Apr 06, 2025 03:23 PM IST
Director Vishal Furia talks about his upcoming film, Chhorii 2, and what ails horror films in India.
Even though he began his Hindi directorial journey with a crime thriller, filmmaker Vishal Furia has developed a niche as an expert on horror. His previous film, Chhorrii, was acclaimed by critics and fans, and now the director is back with the sequel – Chhorii 2. Ahead of the film’s release, Vishal speaks with HT about Chhorii and the horror genre in Indian cinema. (Also read: Nushrratt Bharuccha, Soha Ali Khan-starrer horror thriller Chhorii 2 gets a release date; will stream directly on OTT)
Vishal Furia on Chhorii 2
Vishal says that the birth of Chhorii 2 was organic. “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.”
Chhorii is among the few horror films from India in recent years to earn a thumbs up from the fans at large, including horror fanatics. Talking about where Indian horror lacks, Vishal says, “We have not done good horror because nobody wants to talk about the art and craft of making horror.” Elaborating on the use of jumpscares in Indian horror films, he adds, “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.”
On what ails horror cinema in India
Ask him if he feels Indian filmmakers have not done justice to horror so far, and he says, “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, a sequel to the 2021 critically-acclaimed release Chhorii, is directed by Vishal Furia. It stars Nushrratt Bharuccha and Soha Ali Khan. The film releases on Amazon Prime Video on April 11.
