How does the idea of a horror film with a beauty queen in lead role sound? Well, hitting the theatres September 2 is The Man in the Maze , a film which swears by the unpredictability of events. “That's what is special about the film. It has Liana Werner-Gray, Miss Earth Australia 2009, as the lead actress and it has suspense, mystery and horror underlying the story,” says Mitesh Kumar Patel, the producer-director of the film.
The film, set in a place named Waterloo near Alabama, has a story which takes you 150 years back, to the history of American Indian Trail of Tears. Centred around four college students, played by Gray, Andrew Roth, Erik Williams and Stephanie Lomnick, who traipsing through the woods discover an Indian burial mound. It marks the burial site of a native American family that died on the trail. Now, the mound cursed, troubles and terrorises the people.
Having been critically acclaimed in several international film festivals, the film is going to be released, strategically, first in India and then in the U.S. and Europe. “It's not important where I release it first, what matters is that everyone should like it. Though yes, I felt this would be the right time to release it in India and then later next month in the U.S.,” says Patel who hails from Khevra, a village near Vadodara. But doesn't releasing the film ina dubbed version of the original English film, run the risk of losing out on the true essence of the film?
“No, I guess it's better in Hindi. It has all fallen in place. And above all, the story is so powerful and full of surprises that it keeps you engaged all throughout,” replies Patel, adding “I did an extensive research of around six months or so. It was then that I realised that I can tell this story in a novel way. So it's a film which is one of a kind. I have presented it in such a manner that people would keep coming back to understand it fully or to unravel the finer mysteries of it. It is difficult to understand everything just in one go because even though the first half of the film goes along a certain path where you start thinking about what's-going-to be-next in the film. The second part of it turns the world upside down. It's like, you can't get up and go for a drink or popcorn because you might miss something.”
So how does he think the film will be received by people in India who, going by the past trend, have not shown much faith in films of this genre? “The audience will best decide. But, what I can say is that it is unpredictable, thrilling, adventurous and full of suspense and action. So, whosoever likes those kinds of films would certainly be amazed by it.”
