Bollywood horror has never been hailed for being truly original since the late 50s and early 60s. That was a time when top-of-the-line directors like Bimal Roy were dabbling in the genre, with films like Madhumati and Biren Nag’s Bees Saal Baad was under production.
Since then, apart from the odd flash in the pan, Bollywood horror has been lamentably below par. Anushka Sharma’s Pari has the potential to erase the horrid last 50 years, with a new update on the genre. Hopefully.
Sooner or later, fate shows up at your doorstep…..
Until then keep your eyes wide open and watch out for #PariTeaserTomorrow@paramspeak @OfficialCSFilms @kriarj @poojafilms pic.twitter.com/6fG8ZrR9Ry— Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) February 6, 2018
Apart from Raat, Bhoot or even parts of Kaun, Ram Gopal Varma had hijacked the genre in the early 2000s. While Vikram Bhatt’s Raaz, which was a fairly decent remake of What Lies Beneath?, tried to rehash the same formula of the possessed girl and the haunted house – much beyond its breaking point. He even released the abominable 1921, which came out a few weeks ago. And these two directors have been the flag bearers of the appalling horror movies on offer.
The problem being? All these movies have made money, which has allowed these directors to go on making the same kind of films. While those only starting out, have tried to ape the RGV-angle from ‘below-the-sofa’ to Vikram Bhatt’s staple of a woman floating mid-air with scars on her face. Basically just dragging down the level of horror films all the more south.
And this is exactly where Prosit Roy’s Pari could make a difference. It appears to confront the violence and the gore of the genre, like a Japanese/Korean movie, while also rooting the story in an old-world India with a very desi flavour to it. The film only benefits from an exciting cast including producer Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chatterjee and the criminally-underrated Rajat Kapoor (who surely gave many the creeps).
We might have celebrated the Ramsay brand of horror movies for their own gross-pulpy charm, but the fact remains that we need a horror movie today which stands its ground in 2018. Many pinned that hope on 2013’s Ek Thi Daayan, but it unfortunately turned out to be laughably bad. The next tribute to the genre is Prosit Roy’s Pari and about 50+ years of abysmal horror movies, we’re all depending on this one film to save the supernatural world. So no pressure, guys!
Watch the trailer of Pari here:
