You’ve heard of “J-horror,” and may even be burned out on it by now, but a new strain of Asian genre cinema dubbed “I-Horror” is coming from Indian production outfit Pritish Nandy Communications and British sales banner High Point Media.

Variety reports that the two companies are launching a series of supernatural features beginning with THE ACCIDENT, which is currently in postproduction. Directed by Abhijit Choudhury, whose first film was the award-winning THE UNDERGROUND CHAMBER, it stars Shiney Ahuja and Soha Ali Khan (pictured). The story concerns a couple who get into an accident after moving from California to India, with the woman losing her child as a result. They move into a bungalow where she begins losing her sanity—or perhaps there are paranormal forces at work. “THE ACCIDENT is horror in the tradition of THE TENANT,” Choudhury tells CalcuttaTube. “It is more a mind game than a blood-fest. Scary and freezing because the fear is immediate and palpable.” Rolling soon are Sanjay Khanduri’s THE PILGRIM EXPRESS and Kushan Nandy’s OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS; all of these projects are being tailored for international appeal, given the increasing popularity of Bollywood cinema over the last decade (with the likes of Ram Gopal Varma’s BHOOT and Vikram K. Kumar’s 13B receiving U.S. theatrical play).

“India offers a rich and unusual variety of sights and sounds that are entirely unique,” Nandy tells the trade. “We want to tap into them to create this genre and we are hoping that people across cultures will respond to them because of their universal idiom.” Adds High Point’s Carey Fitzgerald, “As with the J-horror phenomenon, which is distinctly rooted in Japanese culture that is also exportable, I-Horror will be the new by-word distinguishing genuinely scary films that, by their vibrant colours and character, unmistakably herald from India but also tap into a wider consciousness.” Also coming soon from India is Varma’s 3-D chiller WARNING.

 

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