Director Vikram Bhatt says Hollywood's Obsession reminds him of his 2002 horror film

Director Vikram Bhatt has said that the Hollywood horror film Obsession reminded him of his 2002 supernatural film. He said horror works best when fear feels believable rather than driven by star power.

In Short

• Vikram Bhatt expressed his views on the Hollywood film, Obsession
• He compared the film to his 2002 supernatural horror Raaz
• Raaz featured actors Dino Morea, Bipasha Basu, Malini Sharma and Ashutosh Rana

Director Vikram Bhatt has said that the Hollywood supernatural horror film Obsession reminded him of his 2002 supernatural film, Raaz, as the film continues to register strong box office numbers in India and abroad. Obsession has collected over Rs 92 crore in India.

Reacting to the film’s success in an interview with Firstpost, Vikram highlighted the similarities between Obsession and Raaz. He also spoke about why horror can work without major stars, saying audiences come to the genre for the sensation of fear rather than for any particular actor.

Speaking about Obsession, the Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past director said, "I haven't seen Obsession, but someone was telling me the story, and I sat back, laughed and thought, 'This is Raaz.' It's basically Malini of Raaz throughout the whole film. My take is that if you make a good horror film, people are going to come. This one was really good."

He went on to explain his view on casting in horror films, noting that larger-than-life A-list stars struggle to look believable when running around scared; either the fear begins to look comically absurd, or it breaks the audience's immersion entirely. Reflecting on why major heroes like Allu Arjun or Ram Charan naturally face a resistance toward the genre. "In a realistic story, if you have an A-list hero who already has a larger-than-life persona... it's not going to work. Secondly, as I have observed, people come to experience the sensation of fear. They don't come for any actor. That's the nature of the genre," Vikram added.

Obsession features Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette in the lead roles, with Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless and Andy Richter in supporting parts. The film is directed by Curry Barker. In India, it collected Rs 92.85 gross and Rs 77.95 crore net, as reported by Sacnilk.

About Vikram Bhatt's Raaz

Raaz featured actors Dino Morea and Bipasha Basu in the lead roles, alongside Malini Sharma and Ashutosh Rana in supporting roles. The film followed Aditya and Sanjana, played by Dino and Bipasha, respectively, as they travelled to Ooty to repair their troubled marriage, only to find that their new home harboured a dark secret and a restless spirit with unfinished business. As the haunting intensified, Sanjana uncovered a chilling truth.

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