Director Vishal Furia critiques Indian horror films for lacking depth; says, “Nobody wants to talk about the art and craft of making horror” : Bollywood News

Although Vishal Furia started his Hindi directorial career with a crime thriller, he has carved out a reputation for himself as a horror specialist. His earlier film Chhorii received praise from both critics and audiences, and he’s now returning with its sequel, Chhorii 2. In a conversation with Hindustan Times ahead of the sequel's release, Vishal discussed Chhorii and the state of the horror genre in Indian cinema.

Director Vishal Furia critiques Indian horror films for lacking depth; says, “Nobody wants to talk about the art and craft of making horror”

Vishal shared that Chhorii 2 came about naturally. “Of course, with the part 1 doing well, there are obvious benefits of doing a sequel. But I wanted the story to evolve on its own and be ready to be told,” he stated.

Chhorii is one of the rare Indian horror films in recent years to receive widespread approval, even from hardcore horror fans. Reflecting on the shortcomings of Indian horror, Vishal said, “We have not done good horror because nobody wants to talk about the art and craft of making horror.” Commenting on the overuse of jumpscares in Indian horror, he added, “Jumpscares are an interesting tool, but I believe an eerie atmosphere works better. I remember watching A Nightmare on Elm Street and Freddy (Kreuger, the film's antagonist) stayed with me for years. Slow burn always has a larger shelf life.”

When asked whether he feels Indian filmmakers have done justice to the horror genre, Vishal stated, “We have hardly even scraped the surface. We have so much more to tell in terms of the folklore, mythology of traditional horror. We have social evils in abundance and now the technological evils will come up. India is a very different country. We are a different audience than the West. There is lots more to be done.”

Chhorii 2, the sequel to the critically acclaimed 2021 film Chhorii, is directed by Vishal Furia and features Nushrratt Bharuccha alongside Soha Ali Khan. The film is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on April 11.

Also Read : Nushrratt Bharuccha starrer horror thriller Chhorii 2 to stream on Prime Video from April 11