‘Bhoot’ aims to create fear, unease

VICKY Kaushal’s Bhoot Part One:

The Haunted Ship brings horror back on the Bollywood screen, and the overall production design of the film aims at delivering a sense of unease and fear.

“The most challenging and exciting aspect of Bhoot was the ship. So getting the ship to look and feel authentic was the key,” production head Aditya Kanwar said.

“We spent a lot of time on research, referencing and scouting real ships to get the right vibe. Anybody who hasn’t worked or been on a cargo ship does not know what it’s like to experience the enormous size and the claustrophobia. I wanted everyone who saw this film to actually feel like they are present and trapped there,” he added.

“We were very careful in how we designed the interior of the cargo ship. Keeping it as real as possible while being shootingfriendly as well. The overall production design for Bhoot had to deliver a sense of unease and fear throughout the film.”

The outcome, he said was satisfactory.

“Eventually, the best feeling is when your director, actor and the crew walk into the set and love it.”

In the film, Kaushal plays a bereaved shipping officer. It also features Bhumi Pednekar in a special role. The story revolves around an abandoned ship, Sea Bird.

The film is directed by Bhanu Pratap Singh and produced by Dharma Productions.

Kanwar said: “The process for this film was different from the get-go. It wasn’t something I have done before. Authentic horror is a genre every production designer would dream of working on.”