#NewsBytesExclusive: Indians 'need pure horror,' not 'sleaze': 'Chhorii'-director Vishal Furia
What's the story
Indian cinema has long suffered when it comes to horror offerings.
Apart from a few tales that shook us from the core, most horror films have misled us with cliche tropes and eroticism instead.
But filmmaker Vishal Furia, who gave us Chhorii starring Nushrratt Bharuccha, thinks times are changing and the audience is "ready and hungry for Indian horror."
Some excerpts from our interview.
Graph
Bollywood lagged in horror department for its 'categorization as B-genre'
After remaking his acclaimed Marathi horror Lapachhapi in Hindi (Chhorii), Furia earned wide praise from critics and viewers alike.
When asked about the lack of horror classics in Bollywood, Furia tells us, "The genre took a little beating due to its categorization as a B-genre sometimes in Bollywood, muddled with Bollywood tropes."
"Worldwide, it has undergone a great evolution. We lagged here a bit."
Quote
'The audience is ready and hungry for Indian horror'
But this dearth of good stories means there is a space to be filled.
Furia is positive when he says: "The audience is ready and hungry for Indian horror. They don't need it to come with sleaze anymore."
"[Viewers] need pure horror and good stories. So the times are changing."
So, what according to him, worked in the case of Chhorii?
Film
This is what served as motivation behind 'Chhorii'
Calling the response to Chhorii "overwhelming," Furia noted how "lots of female viewers have lived the journey with Sakshi [the lead character] and got very emotional by the end of the film."
He also wanted to point out social evil through horror.
After learning about "horrific figures of female infanticide and foeticide in India," he instantly decided he wanted to include this aspect, too.
Performance
Amazon Prime movie brought in laurels for Bharuccha as well
Further, the venture brought in laurels for leading lady Bharuccha as well.
This not only gave her the option to shoulder a feature by herself but also showcase her acting range.
After debuting at 7.9/10 on IMDb, the project became her career's second-best-rated film on the platform.
Now, it boasts a rating of 6.9.
You can watch Chhorii on Amazon Prime Video.
Do you know?
'Chhorii 2' is currently in its scripting stage, said Furia
And, we will soon see more of Chhorii as a sequel has been green-lit. Calling it a "much bigger responsibility," the writer-director said he was developing the script at the moment. "I'll deliver a much bigger, scarier, and thrilling film than the original," he promised.