Dybbuk is an upcoming supernatural horror film written and directed by Jay K. The film, starring Emraan Hashmi, revolves around an antique box that the female protagonist of the film purchases, and the paranormal experiences she and her partner go through. The film is a remake of 2017 Malayalam film Ezra. Emraan opened up to us about his work and life. Here are the excerpts.
Why Dybbuk?
Dybbuk is our attempt at trying to do something different with the horror genre, which is not made often in Bollywood. However, when it’s made, there are drawbacks in the aesthetics. Our film has fearful scenes, which showcases the director’s sensibilities and vision. Also, we wanted a new and fresh title. So we decided to take a departure from the original title.
Dybbuk is a Hebrew word meaning bhoot (ghost). I have watched the original, though it was a year before I heard this script. I didn’t remember the details when I heard the script and though the story is the same as Ezra’s, the horror quotient has increased manifold. We have made changes in the narrative.
How different is Dybbuk from your earlier horror films?
I did Raaz 2, in which the filmmakers’ outlook towards the horror genre was different. Director Jay’s vision is more internationally driven. The masses will also enjoy the human story here because if the human story does not connect with the audiences, the film will not run at the box office.
So would you say there’s no box office pressure?
There is. But this was a different experience and there was no box office pressure as it’s the OTT and you can do something new. With theatrical releases, we tend to follow a trend and the kind of genres that are successful for that period and end up making the same films.
Does your son like watching horror films?
My son saw a film Creature and felt scared. Since then, he doesn’t like horror films. I keep him away from scary films. I was slightly mad because I started watching horror films when I was 8 years old. I used to sneak in and watch horror films on VHS. At that time, it was not even recommended for me.
You’d once said that your favourite genre is romance. What is your definition of romance?
Romance to me is madness and joyful wild abandon. It’s everything you see in my films.
