Vishal Furia might be referred to as a debutante director, of Chhorii. However, in reality, he has been around for quite long.
In 2019, he co-directed the first season of Criminal Justice, the official Indian adaptation of the namesake BBC series. Furia also helmed Bombers and The Missing Stone for ZEE5 and MXPlayer respectively. That is not all; he wrapped up the shooting of Forensic 2022, the Hindi adaptation of Forensic (2020), the Malayalam crime thriller.
Still, directing Chhorii marked an important milestone in Furia's career. Horror and comedy are possibly two of the most difficult-to-execute genres of cinema. It takes a crisp and no-nonsense direction to get the chills and scares reach the audience.
In an exclusive interview, filmmaker Vishal Furia talks about his passion to change the horror films scenario in India, success of Chhorii, if it is difficult to avoid clichés when it comes to horror and still be relatable, and much more. Edited excerpts from the interview below:
Your Marathi film Lapachhapi was a big success. What was your initial thought behind remaking it for the Hindi-speaking audience? What were the changes you made in Chhorii before releasing it for a pan-India audience?
Lapachhapi got a lot of love and appreciation from the Marathi audience. Female audiences could relate to the central protagonist a lot. So the initial thought behind the remake was to tell the story to a much larger audience. We adapted the story to a different setup to tell this version so that it could relate to the rest of India as well.
The film has received appreciation. How does it feel?
It feels great. The motive to tell the story to a larger audience has been fulfilled. The love and appreciation of the audience have motivated me to keep telling honest, earthy Indian stories. Also, a lot of people, who have never seen a horror film before, have watched Chhorii. So that expands the love for the genre. I feel very humbled by the love and appreciation showered on Chhorii.
The projects that you are currently a part of show that you are passionate about genre films. How do you explain your love for the horror/thriller genre?
It is an amazing genre that can be very effective to tell a wide range of stories. This genre helps to elevate the emotions of the story and the experience of living the film. In the case of Chhorii, it helps to also point out a social evil effectively due to the impact of the genre.
Is it difficult to avoid clichés when it comes to this genre, and still be relatable? Filmmakers often fail to create a spooky/chilly impact. What is your take on that?
It is a challenging genre to work with. It needs the right collaboration from every department.
Even a moment gone wrong or the tiniest detail gone wrong can make this genre laughable.
So one needs to be very careful while attempting horror. We've made many unsuccessful attempts at horror in past but things are changing.
What are some things that you focused most on when it came to production?
Writing a horror script is very challenging. It can easily slip into clichés. Actors are most important as only a good performance can help the audience feel scared as well. Location, production design, along the right camerawork, helps each frame and each moment look dreadful. Sound design and BGM add the final touches to the visuals.
How did Nushrat Bharuccha come on board, and what was it like shooting with her?
I had met Nushrat with regards to another project which did not materialise. But we had a lovely conversation, and one thing we both were striving for was to prove that we can do things differently. She was being offered a similar kind of role, which she wanted to break away from, and I wanted to prove that I can use this genre differently. So that kind of hunger was necessary for this film. So when the producers Vikram and Shikha discussed her name with me, I was instantly on board. She is very easy to shoot with. While being a director's actor, she adds a lot of nuances to her character. Her strength of the performance is very much portrayed in Chhorii. Unanimously, everyone has praised her work.
What is the main element which makes a horror film scary?
Every element is important to the tiniest detail. Even one element gone wrong makes the film look funny or non-scary and spoils the experience. Most importantly, it should have a constant dread and the fear of the unknown in every frame.
What do you think about the genre’s progress in the Indian film industry?
The genre took a little beating due to its categorisation as a B-genre, sometimes muddled with the Bollywood tropes. Worldwide, it has undergone a great evolution. We lagged here a bit. But the audience is ready and hungry for Indian horror, and hopefully, we'll pick up.
Would you have made the film differently if it was a theatrical release?
No. We did not think where the film would release while making it. The decision to go digital was taken later.
Since you have tasted success in the Hindi cinema industry, will we see you make Marathi films anymore, or will you focus more on Hindi projects?
Yes, absolutely. I love the Marathi audience. They have made Lapachhapi a success, and accepted me. Bali is my next offering to the Marathi audience, which releases on 9 December on Prime Video. And I'll keep making films in Marathi as well.
Do you think OTT platforms are a game-changer? If yes, then how?
Yes, they have helped makers like myself tell stories which otherwise were impossible to tell due to economic challenges. The theatres and OTT should coexist to provide a wide range of all types of content to the audiences.
Any BTS moment that we did not see in the film?
I am sure there are many takes gone wrong that might have created laughs on the set. Usually, that happens a lot on horror film sets. Also, there are some amazing moments of great performance from the artists, which unfortunately could not make it to the cut.
What is next for you?
Currently, I am waiting for the release of my next Marathi horror film Bali, starring Swwapnil Joshi and Pooja Sawant on Amazon Prime Video, and working on the post-production of Forensic, starring Vikrant Massey and Radhika Apte.
Chhorii is streaming on Amazon Prime Video India.
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