Of myth and mythology

Superstition, science and mythology go hand in hand, to a great extent. I am religious and superstitious too. I do believe in mythology as well as the importance of science in our lives. Although the horror genre is completely new to me and my banner, it was my conviction in director Vikram Bhatt that made me agree to make Creature.
As for the concept of Brahmarakshas, that the film focuses on, over the years, we have seen that Hindi film viewers do not generally enjoy watching ‘aliens’ but they like films on bhoot pret (ghost).
Creature is the first Hindi film based on a creature and it is in the 3D format. I would say that this film would be kind of an eye-opener for film-makers, not to say that people have not attempted horror films before. But nobody has attempted a film like this in Hindi. It is Bollywood’s first-of-its-kind of film as well as its first attempt at a different kind of science-fiction. It shows the Brahmarakshas, which has been part of our Indian mythology and culture for centuries, playing the role of a villain.
Believe me, when I say, Brahmarakshas is not a creature to be scared of. People will surely enjoy it for its computer graphics and unique special-effects. The film has got an U/A certificate which itself means that everyone can go and watch it. It is a family film which, like any other film, has the heroine facing a problem and succeeds in overcoming it.
As for defining Brahmarakshas, going by mythology, it is actually the spirit of a Brahmin who has misused his knowledge, and has turned into a rakshas (demon) after his death. Brahmarakshas are powerful demon spirit. Having said that, has anyone ever come across a Spiderman, Batman, Superman, Dinosaurs or Godzilla? Yet they have been accepted in films. Tell me, who has seen or believes in Draculas, but wasn’t The Twilight Saga a major hit when it released?
Similarly just because our ancestors and elders told us stories about bhoot-pret, we believed them and accepted their stories. But there has been a scientific reason to such stories though we may not be aware of them. Even today many people in the interiors or villages believe in the Brahmarakshas though ‘this’ has not been proven scientifically. But , since our history states that Brahmarakshas existed, we have used it as a source of inspiration in this film. Also, from our research, we found that the physical appearance of the Brahmarakshas is similar to the ‘Creature’ that we created in the film. So we hope people accept the new villain as it is combined by our history and science. Moreover, coupled with modern special-effects and sound effects, the film makes an impact, giving it an edge-of-the-seat effect.
I cannot really predict the future of such films. For me, this is my first movie in this genre and I would love to explore it further.

As told to Namita Nivas