Andhadhun Director Sriram Raghvan: 'Thrillers Project Your Fears On Screen'
The Andhadhun director Sriram Raghvan says thriller movies project people's fears on and stated that he enjoys making movies like these as it is fascinating to de-construct the psyche of a person.
In
Sriram
Raghavan's
world,
improbability
is
just
a
plot
point.
The
director,
who
has
given
timeless
thrillers
such
as
Ek
Haseena
Thi,
Johnny
Gaddar
and
Badlapur
to
Hindi
cinema,
is
back
with
another
mystery
in
Andhadhun,
where
a
blind
pianist
is
at
the
centre
of
a
murder.
Raghvan
says
he
is
attracted
to
such
stories
because
it
is
fascinating
to
de-construct
the
psyche
of
a
person
in
a
pickle.
"People
often
get
caught
in
situations
or
do
something
that
they
regret
for
the
rest
of
their
lives.
What
happens
and
how
you
try
to
cover
up
is
the
story.
These
are
not
career
criminals.
I
relate
to
it
because
there
is
this
possibility
that
it
can
happen
to
anyone.
We
all
are
scared
of
bad
things...
So
when
you
are
watching
a
film,
you
see
your
fears
on
the
screen.
You
have
this
thought
'Thank
God,
it
is
happening
to
someone
else',"
the
director
told
PTI
in
an
interview.
"It
was
a
long
brewing
idea
that
finally
took
shape
in
Andhadhun,
which
features
Ayushmann
Khurrana
as
the
blind
pianist,
Radhika
Apte,
Tabu
and
Anil
Dhawan.
One
of
my
friends
was
in
a
situation
similar
to
something
that
happens
in
the
film.
That
was
the
take-off
and
we
wrote
a
passable
story.
And
then
I
remembered
how
old
Hindi
films
had
these
piano
songs.
Also,
in
Raabta
from
Agent
Vinod,
there
was
this
blind
girl
who
plays
the
piano
while
all
the
fight
is
happening
around
her.
We
thought,
'Let's
have
the
blind
pianist
as
the
main
character',"
he
says.
"Unlike
Badlapur,
which
had
a
sensational
beginning
with
the
killing
of
the
heroine,
Andhadhun
begins
as
a
romantic
comedy
and
then
something
happens,"
he
says,
adding
that
the
trailer
basically
follows
the
structure
of
the
film.
Thriller
is
not
the
most
popular
genre
in
Hindi
cinema
but
with
the
influx
of
web
medium,
crime
shows
have
picked
up
momentum.
He
says,
"There
are
a
lot
of
shows
on
the
web
for
sure
but
still
there
are
not
many
films.
Only
three
or
four
thrillers
are
made
in
Hindi
cinema
in
a
year.
There
is
a
fascination
for
crime
genre
but
producers
think
thrillers
don't
have
that
much
of
a
market
or
will
not
get
picked
up
for
satellite
rights.
"I
believe
thrillers
work
if
the
story
is
good.
It
is
not
easy
to
make
a
thriller
because
the
audience
is
making
their
own
story
in
their
minds
as
they
watch
the
film.
You
have
to
break
that
expectation
and
still
make
them
like
the
film.
So,
it
is
a
little
difficult
to
pick
the
right
script
as
there
are
not
many
people
writing
them."
Another
reason
for
the
genre
not
getting
its
due
is
because
it
demands
more
involvement
from
the
viewers.
"You
have
to
be
alert
while
watching
a
thriller.
But
in
India,
people
go
to
theatre
to
have
a
good
laugh.
Thrillers
can
disturb
you,
make
you
tense
and
make
you
think."
The
director
says
he
was
really
impressed
by
Apte,
even
though
she
had
a
small
role,
while
Tabu
was
someone
he
always
wanted
to
work
with.
"Tabu
is
superb
in
the
movie
but
I
should
not
say
that,
you
would
realise
that
when
you
watch
the
film.
I
am
actually
a
huge
fan.
I
am
lucky
that
she
agreed
for
the
film
because
I
wanted
to
work
with
her
for
a
long
time."
"With
Radhika,
I
always
knew
that
she
was
talented.
We
talk
about
movies
a
lot.
She
is
the
sunshine
in
this
film.
Ayushmann
called
me
and
did
the
audition
and
I
thought
he
was
perfect
for
the
role.
I
was
impressed
by
his
enthusiasm," he
says.
A
huge
Alfred
Hitchcock
fan,
Raghvan
says
he
likes
to
return
to
good
thrillers
such
as
Jewel
Thief.
"A
thriller
is
like
an
adventure...
It
is
like
reading
a
good
book,
you
are
experiencing
it
like
the
protagonist,"
he
adds.
Andhadhun
is
set
to
be
released
on
October
5.