Pavan Kirpalani Reveals Sara Ali Khan Starrer Gaslight Has Elements Of ‘Spook And Dread’ | Exclusive

Pavan Kirpalani can be credited for creating some out of the most spine-chilling horror films like Ragini MMS, Darr @ Mall, Phobia to name a few. But his next film Gaslight takes the thrill a notch higher. The trailer of the film which stars Sara Ali Khan, Vikrant Massey, Rahul Dev has met with positive reviews. As the film is about to release on March 30, Pavan talked about the film in an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha.

What genres will Gaslight explore?

Gaslight is exploring a bunch of genres. One,it is an investigative suspense and mystery but it is also kind of a psychological thriller. It got elements of spook and dread also. But overall, I would call it a spooky investigative thriller. It got elements of psychological aspects as well.

How did you zero in on the cast of the film?

I wanted to cast against the grain. I wanted tocast actors with whom I hadn’t approached this genre. Their approach and take to characters would be fresh, new and wouldn’t be something that you would expect. So with Sara Ali Khan, people are taken by surprise with the complete shift in her performance. Because you expect her to do certain kinds of films. Seeing her in this role would be hopefully refreshing. Same goes for Chitrangada and Vikrant as well because I’ve cast them against their pre-conceived type cast that you usually think. That is giving the edge because you don’t know how to put fingers to these characters. You come with pre-conceived notions when you think of these actors. It’s completely different from what you would expect and that was something we were very conscious about when we were casting for the film. Sara Ali Khan was always the first choice. I had seen her work in Kedarnath and I thought that was a really good performance. And I felt like she really had it in her to pull this off.

And I had worked so closely with her father Saif Ali Khan as well. So I felt that brilliance will be there in her as well. I wasn’t wrong. Same goes for both the actors as well.

Since nepotism is a hot topic right now, were you nervous that Gaslight might recieve flak for casting Sara Ali Khan?

Not at all, if anything, post Kedarnath Sara has done some films that were not that great and if anything people would say you’re casting someone who is not a poster boy of Nepotism. I don’t think she takes herself as a star kid at all and that’s what I like about Sara that she is a very genuine and real person. And unlike others, she is very rooted and grounded and I feel that was something that was very appealing. And she has this very strong, innate sense of intelligence and intuition that really kind of adds to her personality.

Considering there are already so many films made around this genre, were you conscious about genre tropes?

I think tropes are in every genre. All genre have genre tropes. If you see an action movie, there would be car chases. These tropes, you can’t run away from. It’s just about how you tell them differently and how spin them around on its head. Some you subvert. Some you know it is a trope and you just find a unique way of telling them in a fresh manner. So I believe trope is something which is a part and parcel of directing. Let’s face it. Every story by now has been told a gazillion times over so it really becomes about the length and the fresh perspective you bring to it.

Despite the love for horror, film-makers hesitate to approach this genre. What’s the reason behind that?

I don’t know why people don’t like horror so much. I can only speak for myself. I’ve been making them, writing them and directing them since 2011. I made Ragini MMS, Phobia and then Bhoot Police. Everything else that I would do in the future, a large part of it will be driven by horror and psychological thrillers. I like them as an audience, as a viewer and as a film-maker. This genre comes to me naturally and there is nothing else to it.