Darna Mana Hai!

doweshowbellyad=0; Still from Bhool Bhulaiyaa. (TOI Photo)More picsBarring Bhool Bhulaiyaa, why are Bollywood’s ghost films not as popular as the supernatural fiction shows on the small screen?
If the aami je tomar, tumi je amar number by the ghost of nautch girl Manjulika in Bhool Bhulaiyaa had you in splits, so did the supposed-to-be-scary spoof by Amitabh Bachchan in Darna Zaroori Hai.But why is it that films from Friday, the 13th series, The Sixth Sense or even Hannibal never amuse us? Acceptance towards Bollywood and Hollywood
horror flicks differs even though the audience is the same. Our very own desi bhoot films, in comparison, are extremely predictable, sometimes providing more fodder for laughter than many David Dhawan grossers!
Surprisingly enough, Indian viewers are a lot more hooked on to supernatural fiction shows like Kaun Hai on Star News, Khauff on Aaj Tak, Kaal, Kapal, Mahakal on Zee News. Says QW Naqvi, news director, Aaj Tak, “Though the high TRPs suggest that the viewership is high, belief is subjective. These shows border more on reporting and location shoots than simple story-telling. The locality and character exist. We only come up with interesting ways of representation. But, we also have disclaimers.”
Says a senior official from Star News that airs Kaun Hai, “Since our shows are about real experiences, that’s why these shows are among the top 20 programmes of the week.” Ask him whether stepping into the domain of entertainment is justified for a news channel and he says, “Content-wise, these shows may appear to be surreal. But, they are more about people’s experiences with the supernatural.”
Amidst the growing popularity of these shows, is the Hindi horror film genre losing out? Opines Deepak Ramsay of the legendary horror filmmaker family, “Most Indian horror films come with an A-certificate that have a lot of sleaze. When Doordarshan banned horror shows, Zee Horror Show became a challenge for us. If people get to watch free supernatural shows on TV, why would they buy multiplex tickets? Moreover, budgets for Hollywood horror films are beyond our reach,” says Ramsay, adding, “Star ghosts of Hindi films too are not that acceptable with the audience. . Probably, that’s what went wrong with Darna Zaroori Hai with Big B as the ghost.”
The success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa has perhaps set a trend among cine-goers who till date had almost lost interest in watching Hindi supernatural thrillers. Rajpal Yadav, the chhota pundit of Bhool Bhulaiyaa who gets ‘taken’ in by the spirit when he gets a glimpse of her, insists that the film’s success is because of its perfect blend of “ fun elements with thrills,” he insists.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Siladitya Roy insists that such supernatural projects have no detrimental effect on viewers. “The information or misinformation is debatable. Manjulika in Bhool Bhulaiyaa actually suffered from possession attacks followed by a phase of split personality and not dissociative personality disorder,” Roy says.
While we are yet to decide on whether to get scared or humoured by the shock factor, here’s hoping that we can have fun at the cost of getting trapped in a maze like Bhool Bhulaiyaa.