News

This Women’s Day, there is a heartening news for women cinematographers. A group of feisty females from the cinematography fraternity have come together to honour and celebrate their ilk and display solidarity as one peer group. Cinematographer Savita Singh, who has shot films as far-ranging as Ram Gopal Varma’s Phoonk and Vibhu Puri’s Hawaaizaada , says the initiative was long due. “Not many people evenRead More

The post Female cinematographers of India unite appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

Mumbai, June 9: Kannada superstar Sudeep, seen in Ram Gopal Varma directed Hindi movies "Phoonk" and "Rann", says he will team up with the filmmaker again, but this time it's Rgv's production venture, which is expected to go on floor post-monsoon.

"I am doing a film with Ram Gopal Varma, it is his production. Anurag Kashyap may also be involved with it," Sudeep told Ians.

When will it go on floor?

"I am not sure. They said that they we will start shooting in September. I am directing a film that I need to finish before that," said the 39-year-old who made his directorial debut with Kannada movie "My Autograph".

Talking.

Less than a month remains for the arrival of The Attacks Of 26/11 and by the look of things, it is turning out to be one film which should be a quality offering indeed from Ram Gopal Varma. Though the filmmaker has gone through a rough patch at the box office as far as a commercial success is concerned, this biopic could well be the turning point for him."His last true commercial money-spinner was close to half a decade ago when his Phoonk (2008) turned out to be a success at...

Mumbai, Jan 3: After the grand success of film maker Rajmouli’s film “Eega”, Sudeep is one of the most sought-after heros of the South Indian film industry. Not only the audience but many bigwigs of the film industry too have appreciated his performance in the film. Amongst them, Ram Gopal Varma is a big fan of Sudeep’s acting. Previously too the duo have worked together for films like “Phoonk”, “Rann”, and now the director has decided to cast Sudeep in a four language film which is to be produced by Kcn Kumar.

According to grapevines, the director is going to be in Bengaluru this week itself to discuss the project in details with.

Ram Gopal Varma has given the Bollywood industry some big films over the years. He has directed, written and produced films across multiple genres – psychological thrillers, underworld warfare, fiction, politics-nexus and experimental films in various languages. His horror films have also been quite a revelation as he has introduced some path-breaking horror films in Indian Cinema.

Right from the year 1992, when Raat was released, which is still considered one of the best horror films made in Bollywood; Rgv has never let his audiences down with this genre.

In 2003 again, Ajay Devgn and Urmila Matondkar’s Bhoot was a hit. Both of them won awards for their outstanding performances. There is no denial in the fact that Ram Gopal Varma has given a list of horror films and recreated the genre with his creativity and visualization.

His other note worthy films in this genre includes Vaastu Shastra (2004), Phoonk (2008) and Darna Mana Hai (2003) among many more.

Last time that Ram Gopal Varma scared audience in a big way, it was Bhoot [2003]. Though in close to a decade gone by he has made films like Phoonk and Agyaat, the maverick filmmaker chooses not to term them as horror affairs. However, now that he is ready with Bhoot Returns, and that too in 3D, Rgv claims that he is up for the audience challenge to indeed get scared. Even though no tall claims are being around the film's story being out of this world, he promises shock element fo Read More...

Last time that Ram Gopal Varma scared audience in a big way, it was Bhoot [2003]. Though in close to a decade gone by he has made films like Phoonk and Agyaat, the maverick filmmaker chooses not to term them as horror affairs. However, now that he is ready with Bhoot Returns, and that too in 3D, Rgv claims that he is up for the audience challenge to indeed get scared. Even though no tall claims are being around the film's story being out of this world, he promises shock element fo...

The Eclipse of Taregna

When Rakesh Chaudhary met a bigshot Bollywood producer to narrate his short film idea of The Eclipse of Taregna, the producer asked him– “What’s a short film!”. After meeting many such producers, Chaudhary ended up self-financing his film with the help of a cinematographer friend and the film went on to win the grand jury prize for the best short film at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles in April this year.

It wasn’t any easy for a Mumbai-based film editor Vinoo Choliparambil when he decided to turn director with his short film Vitthal. It was year 2008 and Vinoo had been working in the film industry for five years and had edited films like Ram Gopal Varma’s Phoonk 2.

No producer was interested in producing Vinoo’s film and finally he had to go the independent way. He put in all his savings...

From reincarnations to haunted mansions. From vindictive oatmeal faced corpses to shape shifting nagins, Bollywood has bravely offered a plethora of films in the name of horror over the years. Although many of these films may lack in finesse, they still manage to offer some scares (along with a bag of laughs). Siddhant Pillai investigates…

Golden Age of Horror; 1940s-1960s

A still from the classic Mahal

In a country obsessed with lost souls and reincarnation, it was natural for filmmakers to dabble in this facet of the supernatural. Perhaps the first path breaking film in this genre was Kamal Amrohi?s 1949 hit, Mahal. The film was replete with a spooky house filled with life size portraits, grandfather clocks, swinging crystal chandeliers and a haunting tune (Aayega Aanewaala) carried by the air and sung by an elusive candle-lit lady. The movie was a box office hit and paved the way...

Kaalo, a dream project of Bollywood's few 'genre driven' directors, Wilson Louis, is ready for release and is in news for all the right reasons. That's because this star-less affair has one important character i.e. a 'creature' which is actually the central protagonist in this horror flick. While a crow was just a peripheral part of Ram Gopal Varma's Phoonk, the scary looking creature is actually the driving factor of the film. Laughs Wilson, "Most of the female artists would...

Filmmaker, singer and now author Ram Gopal Varma has left no stone unturned to prove his versatility, but if there is one zone this daring man dreads to enter, it.s acting..I clamour whenever I see the camera (from the front) so there is no way that (acting) will happen. No. I will never act. ever,. Varma, 48, told us.But that does leave scope for taking his singing debut further - he took to the mike to lend his voice to a song in the Telugu version of his two-part action-thriller .Rakta Charitra...No, No, No, No. It was just for one of the songs for the movie, that is it. I.m not doing it again,. clarified Varma and pointed out, .And that was not there in the first part, but it is there in the second part..Released Friday, .Rakta Charitra - Part II. is a trilingual in Hindi,...

New Delhi, July 15 – Friday the 13th is considered to be an inauspicious day, but director Rajeev Virani hopes to break the jinx by releasing horror film ‘Help’ Aug 13.

The film which stars Bobby Deol and Mugdha Godse is touted to be one of the scariest movies of all times.

The film is produced by Rupali Aum Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

This year saw a number of horror films hitting the big screen like ‘Click’, starring Shreyas Talpade and Sneha Ullal, Ram Gopal Verma’s ‘Phoonk.

His films may not be succeeding in the same proportion these days as they used to be earlier, but credit has to be given to Ram Gopal Verma for introducing new elements in art of film making thereby reducing the cost and expanding the reach of the movies. When he made Phoonk he made it in Hindi as also in Telugu simultaneously, so same location was sued and with same resources two films were made at nearly the cost of one...

Karan Johar and Ram Gopal Varma have never claimed to be buddies and in fact not even civil friends. In fact both directors are fierce enemies and this time they have taken their enmity to quite an extreme. It all began when Rgv claimed that he was in the midst of writing Phoonk 3 and had apparently decided to cast his “friend” K-Jo to act opposite the crow.

During the My Name is Khan DVD launch, K-Jo was informed of the casting choice and had a quick rebuttal, "I have heard that Ram Gopal Varma said that the scariest movie he has ever watched is Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. I have not seen Phoonk or Phoonk 2, and I hope Phoonk 3 never gets made." And with this started a war of words between the two directors.

K-Jo later went on tweet, “Early morning dreams come true? I dreamt I was watching...

New Delhi, April 25 – A ‘Phoonk’ sequel, two 3-D films, a gangster movie, a two-part biopic and a film on fake godmen… If you thought this was all that filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has on his plate, hold your breath — he has a dozen more.

‘Right now there are 12-13 scripts I am working on,’ Varma told Ians in an interview. ‘They are all from different genres and they will all be made when we are ready to make them. We’ll release them only when they are ready.’

<p.

Other than Aamir and Shahrukh; Karan Johar and Ram Gopal Verma are into news some rivalry. They’re both prolific filmmakers, who adhere to the brand of cinema that they believe in. Rivalry initiated when Rgv remarked callously that the scariest film he had ever seen was Karan’s Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. The comment didn’t go down too well with Karan, who replied in kind. The two have regularly taken potshots at each other since then. Karan expressed his frustration on twitter as he commented on Ramu’s recent debacle Phoonk 2. He stated, “I have not seen Phoonk, nor didPhoonk 2. I am sure Phoonk 3 will no...

If Ram Gopal Varma has his way, then Karan Johar has landed a role in Phoonk 3. Rgv says, “I’ve completed scripting Phoonk 3 and I’m planning to approach Karan to act opposite the crow.” Earlier, when asked which was the scariest movie he has watched, Rgv had retorted, My Name Is Khan. At Mnik’s DVD release, KJo responded with, “I have not seen Phoonk or Phoonk 2, and I hope Phoonk 3 never gets made.” He had also posted on Twitter: “Early morning dreams come true? I dreamt I was watching Phoonk 2 and holding Rgv’s hand ...

Karan Johar and Ram Gopal Varma have been jibing at each other via Twitter. The directors, who have never seen eye-to-eye, fell out again when Johar said that he doubted whether Phoonk 3, the proposed sequel to Varma's first two horror films, would ever be made. "I have not seen Phoonk, nor did I Phoonk 2... I am sure Phoonk 3 will not be made," Johar tweeted. Varma replied: "I've completed scripting (more)...

If Ram Gopal Varma has his way, then Karan Johar has landed a role in Phoonk 3. Varma told Ht City, “I’ve completed scripting Phoonk 3 and I’m planning to approach Karan Johar to act opposite the crow.” This came as a reaction to KJo’s comments at the DVD launch of My Name Is Khan where he had said, “I have heard that Ram Gopal Varma said that the scariest movie he has ever watched is (my) Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. I have not seen Phoonk or Phoonk 2, and I hope Phoonk 3 never gets made.” Johar ...

Bollywood director Karan Johar has hit out at filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, expressing hope that the latter's third instalment in the scary franchise Phoonk is never made. "I have heard that Ram Gopal Varma has said that the scariest movie he has ever watched is (my) Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna... I haven't watched Phoonk and Phoonk 2 but I hope Phoonk 3 is never made," Johar told reporters in his signature tongue-and-cheek fashion. ...

Mumbai, April 21 – Bollywood director Karan Johar hit out at filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma here Wednesday, expressing hope that the latter’s third instalment in the scary franchise ‘Phoonk’ is never made.

‘I have heard that Ram Gopal Varma has said that the scariest movie he has ever watched is (my) ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’… I haven’t watched ‘Phoonk’ and ‘Phoonk 2′ but I hope ‘Phoonk 3′ is never made,’ Johar told reporters in his signature tongue-and-cheek.

Shahid Kapoor-starrer 'Paathshaala' and Ram Gopal Varma's 'Phoonk 2' have failed to set the ticket windows buzzing. While the former got an average initial footfall thanks to Shahid's presence, the horror seems to have fallen flat.

The lukewarm response from audiences comes despite round-the-clock promotional activities for both the movies. While Shahid visited various schools to promote 'Paathshaala', Varma organised a digitally monitored scare dare contest for anyone who would watch 'Phoonk 2' alone in the movie hall - but in vain.

"The content for both the movies has been average. While 'Paathshaala' was good with around 50 percent occupancy over the weekend, 'Phoonk 2' wasn't that good enough with just 20 percent footfalls," Amit Awasthi, manager (programming and operations) of Spice Cinemas, told us.

"It was only Shahid Kapoor's presence that brought in the initial footfalls for 'Paathshaala,...

Mumbai, April 18 – Director Ram Gopal Varma says he will cast Hitesh Sharma, who accepted the challenge to watch ‘Phoonk 2′ alone in a theatre but couldn’t win it, in the third instalment of the spooky thriller as a gift.

‘I basically want to thank him (Hitesh) on behalf of the whole unit of ‘Phoonk 2′ and I am going to give a gift personally later. He is going to work with me in ‘Phoonk 3′. That’s my commitment in front of the media,’ said Varma.

<p.

To get a sequel going and have it equally engrossing as its predecessor takes some doing. Also, continuity with the man at the helm of affairs plays an important part. While Ram Gopal Varma directed Phoonk, released in September 2008, Milind Gadagkar has directed Phoonk 2. This is not to say that Ramu would have no say in the proceedings, but a captain is a captain at the end of the day....

Film: Phoonk 2Director: Milind GadagkarActors: Sudeep, Ahsaas ChannaRating: * The motifs are straight out of the Bible, of horror filmmaking: there’s the flat doll; a gardener; a spirit that invades a haunted home (in this case, a beach-house), and enters a human body with a hoarse voice. There’s the bunch of doubters, who don’t believe in ghosts for the same reason atheists don’t believe in God: never seen ‘em. The hero of course is the last to convert from his faith (or the lack thereof). He moves in to the new house with his family of four (wife, ...

Ram Gopal Varma's much awaited Phoonk 2 is releasing today. Phoonk 2 has already been in the headlines as the director claimed it to be much more scarier than the earlier Phoonk. A contest kinda was hosted by the director claiming that anybody who dared to watch Phoonk 2 alone without getting scared will be awarded Rs 5,00,000.

Five bravehearts were selected for the show from different parts of India. And the lucky draw fell for Hitesh Sharma from Mumbai to do the dare task. But unfortunately Hitesh couldn't withstand the scary scenes in the film.

He was made to see the movie alone in the theater and his heartbeats were monitored from in a screen outside the hall. After 45 minutes of the film Hitesh just took away his face from the screen and said that he could not take any more.

Rgv said that he is very happy that they have won the challenge.

Two fresh and promising directors of the Hindi film industry, Milind Gadagkar and Milind Ukey have a lot in common. And it's just not their first name. Both the Milinds are Maharashtrians and are well read having a degree in none less than engineering and of course, one that is obvious to all, both have a passion for cinema. Milind Gagadgar has proved his worth with Phoonk, under the banner of Ramgopal Varma while Mlind Ukey too has proved his credentials via successful Marat...

Movie Review: Phoonk 2; Star cast: Sudeep, Amruta Khanwilkar, Neeru Singh, Amit Sadh, Ashwini Kalsekar and Jeeva; Director: Milind Gadagkar; Rating: *1/2 – Just stay away!

First things first. Phoonk 2 is scarier than Phoonk (2008). But despite that it ends up as a big disappointment because of its ridiculous climax. It neither offers the interesting argument about science v/s superstition which it did in the first part nor does it end with victory of good over evil properly.

Phoonk ended with Madhu (Ashwini Kalsekar) who practices black magic on Rajiv’s (Sudeep).

April 16, 2010: Yet another debutant director gets ready to realize his big screen dreams today. Milind Gadagkar, a 30 something young man who had written ‘Phoonk’, is having some nervous moments as his debut directorial effort plays on screens starting today. Though the first in the series was directed by Ram Gopal Varma, when Milind came with the idea of ‘Phoonk 2′, he was given a free hand to also direct it. Milind put things together entirely by wrapping up the principal shooting in a record time (37 days) by bringing the original cast (Sudeep, Amruta Khanvilkar, Ashwini Kalsekar, Ahsaas.

Ramgopal Varma's love for horror and supernatural continues. This time, in Phoonk 2, the team behind Phoonk promise more chills, more thrills and more screams. But what you get to hear at the end of the screening is a moan, since Phoonk 2 lacks the chills, thrills and screams that were the mainstay of its first part.

A sequel works if it goes one step ahead of the first part, in terms of content mainly. But Phoonk 2 doesn't take a step forward, but a step backwards. So what's the problem? Let's get into the introspection mode...

The problem is, what does the viewer expect from Phoonk 2? More terrifying and scary moments, right? But Phoonk 2 comes across as one of those usual revenge films, which tries so hard to create an eerie atmosphere, but never succeeds. It's more of a slasher film actually!

The problem is, the...

Ram Gopal Varma had famously dared everyone to watch his horror film 'Phoonk 2' alone, announcing a reward of Rs 5 lakh for anyone who did so. But Rgv's claims have fallen flat as a man rented an entire theatre here and watched the two-hour-long film alone, just to disprove him .&quot;I was not scared at all&quot;, Pavin Ponnana, a 31-year-old entrepreneur told Pti after watching the early morning show at a theatre.This is the second time he has watched a film alone in a theatre, after 'Phoonk' in August 2008.&quot;I want to prove we Coorgis are very brave and all these superstitious beliefs cannot cow us down,&quot; Pavin, who runs an outdoor advertising agency said.Pavin shelled out Rs 21,000 to buy all the tickets for the film.

The maker of 'Raat' and 'Bhoot', Ram Gopal Verma is back with another scary flick 'Phoonk 2' but the director says that we still have a long way to go in exploring the genre when compared to Hollywood.Bollywood has been churning out horror flicks off late like Vikram Bhatt's 'Shaapit' and Sneha Ullal, Shreyas Talpade starrer 'Click' but the films have not been able to attract the audiences to the theater.And in comparison, Hollywood's small-budgeted 'Paranormal Activity' had a become rage evoking a great response from all over the world.But Verma chooses to be optimistic.&quot;The attempt is there. One should understand that for every 'Paranormal Activity', Hollywood has made hundred flop films. So we need to make hundred bad ones to finally make one super spooky film. Its a process.And moreover, we are always...

Mumbai, April 15 – Director Ram Gopal Varma has claimed that ‘Phoonk 2′ is scarier than his earlier venture ‘Phoonk’. He threw a challenge that anyone who could watch the film without getting scared would win Rs.500,000 – and none of the contestants could sit with a steady heart through the horror flick.

Among the five bravehearts shortlisted from different parts of India, Hitesh Sharma from Mumbai got the opportunity to finally take the hot seat.

‘The bottom.

Genre: HorrorDirector: Milind GadagkarCast: Sudeep, Amruta Khanvilkar, Ahsaas Chanana, Raksha, Neeru SinghSynopsis: Phoonk ended with the killing of Madhu, the woman who casts a black magic spell on Rajiv’s daughter Raksha. Phoonk 2 begins with Madhu’s ghost returning from the grave to seek revenge on the family. On bagging a new construction project, Rajiv moves with his family to a new place. Raksha and Rohan begin exploring the new place and the surroundings — the lonely beach and the woods — behind the house. The terror begins when the siblings find a doll in the woods. ...

April 15, 2010:In Ahsaas Channa, Ram Gopal has found his own Linda Blair. Remember the child protégée playing the Satan-possessed traumatized girl in The Exorcist? Ahsaas, the female child actor who was unintentionally caught in a controversy when she was found to be playing a male child in Karan Johar’s Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna without anyone being aware of her real gender, will do the possessed act in Phoonk 2 and the spin-offs that the enterprising Varma has planned for the Phoonk franchise.

Ahsaas seems to have sorted out the gender confusion regarding her screen persona. She plays the.

Click above for more movie stills Maverick film-maker Ram Gopal Varma returns to the horror format with Phoonk 2, the sequel to the successful Phoonk, which opens this Friday. In fact, the forthcoming Friday also marks the release of Ahmed Khan and his wife Shaira's film production debut Paathshaala, which features Nana Patekar, Shahid Kapoor and Ayesha Takia Azmi in key roles. While there's no similarity between Paathshaala and Phoonk 2, since the two films belong to different genres, Rgv is confident that Phoonk 2 would not get overpowered by the stars in the other film [Paathshaala]. Like always, Rgv makes a witty remark, "The crow is my hero and the doll, the heroine." If you jog your memory, Rgv had used the pic of a crow in the promotional campaign of Phoonk. In Phoonk 2, there's a crow as also a doll... a sinister doll, in fact. Says Sudeep, the...

Maverick film-maker Ram Gopal Varma returns to the horror format with Phoonk 2, the sequel to the successful Phoonk, which opens this Friday. In fact, the forthcoming Friday also marks the release of Ahmed Khan and his wife Shaira's film production debut Paathshaala, which features Nana Patekar, Shahid Kapoor and Ayesha Takia Azmi in key roles. While there's no similarity between Paathshaala and Phoonk 2, since the two films belong to different genres, Rgv is confident that Phoonk 2 would not get overpowered by the stars in the other film [Paathshaala]. Like always, Rgv makes a witty remark, "The crow is my hero and the doll, the heroine." If you jog your memory, Rgv had used the pic of a crow in the promotional campaign of Phoonk. In Phoonk 2, there's a crow as also a doll... a sinister doll, in fact. Says Sudeep, the lead man of Phoonk and Phoonk 2,...

The coming Friday will see an interesting three way clash between Ramgopal Varma's Phoonk 2, the Som Shekhar directed Muskurake Dekh Zara and Milind Ukey's Paathshaala. One feels that given the superb promos and the Phoonk brand value, it will be Phoonk 2 that will be the front runner followed by Paathshaala and Muskurake Dekh Zara. Though a few will be surprised by our predictions but once it comes to light that Shahid Kapoor does not have a full-fledged role in Paathshaala it ma...

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is all set to scare the audiences yet again – with Phoonk 2, a sequel to his earlier film Phoonk - The Black Magic Story. Releasing Friday, the film captures the fear of a family caught hostage to a spirit seeking revenge. Written and directed by debutant Milind Gadagkar, the movie is hitting the screens with about 900 prints worldwide including the digital format. Phoonk 2 is a Verma presentation and is co-produced by Prashant Burra and P. Chandra Shekar at a budget of Rs.4 crore (Rs.40 million). Actors Sudeep, Amruta Khanvilkar and child ...

Phoonk (directed by Ram Gopal Varma in 2008) ends with the killing of Madhu (Ashwini Khalsekar), the woman who casts a black magic spell on Rajiv’s daughter Raksha.

Phoonk 2 (directed by Milind Gadagkar) begins with Madhu’s ghost returning from the grave to seek revenge on the family. On bagging a new construction project, Rajiv (played by Kannada actor Sudeep) moves with his family to a new place. Raksha (Ahsaas Channa) and Rohan begin exploring the place and its surroundings – the lonely beach and then the woods behind the house. The terror begins with Read More...

New Delhi, April 12 – Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is all set to scare the audiences yet again — with ‘Phoonk 2′, a sequel to his earlier film ‘Phoonk – The Black Magic Story’. Releasing Friday, the film captures the fear of a family caught hostage to a spirit seeking revenge.

Written and directed by debutant Milind Gadagkar, the movie is hitting the screens with about 900 prints worldwide including the digital format.

‘Phoonk.

Raat, Bhoot, Phoonk and now, Phoonk 2. He can give you the shivers for sure. But can he run scared too? Ram Gopal Varma admits to some irrational fears too, and narrates some real ghost stories. Believe at your own risk! ‘What if your wife wasn’t sleeping next to you?’ Once I was talking to a friend about fear. I wondered how he’d react if he woke up in the the middle of the night to find the lights switched on and his wife not there next to him. She’s not in the bathroom but she’s in the living room sitting cross-legged ...

Ramgopal Varma's Phoonk 2 is certainly picking up steam as the release date inches closer. And the good news is that trade has already predicted a good opening for the sequel to the runway hit Phoonk. The director Milind Gadagkar is very sure that his film will be appreciated by those who love hair-raising horror and the reason as per the director is that he has put in more horrifying elements in this film than Phoonk. Milind claims that the sequences that he has designed for...

April 9, 2010:Ram Gopal Varma tells Jyothi Venkatesh that he does not believe in shifting genres as a filmmaker

Is the sequel Phoonk 2 scarier than Phoonk?

I would not say that my sequel to my earlier film Phoonk is scarier than the original version, because both Phoonk as well as Phoonk 2 deal with different type of fears. I’d say that scare can be of two kinds where one is of a kind which scares you due to a completely helpless situation you catch yourself in, and the other which scares your senses. Bhoot falls in the second category whereas Phoonk falls in the first category. If you are caught.

April 9, 2010: We all were surprised when Ram Gopal Verma assigned the sequel to the horror flick Phoonk to Milind Gadagkar. The ace film maker clarifies as to why he trusted Milind with his baby!

“If I asked Milind Gadagkar to direct Phoonk 2 though I had myself directed Phoonk, the reason is simple. When Milind came up with the idea of Phoonk 2, the opening sequence itself made me jump up in my seat. The moment I read the entire script, I was convinced that he should direct it as I was amazed at the clarity he had in detailing of the story. Besides the fact that Milind had come up with the concept.

If first timer Milind Gadagkar is to be believed, he had complete freedom to direct Phoonk 2 even though Ram Gopal Varma, the man who had made the first in the series of Phoonk, was presenting the film. "Really, beyond giving a nod of approval to Phoonk 2 and promising to present it, there was very little involvement from Ramu during the shooting of the film. After I wrote the first draft of the film, he left it all completely to me", states Milind who is the writer of both Ph...

In a ploy reminiscent of the great American cult director William Castle, producer of such classics as 13 Frightened Girls and Dr Sardonicus, Ram Gopal Verma has offered ,000 to anyone who is prepared to watch Phoonk 2 in a cinema alone. The fan will be wired to a heart monitor and there will be camera surveillance to ensure he (or she) actually watches the film. "When a person says that he doesn't gets scared, it is like you are challenging the film to scare you,” Rgv says, “So in the wake of this, we had put a contest in Phoonk that if a person can sit alone in the theatre and watch the film without getting scared and completes it, he will be rewarded a certain amount of money as prize. Now after a certain selection process, a particular guy was chosen and within 30 minutes he ran out of the theatre and...

Director Ram Gopal Varma has been working on a sequel to "Phoonk," which is an Indian horror film. He claims that it is so frightening that he is willing to pay $10,000 to anyone who watches the film and doesn't get spooked. "I am sure Phoonk 2 is very, very scary and I am sure no one would leave the theater without getting scared," said Varma. "So we will do a contest under some scientific observation." He continued: "Someone who says he won't be scared while watching the film will be shown 'Phoonk 2' in a theatre alone. He will be attached to an Ecg machine to monitor his heart beat and the machine will be connected to a screen outside the hall. If his heart beat stays normal, he will win $10,000." "Phoonk 2" was unveiled Monday. The contest will continue until its official release on April 9th. Check out the trailer for it below.

Has it been ages since a horror movie has brutally installed a sizable amount of fear in your brittle bones? If you think you can endure just about anything, Bollywood director Ram Gopal Varma has an offer for you. Sit through his latest cinematic creation, the pseudo-creepy 2010 endeavor “Phoonk 2″, and the ambitious filmmaker will graciously fill your bank account with the Us equivalent of ten grand. To make sure you’re not trying to pull a proverbial fast one, Varma will monitor your heart rate while aiming a video camera at your eyes to make sure you’re not closing them during the scary parts. From where I’m sitting, this seems like a very inexpensive way to generate some juicy internet buzz, especially once you realize that “Phoonk 2″ closely resembles every successful horror flick released over the past ten years. Then again, what do I know? Here’s a synopsis,...

We were literally just having this discussion the other day. One of the Hbid staffers suggested that horror couldn't scare anymore especially to super mega nerdy horror nuts like us. It was an interesting debate around the office and one that Bollywood director Ram Gopal Varma's is hoping is not true...

Below is the statement courtesy of the associated press.

A Bollywood filmmaker has issued a lucrative challenge to horror movie fans: a $10,000 reward for anyone who can watch his latest supernatural thriller, alone, in a cinema until the closing credits.

Ram Gopal Varma's "Phoonk 2," a sequel to his 2008 film of the same name, is about an evil spirit that traumatizes a family. "Anyone who says the movie cannot scare him is going to be put in a theater by himself," Varma told reporters in Mumbai at an event to promote the movie.

Varma said the film fan...