I've loved horror films since I was a kid: Nargis Fakhri

The actor, along with the team -- Sachiin Joshi, Bhusan Patel and Ali Asgar, talks to us about her upcoming horror film, Amavas
I've loved horror films since I was a kid: Nargis Fakhri

Last seen in 5 Weddings (2018), actor Nargis Fakhri is making her full-fledged Bollywood comeback with Amavas. Directed by Bhushan Patel and co-starring Sachiin Joshi, the film is a horror-thriller set in London. The story follows a young couple as they face off against evil forces on their weekend sojourn at an abandoned mansion. Shot in the murky interiors of Castle Goring in Sussex, UK, the team of Amavas promises 'ample scares and skipped heartbeats' for fans of the horror genre.  

Speaking about taking up the project, Nargis says, "When I had the opportunity to meet Bhusan sir, I was excited because I knew he is the man for horror. I’ve loved horror films since I was a kid. I’m really into the genre. We talked about the movies we liked and when he told me the story of Amavas; I thought it was fabulous. As a director, he knew his stuff about where the boo-moments and scare tactics come in. Since I watch movies and I know what scares me, I thought this was a no-brainer. In six years of living in India, I was never offered a horror film. It was always a love story or a drama. So Amavas was a different and new experience for me."

Sachiin Joshi, who has worked in both Bollywood and Telugu cinema, has produced Amavas under his banner Viking Media and Entertainment, in addition to starring in it. Dubbing the film as a passion project, the actor says, "I have been following Bhushan’s work and we had spoken about collaborating in the past, but nothing worked out. Finally, we ended up making Amavas after I heard a narration and really liked it. He has a great sense of timing which is crucial in a horror film. His ability to work on a perfect mix that is required for a horror film is exceptional. I am glad we worked together." Asked about his favourite horror films, the actor-producer adds, "I loved watching Raaz (2002), but my favourite in horror would be Raat (1992) among Hindi Films. In English, I think The Conjuring was really good."

Director Bhusan Patel weighs in on his traditional approach to horror filmmaking. "I grew up on films like The Omen (1976) and The Exorcist (1973). I admire the classic approach in these films. I feel there's a wealth of material in Indian folkfore that hasn't been mined yet. For instance, we think of vampires as a foreign concept but they have also existed in Indian stories," says the filmmaker whose previous credits include Ragini MMS 2 and 1920: Evil Returns.

Amavas also stars actor-comedian Ali Asgar in a pivotal role. Speaking about his character, Ali shares, "I play the role of a loyal caretaker who is assigned to protect the mansion in the film. It is a comic role with serious shades. I usually don’t feel scared in real-life but the film’s location (Castle Goring) was indeed scary. There was no need for additional lightening in the castle, it was naturally so spooky."

The supporting cast of Amavas includes Vivan Bhatena, Mona Singh and Navneet Kaur Dhillon. The soundtrack is composed by Sanjeev-Darshan, Ankit Tiwari, Abhijit Vaghani and Asad Khane. The film hits the screens on Friday.
 

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