Nushrratt Bharuccha on her upcoming horror drama Chhorii 2: 'It doesn’t have any...'

Nushrratt Bharuccha in Chhorii 2

If a horror sends a chill down your spine, then the film has achieved its motive. Irrespective of how many hook songs or jump scares in the background score it has, without the backing of a solid story, the film will not have the desired effect. The Vishal Furia-directed venture, Chhorii (2021), garnered mixed reviews from critics and audiences. The filmmaker, a champion of the genre, is back with a sequel to the film, starring Nushrratt Bharuccha and Soha Ali Khan.

Set to premiere on Amazon Prime, the film has got the audience feeling the right emotion, shares Bharuccha. She says, "The film doesn't have a hit song. It doesn't have any of those tricks by which we can market the movie. We have a great story and performances we believe in. Our intent is to try and make a good film."

Vishal Furia

While many filmmakers have jumped on the horror-comedy bandwagon, Furia continues his tryst to make a pure horror film with social messaging. For Bharuccha, the messaging is only secondary to the story and what it offers her. "People have their own reasons for why they want to be actors. When I was starting off, people just wanted to act. I've always been a person who believes that if the story works, it works." Despite being wary of the genre, the actor was comfortable in the role as it focused on "human horror". "I'm somebody who can't watch horror. But this film is not just horror, it is about people doing [horrendous] things to people," she elaborates.

With the horror genre picking up momentum since the success of the Stree films, Bharuccha is pleased that her film came at the right time. "It's amazing that the genre has expanded to creature and vampire stories, sci-fi, among others. I'm glad that from Chhorii to Chhorii 2, there have been a lot of horror films and the market has been thriving. Now, the [sequel is] coming at a time when [the genre] is the talk of the town. I feel blessed. I have faith in what I am putting my bets on. If it happens, then my belief gets rewarded and if it doesn't, then I wake up and do another movie. [Either way], I feel empowered to make choices."

Next up, she has an intense drama with Anurag Kashyap. The film is yet to go on floors, but Bharuccha is scared about how to execute it. "It is probably the biggest risk I will ever take. Because that film is like a monster of an idea and a subject. I just do not know how I'm going to do it. I'm so scared of this film. [Everyone is] particular about getting it right because the line between getting it right and wrong is extremely thin."

Vishal Furia's horror films
. Lapachhapi (2017)
. Chhorii (2021)
. Bali (2021)
. Chhorii 2 (2025)