror movie.
Any upcoming directional venture?
1921 (starring Zareen Khan) to hit the screen in about April or May. (TWF)
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