Khauf on Prime Video has been one of the most talked-about horror-drama shows in recent times. In an exclusive interview with The Movie Mail, Surya Balakrishnan, who serves as a co-director alongside Pankaj Kumar, takes us through her journey of creating the horror-drama series and how it has inspired her to work on her forthcoming ventures. She is known for her slice-of-life short film Kheer, which starred Anupam Kher. The Indian filmmaker shares her experience of working on a few rarely-talked-about issues in the series and also discloses her favourite character and the reason behind it.
Edited excerpts:
How do two directors balance their respective styles while working together on the same project, and how often are they truly on the same page, creatively, compared to facing differences?
A. My co-director, Pankaj Kumar, directed six of the eight episodes and served as a cinematographer across the series. So, when you watch it (Khauf), a single thought seems constant throughout the show. Even though I directed the last two episodes, the visual elements, the tone, and feel of the show appear similar when the viewers watch it. My work began from the seventh episode, and the timezone in the story is quite different (at that point), as it mostly includes flashbacks.
But ultimately, all the episodes are not completely different from each other because Pankaj is the cinematographer in all of them. He’s one of the best cinematographers we have. He shot some incredible films, including Tumbbad, which is one of the best horror films we have in the country. So, he is the reason for how visually the show looks. That being said, there were a few differences while we were working together. I don’t think there is another way when two people are working on such a big project. There are many days when you have creative differences, and those days get hectic. But everything becomes secondary because our goal is common.
Apart from the direction and cinematography, there’s one particular thing which is very special for me in a certain way, and I feel it has been represented very well in the show by Smita Singh. Our main character, Madhu (Monika Panwar), is always in a floral print attire throughout the show. I feel that in this entire madness, there is this person who is hopeful. She has come to Delhi from a small town to work and achieve something for a better life, despite everything that she’s been through.
Who is your favourite character in Khauf and why?
A. The character of Elu Mishra, which has been played by Geetanjali Kulkarni, is my favourite in Khauf because it’s so complex. Being a cop and Jeeva’s (the antagonist) mother at the same time, she deals with various things. She is a mother to a young man, who is not a good person, but she still loves him because he’s her son. So, at her home, there is always this love-hate relationship that goes on. She has her own past – of living with an abusive husband. Amid dealing with all the personal issues and feelings, she tries her best to perform her duty rightfully as a cop. But after a while, comes the whole other side of her character. At first, she strongly condemns Rajat Kapoor’s character, Haqeem, and tells him that he is just lying and cheating people in the name of God. However, towards the end, she appears begging in front of him to bring her son back.
At no point does she say, “I’m a cop so I must do the right thing,” or “I love my son so nothing else matters.” There’s a mix of both. She doesn’t give in fully to her role as a cop or fully to her role as a mother. She tries to balance both. That’s what makes it real. She is practical as a cop, wants to do the right thing, but also cares for her son. It’s a tough place to be. There’s love and pain. It shows how difficult her situation is. She stands strong, but she also breaks. She questions others, but later finds herself doing the same. That’s what makes her character deep. It’s not black or white. It’s everything in between. And that’s full credit to Smita for writing Geetanjali’s character in such a brilliant way.
Apart from being a horror show, Khauf also addresses a few heavy topics such as misogyny, crimes against women, and more. How much of your research as a filmmaker and personal experience has gone into the script?
A. Smita Singh, who is the writer and showrunner on the show, has lived in a working women’s hostel in Delhi for many years. So, the germ of the story comes from there. But originally, she is from Bundelkhand, and it’s a part of the country where this happens a lot more. But, having said that, I think it is so relatable because it happens across the country and even the world.
I was recently telling someone that I was born and brought up in Bombay, and I never really felt unsafe here. But I think in recent times, you do feel like you want to be a little more careful. Even on a different level, whether in the form of gas lighting or actual abuse, patriarchy and misogyny are present everywhere, and that’s what makes the show universal. But it is written from Smita’s own experience of living in Delhi in a working women’s hostel. While you would assume that a working women’s hostel would be the safest place that one can be, it’s in many cases not.
Lately, there has been chatter about some films getting cancelled or delayed in the country because they touched upon a few heavy subjects, such as casteism. Among many others, the internationally acclaimed film Santosh got banned due to this. What are your thoughts on this?
A. Well, it’s not in the case of our show (Khauf), but in general, everyone has become careful because there is no other choice but to be very cautious in the way you say or write. Also, not just in films, but in our recent times, in other forms of creativity as well, such as stand-up comedy. I was recently watching Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, which speaks about religious conflict and how Bombay started to change because, in the late 1980s, religion became a big point of conflict. And those things haven’t changed in so many years, but people cannot dare to make a film like that anymore. I think we’re getting lesser and lesser opportunities to say what we want, and there is a constant fear that if you say something, then you’ll be in trouble, so you’d rather not say it.
From beginning your filmmaking career with a few independent short films to creating multiple ad films to becoming a co-director on a huge show like Khauf, how has the journey been till now?
A. First of all, short films are my favourite format that I love to work on. A few years ago, I made a couple of them, including Kheer (featuring Anupam Kher) and Are Baba. The fact that one can tell so much in such a little time is such a beautiful thing. As a filmmaker, when you write a feature film, you have to really shop around it for many years. But with the short format, one has the ability to make it by oneself. So that’s why it will always remain my favourite format. Advertising is something that I’ve done for over 10 years, and now I run a production house called Footloose Films. I’ve directed plenty of TV commercials. Apart from the fact that it’s something that we do every day, I think the beauty of advertising is that you make a new kind of film each time, and it teaches you something new with every ad film.
So, from assisting others to making advertisements and short films to a big show, I feel this is what the ideal journey of a filmmaker looks like. Apart from that, I have also completed a feature documentary. Hopefully, the next project will be a movie. So, I’m pretty happy with the way the journey has been shaped so far, and I’m excited about what will be ahead.
What are your key takeaways from the show being a co-director?
A. Honestly, I never used to watch horror. I landed this show via my talent agency. At first, I was a little sceptical about being a correct fit for this job. But now, it’s been over two years since I started working on it. I’ve recently seen the show a couple of times with my friends and colleagues. Even though it’s horror, a genre that I was not very comfortable with earlier, I feel it speaks about so many important things. Lately, I’ve started to love horror because this show speaks about so many things, including different kinds of abuses and fears, in such an interesting manner. So, my biggest takeaway is that I know what I want to say when I’m working on my next project. Now, I know what really matters to me and how I can find a way to put it in the next thing. It is something that this experience of working in Khauf has really pushed me to think.
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Would you like to recommend a film or a show that must be on everyone’s watch list?
A. I’m a big fan of Iranian films, and they have always been my go-to watch. However, I recently completed watching The Pitt on Jio Hotstar, which is an American medical drama, and I really liked it. It’s about 15 hours in an emergency room, and there are 15 episodes of one hour each in this emergency room. I thought it was just excellently made because when you watch it, you feel that you’re right there with those doctors and with those patients at that moment. But yes, if I want to watch something even during my leisure time, I go for Iranian films no matter what.
