Scripting a horror film

By Express News Service

Sheetal Shetty is waiting for theatres to reopen for the release of her debut directorial, Window Seat. Even so, the anchor- actor-turned-director is getting ready for her second venture, and this time she is planning to helm a horror film. “The lockdown brought me to my hometown, the interiors of Udupi. So the scriptwriting is happening in the midst of greenery, “ she says.

Interestingly, Sheetal, who is penning a horror novel, has considered touching upon ‘occult practices’. With the upcoming director debuting with a romantic thriller, she tells us her idea behind it. “In my opinion, after 6-5=2, I haven’t seen a good subject coming in Kannada. I wanted to create something that the audience would connect with, and bring them to theatres. A film with elements of thrill and horror have become very rare in Sandalwood, and I felt there is space for me, and I want to try my hands at it,” she says

Sheetal is ready with Window Seat and she is curiously waiting to present the film to viewers. Bankrolled byVikrant Rona producer Manjunath Gowda, the film stars Nirup Bhandari, Sanjana Anand and Amrutha Iyengar in the lead. The product has come out well, and I am eagerly waiting to present it to the audience,” says  Sheetal, adding, “Earlier this year, we waited for big-star films to release, and had even fixed April 9 as the release date. But everything got pushed due to the pandemic, including Window Seat,” she says.

Ask the director, whether she planned to take her film the OTT route? “It is the producer’s call,” says Sheetal, adding, “The kind of treatment given to the film’s music, sound design or visuals, is something that has to be enjoyed on the silver screen. The producer watched the film and felt it would better suit a theatre release.”