‘Horror keeps me safe.’
‘When I tried to do something else and abandoned the spirits, I landed up in prison.’
Key Points
- ‘You can compare a Backrooms to an Obsession because both are horror-centric Hollywood films, you cannot compare Haunted with either of them.’
- ‘I sent a message from jail to my producer Anand Pandit that the film was locked, my daughter Krishna could supervise the visual effects, and he could go ahead and release it on schedule.’
Vikram Bhatt is back with another supernatural horror film, Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past, which takes forward the first Indian stereoscopic horror film, his 2011 Haunted 3D, to spin another franchise.
While it has all the regular chills and thrills, the real horror unfolded behind the scenes when soon after he wrapped up the shoot, Dr Ajay Murdia from Indira IVF filed an FIR against Vikram and his wife Shwetambari for fraud in a four-film deal, accusing them of misappropriating funds.
The couple was arrested by the Udaipur police last December, and they spent almost two-and-a-half months in jail after the Rajasthan high court turned down their bail pleas. They appealed to the Supreme Court and finally got bail in February.
“A film release is like a break-up. You think if love ends you will die, but you survive. It’s been a long time since I liked my work, this film moves me,” Vikram Bhatt tells Rediff Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya in the first of a two-part interview.
‘You can’t put Obsession and Haunted 3D in the same basket’
First off, have you watched Obsession, the horror film everyone is talking about?
No, I’ve been too obsessed with Haunted 3D lately.
Given the delay in the film’s release because of my incarceration, I’ve been working my fingers to the bone. Even our interview was delayed because I hadn’t slept in 24 hours and was too exhausted to think coherently.
Well, the competition this time is not from a Bollywood biggie, but an American YouTube sketch comedian’s big supernatural psychological horror film.
The $750,000 Obsession has already grossed $229.4 million worldwide and continues to draw packed houses across the country.
Aren’t you worried about Haunted 3D finding an audience?
I think there is a big difference between the Indian horror film ethic and American horror film ethic.
A lot of people tell me, ‘Why don’t you make something like The Conjuring?’
My answer is always, ‘Because they are making it, and what’s the point of me making a poor man’s The Conjuring?’
Americans stay faithful to the genre with 100 to 120-minute pure horror films while we take emotional detours.
Since the ’60s and the ’70s, maybe even the’50s, we have been romanticising horror in films like Woh Kaun Thi? and Bees Saal Baad, which have great music.
Historically, whenever someone has made an Indian slasher film or a horror film without an emotional spine or music, it hasn’t worked.
So, you can’t put Obsession and Haunted 3D in the same basket.
‘A good film will always do well regardless of the competition’
But hasn’t OTT blurred the audience divide today?
I beg to differ on this.
When we live in a buzzing metro like Mumbai, we tend to believe that Mumbai is India. India is not Mumbai, but we have many Indias in Mumbai.
A diverse audience base within the same city.
From Churchgate (in south Mumbai) to Juhu (north west Mumbai), it’s an A-plus audience, but Andheri (further north west Mumbai) onwards, the demographic changes and it is more that of a two-tier or even a three-tier city.
Those who prefer the Obsession kind of films may not have a taste for a Haunted 3D, but those who have grown up on our kind of horror films will watch it.
When we talk of lines blurring, there are those like my son who will watch both films without seeing Obsession in Haunted 3D or vice versa.
And that’s how it should be because while you can compare a Backrooms to an Obsession because both are horror-centric Hollywood films, you cannot compare Haunted with either of them.
What about Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga, a romantic drama that releases on the same day?
In the words of Imtiaz Ali, I don’t know which other films are releasing with mine.
Anyway, the two films are as different as chalk and cheese. Even if there is a clash, a good film will always do well regardless of the competition.
History is replete with examples like Dil and Ghayal. Both came on June 22, 1990, and went on to become blockbusters.
‘I’m hoping Haunted 3D is a successful film so I can make another film’
Given your long journey with horror films, how do you see the genre evolving on screen today?
I have seen it getting really funny in the past few years following the surge of horror comedies.
Now, we even have a horror comedy universe.
Since many of these films have been very successful, I should keep my opinions to myself on this subject.
You have spun hit franchises too, from Raaz to 1920 and now Haunted. Ever thought of doing an Avengers kind of a crossover?
(Laughs) I can barely handle one film and you are pushing me towards a crossover!
Yes, I want to build a horror universe with Shaapit, 1920 and Haunted spin more films. But when you want to make a universe, you have to start with a starburst and I’m hoping Haunted 3D is a successful film so I can make another one.
So, the horror journey continues…
(Smiling) Horror keeps me safe.
Whenever I tried to do something else and abandoned the spirits, I landed up in prison.
‘In Sanju’s case, one could say he is not a terrorist, but in my case, it was a business deal gone sour’
Haunted 3D was to release in February, did the delay necessitate any re-shooting or tweaks in post-production?
I made some changes in the editing and sound design, but shooting was over before my ordeal started.
I even sent a message from jail to my producer Anand Pandit that the film was locked, my daughter Krishna could supervise the visual effects, and he could go ahead and release it on schedule. But he insisted he would wait for me for as long as it takes.
That was heartening and says a lot about him, both as a man and a producer.
Anand Pandit may have stood by you, but the film industry did not take up for you publicly. Disappointed?
I don’t blame them; civil cases can be confusing.
In Sanju’s (Sanjay Dutt) case, one could say he is not a terrorist, but in my case, it was a business deal gone sour. People did not know the financial intricacies about what really happened.
In the circumstances they would not shoot their mouths off in my favour, why should they?Even I wouldn’t expect that of them.
Did any business deal or offer fall through because of what happened?
Fortunately, no, as I always say, ‘Jo jaante hain, woh mante nahin. Aur jo maante hain, woh janhte nahin (Those who know, will never believe anything, and those who don’t believe, will never know).’
Aur jo kehte nahin, unke liye kya sochna (And those who don’t speak up for you, why waste time thinking of them).
‘I’m not an arrogant person, but this film makes me arrogant’
As you stand on the cusp of a new release, how confident do you feel?
A film release is like a break-up. You think if love ends you will die, but you survive.
It’s been a long time since I liked my work, this film moves me.
I can proudly say Haunted 3D is a good film. Sometimes the work you do can make you arrogant. I’m not an arrogant person, but this film makes me arrogant.
It stems from an emotional core, my understanding of spirituality developed over the years, a journey from alone to alone. I will be sad if the film doesn’t do well, but I will manage.
Something rare happened to me during this film…
You mean something out of the ordinary happened?
(Laughs) I think my life’s journey through the film was a paranormal (read abnormal) experience in itself. But I had so much on my plate that the spirits didn’t bother me. They even refused to come to jail with me and left me to rot alone.
So, what happened?
Filmmakers are generally scared of silence because we don’t think it will hold in the theatres. Someone from some dark corner will shout out a comment and everyone will start laughing.
So, they fill up the silence with noise.
But fear lives in silence and not noise.
Having experienced this firsthand, I have used a lot of silence in Haunted 3D, which was missing from my earlier films.
(Chuckles) As I was telling my producer the other day, The Making of Haunted 3D would make an even better film than Haunted 3D because that journey behind the scenes was far more dramatic.
That’s a good idea.
(Laughs) Yeah, I think there’s something there, but to make The Making of The Godfather you needed to make The Godfather a success first. I’m hoping Haunted 3D recreates the magic of the original so I have the permission to make another film.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
