Being an RJ, and having assisted filmmakers like Ramesh Aravind, Yogaraj Bhat, and Hindi filmmaker Neeraj Pandey, Bharath G is set to make his directorial debut with Spooky College. “I had a burning passion to be in cinema, and I learned a lot about filmmaking by watching world cinema, and our very own films too,” says Bharath, who had completed a film, titled Fly, which starred Rajavardan and Milana Nagaraj, but unfortunately, it did not release. “Due to financial issues, Fly was kept on hold, and I started Spooky College. Fly too is ready, and hopefully, it will have a February or March release,” says Bharath.
Backed by producer HK Prakash under Shree Devi Entertainers, Spooky College, a psychological horror thriller with elements of comedy, is set to hit theatres this week. Starring Vivek Simha, Kushi Ravi, and Prithvi Rashtrakuta as the leads, the film also comprises senior actors Prakash Belawadi, Hanumanth Gowda, Raghu Raman Koppa, Vijay Chendoor, Arvind Bolar, M K Mutt and Ashwin Hassan appearing in pivotal roles. The film, which has the tagline ‘Admissions open’, revolves around a 103-year- old college located in Dharwad, and a few portions were filmed in the dense forest of Dandeli.
Horror as a genre is a complicated subject, and according to Bharath, who gives reference to films like Naan Ninna Bidalaare, Apthamithra, Shhh, and Rangitaranga, says that such genres require a strong story and screenplay. “Horror is not just about jump scares. It requires content, and a strong storyline to keep the audience hooked. One of the reasons, I particularly camped at the 103-year-old college, and inside the forest area to pen the script. The atmosphere helped me compile my thoughts better, and has had an impact on my execution as well, and the backdrop inspired me a lot” says Bharath,Spooky in general means ‘Fear’, and nowadays, it is rare to see a horror story set in a college backdrop.
“Stage artiste Sudhindra, who plays an army man, has a backstory to his character, and Siddlingu Sridhar is also playing an important character called Lobo. There are also characters that bring in dark humour to the film,” says Bharath, who adds that the strong technical crew of Spooky College will definitely be the highlight. With sound design by Radhakrishnan, music by Ajaneesh B Loknath, and editing by Srikanth, the cinematography of Spooky College will be by Manohar Joshi.