Guessing Game

Director Shawn Arranha employs a claustrophobic technique for his thriller,Hide and Seek

The promos are on,and so are the goosebumps. A thrilling murder mystery,Shawn Arranha’s Hide and Seek is a classic case of Whodunit. A combined effort of Moser Baer Entertainment Ltd. and Idiot Box,and produced by Apoorva Lakhia and Lakshmi Singh,Hide and Seek releases February 19. And here’s a little more dope on it: With more than 13 years in the media profession,Shawn started off as production assistant on Channel V’s Head bangers Ball. From working on films like Boom,Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost,Lakshya,Mangal Pandey,Hari Om,Ek Ajnabee,Pyaar Mein Twist,Gafla,Shootout at Lokhandwala,Mission Istaanbul et al,this debutant director is now trying his luck at Hide and Seek. “All this while I have been an assistant to Apoorva Lakhia,and he gave me the chance to independently make this film,” says Shawn. The film stars Purab Kohli,Arjan Bajwa,Ayaz Khan,Samir Kochchar and former Miss Earth Amruta Patki while the music is composed by Gaurav Dasgupta and Chirantan Bhatt. “Hide and Seek is not your typical thriller as it’s made on a different scale and magnitude. The techniques used in the film are first of its kind in India,and are most certainly going to keep the audience glued on to their seats,” tells Shawn. Based on six childhood friends – Om,Abhi,Jaideep,Imran,Gunita and Jyotika,the film shows them playing the game hide and seek on a cold Christmas night. But little do they expect that the game would change their lives forever. But why a thriller for a debut,why not a saleable action or romantic comedy? “I personally love watching action cum thriller films and I feel audiences like such movies too as it keeps you guessing. The script of Hide and Seek was really impressive and I think I’ve given my best shot to make the film interesting and I hope people like my work. As an independent director today,I’ve done a lot of hard work for this film and I’m just waiting for the film to hit the theatres with a houseful tag.” All the best!