Exorcising the Pain

Directly or indirectly,terrorism has affected the lives of everyone in the world over the past decade. The issue,though a sensitive one,is not an unfamiliar topic for film audiences. So one more movie broaching the subject would seem nothing out of the ordinary. Writer-director Karan Razdan must have kept this specific detail in mind when he added a twist of the unexpected in his forthcoming tale on terror – a supernatural angle.

Starring veteran actors like Anupam Kher,Satish Kaushik,Ila Arun and Atul Kulkarni,Warning ,slated for a August 5 release,introspects on terrorism,starting from the 9/11 attacks in New York to the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai,with the concept of karma. “Terrorism is merely a backdrop for the film. Every aspect has been discussed by film industries across the world,except for what happens after the terrorist’s deed in his or her afterlife,” says Razdan. Many scenes from the film have been shot in Pune. “I am a practising Buddhist and have been visiting the Osho Ashram for many years now,which is why I thought of shooting parts of the movie in Pune,” he says. “I am deeply interested in the concept of karma and have read a lot on life after death,which is how the concept of this movie came about.”

So how do terror,karma and the afterlife intertwine? “The story deals with the lives of two men who die within a space of a few seconds – a jihadi and an ordinary person. A person who espouses violence and one who shuns it,” says Razdan. “After the deaths,a spirit begins to haunt the family of the non-violent man. The apparition is not malevolent,and on occasion even saves the family. But due to the constant intrusion in their lives,the thoroughly traumatised family calls for a peer baba,played by Anupam Kher,to exorcise the spirit. When the baba prepares for the exorcism,he learns the truth about the spirit…,” Razdan trails off.

With seven graduates from National School of Drama,including Razdan himself,working for the film,talent wasn’t an issue. But Razdan reserves the special praise for the youngest of the lot,actor Jannat Zubair Rahmani. “This is not her first exposure to acting,as she has acted in television programmes like Phulwa. But despite her age and relative inexperience,she can give many a well-established actor a run for her money,” Razdan gushes.