Ghost Stories makers: Our friendship grows through these films

Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee — four influential new-age filmmakers of Bollywood with very different styles of filmmaking — have come together all over again, to create the anthology horror film, “Ghost Stories”. This is their third collaboration after “Bombay Talkies” and “Lust Stories”.

Asked about how their interpersonal relationship has grown since 2013 when “Bombay Talkies” released, Anurag told IANS: “Our friendship has grown strength to strength and also we have evolved as people. It has become a yearly project for us that gives us a chance to see each other’s works, and also do some experimental work. After the release of ‘Lust Stories’, we were looking forward to doing something interesting. I am sure after ‘Ghost Stories’ we will meet in two weeks to do something new.”

Anurag has directed a segment in the anthology that features Sobhita Dhulipala and Pavail Gulati.

“Making the film is fine but what excites me the most is our interactions. We really are different in our approach of storytelling and this collaboration makes us think differently on the same topic!” added Anurag.

Dibakar’s segment features Gulshan Devaiah and Sukant Goel. “I just want to mention that although Anurag and I are often mentioned in the same breath, we are really different filmmakers. This idea worked in my favour almost like a luxury because I have no pressure. There is Karan, Zoya and Anurag. So I can do my best experiment here without feeling pressurised,” he said.

Does that make the “Khosla Ka Ghosla” maker complacent? “No, not really. None of my films in these anthologies have been easy. In ‘Ghost Stories’, too, I narrate a story that is uncomfortable, and technically tough to shoot. Imagine, we are showing a ghost in daylight! There was no other way I could have told the story outside this anthology format. So yes, as long as I am getting a chance to experiment, I will keep taking these luxurious opportunities,” replied Dibakar.

“Ghost Stories” consists of four short films. It also features Janhvi Kapoor, Vijay Varma, Surekha Sikri, Raghuvir Yadav, Avinash Tiwary, and streams on Netflix from January 1.