Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma recently revisited one of his earlier films after watching a scene from the horror movie Obsession. The director shared his thoughts on social media and drew a comparison that quickly caught the attention of movie lovers.
RGV compares 'Obsession' with 'Kaun'
Ram Gopal Varma shared a clip on his X handle on Sunday, which started with a scene from Kaun followed by a clip of Obsession. 'I remembered this shot of Urmila from KAUN after watching OBSESSION,' he wrote in the caption.
The film is directed by Curry Barker and features Michael Johnston as Bear Bailey and Navarrette as Nikki Freeman. It revolves around a shy, insecure music store employee, Bailey, who is in love with his childhood friend and coworker, Freeman. The film, which released on May 29, has earned over USD 200 million at the global box office.
RGV says he is Obsessed with 'Obsession'
In another tweet, RGV wrote, 'Am OBSESSED with OBSESSION..Till even a few weeks before the whole industry believed that only Big starred, massive budgeted, Vfx spectacle films will pull audience into the theatres and now OBSESSION reset that BUTTON. No BIG STARS, No GRAND LOCATIONS, No LAVISH PRODUCTION DESIGN, No FOREIGN SHOOTS, No TOP TECHNICIANS and contrary to its reported budget of 7 cr (Indian) it’s easy to see, its pure making cost cannot be more than 70 lakhs minus technical fees considering it’s entirely shot in exactly 3 locations (two rooms in a modest house, interior of a car AND interior of a small store). The director's style is visually simplistic but very unique (I was especially struck with his use of too much head space in many shots which strangely enhances the mood).'
He added, 'He treats editing not just as a technical craft but as psychological weapon blending rapid cuts with especially lengthy stays (case in point is long stay on Nikki’s face in interval shot). These kind of long takes build unbearable tension because the audience is trapped in the character’s perspective with no escape. His cutting on sharp sound effects (a door slam, a sudden laugh, a heartbeat) to create rhythmic punctuation is awe inspiring. Barker’s editing philosophy seems to be: “Make the audience feel what the character feels, which is being unstable”. He throws out traditional editing rules (smooth continuity, clear emotional beats) in favor of something extremely anarchic. The result is a film that feels unpredictable and alive, like the editing itself is also a part of the horror. He mostly used single source lighting and lit up spaces rather than individual shots very much like David Fincher but much more effectively. More than the 179 million dollars collection so far with a less than 1 million dollar budget, what needs to be even more studied are the path breaking edit and sound design techniques not to forget CHARACTER DESIGN.'
Varma's Kaun released in 1999 and revolved around Matondkar's character, stranded alone at home on a stormy night, who sees a news report on a dangerous serial killer on television. It also starred Manoj Bajpayee and Sushant Singh in pivotal roles.
