`Aatma` will redefine horror genre: Suparn Verma

New Delhi: Director Suparn Verma promises that his upcoming horror film `Aatma` will go beyond the same canned plot and will tap into the audiences` deepest fears.

"I am not experimenting with `Aatma` but redefining the genre completely. I want to set a standard. It is not tacky, I don`t want to make a film and be apologetic about it, either as audience or as a maker," Suparn said. The 38-year-old journalist-turned-filmmaker says the film does not have the usual ugly, melting face or weird camera angles to scare the audience out of their wits and will definitely make them sit up. "`Aatma` will break the norm of the usual haunted film, which has a haunted house, an old wandering spirit. We have seen that time and again, what is new in it? The audience is waiting, they are exposed to world cinema and so you need to have an international level horror film in this country. "You don`t have ugly, melting faces and the camera going in weird directions. I have made sure that this is the best possible horror film I ever make," Suparn said. `Aatma` stars Bipasha Basu as a single mother and Nawazuddin Siddiqui as her husband, who comes to take away their daughter after his death. "The film is a supernatural drama, which is grounded in emotions. It takes a family scenario which is very real - two parents going through a bad patch and the kid is caught in between. Now, I took the real life situation which is emotionally dramatic and put it in a supernatural framework. And that is someone that will make everybody sit up," he added. `Aatma` which also stars Shernaz Patel and Doyel Dhawan in supporting roles, will hit theatres on March 22. Suparn made an entry in Bollywood as a writer for 2002 film `Chhal`. He made his directorial debut with Fardeen Khan starrer `Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena` in 2005 and then followed it up with multi-starrer `Acid Factory` four years later in 2009. He has also written screenplay for other thrillers including `Karam`, `Zameen` and `Qayamat`. The director feels that the horror genre is very popular in India and filmmakers and actors especially A-listers should be part of more such films. "It is the favourite genre and there is such a great demand for horror. Usually A-listers shy away from the genre and I don`t understand why? I feel you can get to explore so much more. Horror is not just about ghost, it is primarily about the emotion of fear," Suparn said. When asked which ones are his favourite horror films, Suparn said, "My favourite Indian horror or thriller films are `Mahal`, which was released in 1949, `Woh Kaun Thi` and `Gumnaam`. These are classics and the last horror film that I loved was Ram Gopal Varma`s 1992 film `Raat`." PTI