The ghost is clear

New film Om Shanti Om will be a ghost story with a difference

A still from Om Shanti Om

Traditionally, movies based on the supernatural are scary, edge-of-the-seat thrillers. But here is a ghost story with a difference. It will not scare you and will be quite a departure from the nail-biting fare you expect from a horror flick. “That’s precisely why the censor board has given a ‘U’ Certificate for Om Shanti Om , despite it being a film on ghosts,” says director D. Surya Prabhakar. He seems to have relied on his experience with directors such as Kathir, Subramaniam Siva and S. J. Suryah while conceiving the script of Om Shanti Om . “I wanted to make a ghost story that can be enjoyed by family audiences, across age groups,” says the director.

Srikanth and Neelam Upadhyaya play the lead roles in this story about five genial ghosts. “They create a lot of funny situations, involving the other characters in the film. Rajendran, who played a spine-chilling villain in Naan Kadavul , plays Vavval Pandi, a hilarious character, contributing several rib-tickling moments,” says Surya Prabhakar.

The director has tried to incorporate several messages into

Om Shanti Om , the foremost being that you should not be scared of ghosts. “The spirits of dead people are always around, watching over us, gently guiding us through our daily chores and protecting us from dangers. We are never aware of this. Sometimes they remain unseen; sometimes they appear in the form of fellow human beings. They are friendly spirits who at times are mischievous too,” says the director.

Surya Prabhakar has drawn upon a wealth of talented actors to portray the several characters in the film, including Junior Balaiah, Vinodhini Vaidyanathan, Malayali child artiste Siddharth, and new faces Gauthami and MAK Raman. Also in the cast are ‘Naan Kadavul’ Rajendran, ‘Aadukalam’ Naren and Baiju.

Om Shanti Om hopes for an early release now that the audio has been released and the censor certificate is in hand.