Horror-scope 2.0

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Bipasha in a still from Raaz 3

Although Bipasha Basu promises to scare the audience with her spooky act in Raaz 3, the movie posters have become the butt of jokes on radio channels.

Most often Indian horror movies fail to click at the box office. Though filmmakers are infusing new life into the genre by bringing in stars like Bipasha, Emran Hashmi and Kangna Ranaut, and spending on new technology, still they have not got the formula right. Indian audience still turns to global cinema if they want to enjoy horror movies.
Rahul Dholakia, director of Parzania, agrees that Indian horror movies fail to impress. “I believe Indians are unable to make good horror movies as our technique, concept of background music, narration and over all presentation is not up to the mark. Indian cinema has not evolved to that level where we could make something like Exorcist. In the name of horror, many are still making those cheesy movies, which make you laugh rather than scare you. Though Raaz 1 was good and Vikram (Bhatt) is making some engaging cinema, but I still can’t bring myself to watch any Indian horror movie in the theatre. They are not up to my liking,” he says.
While some movies like Bhoot, which released long ago, Haunted 3D and Ragini MMS did well at the box office, many such flicks disappeared without leaving a trace. Abhishek Kapoor, director Rock on!, has not seen any Indian horror film in nearly a decade.
“The last movie that I saw was Bhoot and I quite liked it. After that I did not see any Indian horror film because I did not find anything inviting enough. Indian horror flicks fail to impress me most of the times,” opines Abhishek.
A new entrant in the horror genre, Allison Patel, the maker of ?, a horror movie which released early this year, feels that there is an entirely different audience for Indian horror films. He says, “I don’t agree that Indian horror movies fail to work. Look at Vikram Bhatt today. He has become famous for his horror films and whatever he makes does moderately well at the box office. Rather, he has changed the way horror movies are being made by getting in big stars and 3D technology. His movie Haunted was a big hit. Raaz 3 has all the big stars and technology again. Movies like Ghost, Ragini MMS was received well. My film ? may not have done great business at the box office, but it is huge on Internet.
Defending the directors who make horror films, Allison says that they are doing well with whatever little they have. “You can’t compare Indian horror movies with international horror films, as we still don’t have the graphics, techniques and prosthetics that Hollywood has. These films would work if you make them well and present them in the right way,” he adds.