Bollywood's next generation of horror

Lily

B.R
Staff member
2615800204.jpg
It may be two years late, but buoyed by the success of James Cameron's sci-fi magnum-opus Avatar, Bollywood filmmakers are now ready to tap into the 3D wave. From today, director Vikram Bhatt promises to enthral movie buffs with his horror film Haunted 3D, produced by Dubai-based businessman Arun Rangachari.

The thriller, about a ghost-ridden manor, is led by a clutch of unknown actors but its makers aren't worried. Their reasoning? With 3D as their star, who needs A-listers?

"With Avatar, James Cameron left behind an incredible, golden legacy in filmmaking on 3D. That was our starting point… And I don't think I could have made the film with A-listers," said Bhatt.

"I spent all my time pampering 3D — the star of this film, so where was the time to pamper other stars?"

Billed as India's first stereoscopic 3D film, Bhatt claims his horror offering — starring aspiring actors Mahakshay Chakraborty and Tia Bajpai — is far more tech-forward than India's first 3D attempt, My Dear Kuttichathan in 1984. This Malayalam film was later dubbed in Hindi in 1998 as Chota Chetan.

"My Dear Kuttichathan [and the dubbed version] were films that were shot in 2D and then converted to 3D. But for Haunted we used 3D stereoscopic film using the latest digital 3D cinematography and projection techniques. There's more depth to every scene and [that] enhances viewers' visual experience," said Bhatt. Producer Rangachari, who poured almost Dh20 million into this film, agrees. Perhaps his confidence stems from the survey that his company, DAR Capital Group, had undertaken prior to investing in the film.

‘Good Sign'

"We did a survey in India and the rest of the world and found out that horror was one genre that people wanted to see in 3D. Now, viewers want options and post-Avatar they have warmed up to the idea. We now have 275 3D-enabled screens in India alone — that's a good sign," said Rangachari.

His company is also tipped to invest Rs1 billion (Dh981 million) into making a series of horror films in 3D with director Bhatt in the coming months.

Other filmmakers, such as Priyadarshan and Ram Gopal Varma, are also planning to venture into 3D cinema with Bhatt leading the movement forward. But being a leader comes with its share of teething problems, says Bhatt.

"There was no benchmark to compare our progress with. For the first 10 days, nobody had any clue what was happening. We were trying to get a grip on how to get started. We had technical crews from Tamil Nadu, Mumbai and Canada camping in the mountains.

So even the language was a huge barrier between them. But things got moving after that," said Bhatt, who had attended several 3D workshops across the globe to prep up for his project. A team of technicians from Canada, who have assisted on the 3D aspect of various horror films such as Saw 7 and Resident Evil: The Afterlife, were the key players in bringing Haunted 3D to life.

"Haunted 3D does not play on the usual blood and gore aspects of a horror film. I wanted to go beyond the dead body jumping out of a morgue on a foggy night cliche. So making it a thrilling film — which kept the viewers on the edge — on 3D was my main challenge," said Bhatt.

Perhaps it is this vision that made Mithun Chakroborty's son Mahakshay (formerly known as Mimoh) sign up. The 28-year-old actor made a forgettable debut in 2008 in Raj Sippy's crime-laced tale Jimmy.

"You will see a new me in Haunted.After all, I have a new name, new film, new clothes… a new me," said Chakroborty with unabashed confidence at his re-christening. He plays the protagonist Rehan, the owner of the haunted manor.

He is not worried about 3D being in the spotlight either.

"We all know that 3D is the USP of this film. But that's not its only strength. The film in its totality is strong."

3D Mania:

Haunted 3D will not be the last Indian 3D film to hit the big screens in 2011. tabloid! gives you a roundup of some of the films that are currently being worked on in 3D format. For all you know, tinted glasses may soon become a must-have accessory for B'wood buffs.

Joker

Stars: Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha


What's it about: The story directed by Shirish Kunder is being kept under wraps, but the shooting for it has already begun in Ludhiana. This film is billed as the first 3D film with A-list support. (We wonder if Akshay Kumar still fits into the A-list bracket after his flop-filled 2010-2011.)

Ram Gopal Varma's untitled project

Stars: Kangna Ranaut

What's it about: Bollywood's prolific director Varma is keen to open his 3D account with a horror film. Rumours say Ranaut has agreed to play the leading lady.

Paani

Stars: TBA


What's it about: Set in a futuristic Mumbai, this $35 million (Dh128 million) venture directed by Shekhar Kapur revolves around water wars. Word has it that Kapur has sent his script to Kirsten Dunst and Hrithik Roshan.

[/img][/COLOR]
 
Top