Filmmaker Trishul Thejasvi, the director of the new horror feature Mala, is on a mission to shatter stereotypes and carve out a new space for Indian voices in the horror genre. In a recent interview, Thejasvi and a group of journalists discussed the film’s unconventional approach to Indian-led storytelling, its refusal to provide easy answers, and the director’s belief that Indian creators should feel empowered to tackle any genre.
Interview at New York Comic Con
While at New York Comic Con last week, Director Trishul Thejasvi discussed his new horror film Mala, a genre-bending project challenging Indian cinema stereotypes.
The psychological thriller Mala made waves at New York Comic Con (NYCC), hosting the convention’s first-ever Indian-themed panel. The film, which uniquely blends supernatural suspense with elements of ancient Indian tantric practices and mythos, was a significant highlight for fans seeking fresh, globally-inspired horror.
The film’s premise centers on Reema, who unexpectedly inherits an abandoned resort on a remote tropical island. Accompanied by a trio of her friends, Reema sets out to uncover the truth behind her inheritance. Upon arrival, the group encounters enigmatic locals, peculiar rituals, and sinister omens, leading Reema to suspect her aunt’s untimely death was anything but accidental.
Horror Without the Clichés
Thejasvi is emphatic that Mala is not the Indian film American audiences might expect. His vision moves away from tropes like arranged marriage narratives, instead focusing on characters who are simply “kids.”
“We’re not trying to do the same thing,” Thejasvi stated. “They’re just the kids… Nothing exists like this. There’s no Tantrum film. There’s no films about just Indian kids not being Indian.”
This desire to normalize Indian characters is reflected in the film’s casting and setting, which required a pragmatic approach. Thejasvi noted the difficulty of casting Indian people in Florida, where the film is set, which led to a diverse mix of races, even allowing for characters with names like Robert and Dorothy. The director pushed back against the instinct to limit casting to strictly Indian actors, stating, “you can have Christian people… Why not?”
The film is set on an island that, according to Thejasvi, “doesn’t exist out there,” allowing for a deliberate mix of races. This creative choice serves his larger goal: to present a world that is not bound by traditional, and sometimes limiting, cultural expectations of what an “Indian film” should look like.
Embracing Ambiguity and the Surreal
“Mala” takes an artistic stance on narrative clarity, favoring ambiguity and unsettling atmosphere over straightforward explanations. Thejasvi admits, “it’s not quite clear what’s going on.” He embraces this approach, citing influences like David Lynch, where the story is more akin to a dream that lingers with the viewer.
“I like films like that when you left,” Thejasvi explained. “You don’t have to be as full resolution at the time with characters and stories. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to think a day later about, ‘Oh, I remember those scenes with that image or something like that.'”
This is a stark contrast to a perceived American preference for clear resolution in horror, which a journalist noted is less common in European or Asian cinema. Thejasvi highlighted Korean horror films as an example of this approach, saying they often leave the audience with “uneasy feelings.” The ending of “Mala,” he promised, “is not anything you’ll ever expect.”
Horror as a Platform for Indian Creators
A journalist with a South Asian background praised the use of horror as a genre that “patronizes and allows a welcome to your stories.” While Thejasvi acknowledged the power of the genre, he argued that horror is not specifically more important for Indian representation than any other genre.
For him, the appeal of horror and thrillers is personal: “I love films that show something you constantly don’t see in your own two eyes.” The director observed that horror is only recently becoming more popular in Indian cinema, a phenomenon he suggests follows a “Bollywood catches on 10 years later than Hollywood” pattern. While he respects early Bollywood horror, which he described as “cheesy and appetizer,” Thejasvi is keen to explore a more genuine and less musicalized form of the genre.
Cultural Ties and Challenging Stereotypes
The film touches upon the cultural concept of Tantra, a topic that Thejasvi found compelling but ultimately served as a “flame” to guide the story rather than a full history lesson. He viewed it as an entry point to explore something he liked, something that gave the film a “sixth sense of spiritual feel” that naturally comes from Indian culture.
When asked about stereotypes of Indian culture he hopes to avoid, Thejasvi immediately highlighted the pervasive, though sometimes statistically based, stereotype: “We’re all lawyers and doctors. We’re all educated.” The broader issue, he believes, is the pressure on Indian creators to stick to “Indian films.”
Thejasvi, who grew up in North Wales watching Hollywood films, struggled against this notion in film school. He stressed that a story can have a cultural resonance without being about that culture, citing The Sixth Sense as an example where an underlying spiritual feel is present. He also challenged the monolithic view of India, noting that a country of over a billion people is a vast and diverse place, not just a “material of IT.”
The Future Influence of “Mala”
In terms of the future influence of Mala on Indian representation, Thejasvi’s aspirations are straightforward: Cast more Indian people in roles as just ordinary people. Tell other Indian filmmakers that any genre is open.
His hope is that “Mala” will serve as proof that Indian creators should feel confident exploring any subject and any genre, free from the confines of cultural expectation.
