‘Shaitaan’, starring Ajay Devgn and R Madhavan, is scheduled to open in theatres on March 8. It holds the distinction of being one of the few ‘pure horror’ films made in Bollywood with an A-list cast.
Noticeably, over the years most of the major Bollywood actors have not picked a film with horror as the main element. ’ The horror aspect is often mixed with other genres to be able to cater to a wider audience. According to Ramesh Bala, a trade tracker, a pure horror family often appeals to a niche audience only.
“Bollywood and Tollywood movies are usually made to cover a wide range of audiences. Genres such as Action, Comedy, and Drama have a larger audience base rather than pure horror films which are often made and enjoyed by a very specific audience,” he told ‘The Daily Guardian’
He added that most Bollywood stars stay away from the horror genre as its focus is more on the antagonist.
“The main focus of any horror film remains to be the antagonist. This casts a shadow on the main lead sometimes which could be the possible reason that none of the major Bollywood actors seems to be that interested in doing horror films,” said Ramesh Bala.
Talking about ‘Shaitaan’, he said that it has the potential to rejuvenate the horror genre in Bollywood.
“The trailer of Shaitaan looks very promising and already has very good word-of-mouth. Ajay Devgn, R. Madhavan, and Jyotika are very good performers. So, yes the film shows a great deal of potential in bringing horror films into the light, and hopefully, mainstream actors such as ‘Laxmi’ fame Akshay Kumar would be seen pursuing such projects. Shaitaan might refresh Bollywood and could become a blockbuster, as per the word of mouth”
Talking about the horror genre in India, exhibitor Akshaye Rathi said it is ‘unfortunate’ that A-list names avoid such films as they are theatrical in nature.
, “I find it very strange and unfortunate that none of the A-listers participate in the supernatural and horror genre because I think this specific genre of movies is very theatrical in nature and can easily bring a lot of footfall if done the right way. We have seen such movies getting praised in the West. We have seen blockbuster results.”
He, however, added that ‘Shaitaan’ has the potential to change the situation as it features ‘prominent actors’ in the lead.
“Ajay Devgn himself has done ‘Bhoot’, Aamir Khan’s ‘Talaash’ was one of the major hits of Bollywood in terms of the supernatural genre. It would be great if more prominent actors and filmmakers took the supernatural genre to a new level and participated in making more such films. As far as ‘Shaitaan’ is considered, Ajay Devgn, Jyotika, and R Madhavan are not only great actors but phenomenal performers, I am sure the film will be terrific.”
‘Shaitaan’, directed by Vikas Behl, is set to hit screens on March 8.