‘Kaali Kheti’ Brings Rural Indian Horror to Theaters This October
‘Kaali Kheti’ Brings Rural Indian Horror to Theaters This October
Jackie Shroff, Sharad Kelkar and Neha Sargam are heading into unsettling territory with Kaali Kheti, an upcoming Indian horror film that uses agriculture and rural life as the foundation for its supernatural story.
The film has been set for a theatrical release in India on Oct. 23. Haris Imtiyaz Khan writes and directs the project, which also stars Virendra Saxena and Shaji Choudhary.
While specific plot details remain under wraps, Kaali Kheti is being positioned as a rural horror story built around agriculture and the unsettling possibilities hidden within an environment traditionally associated with growth, survival and community.
Khan said the concept began with his desire to explore agriculture through a genre perspective he had not previously encountered.
“For me Kaali Kheti is about examining agriculture through the lens of horror,” Khan said. “Something I hadn’t seen before. Something that felt fresh, exciting and also deeply disturbing.”
Rather than treating the setting simply as a backdrop for supernatural events, Khan describes the film as an attempt to reflect recognizable social issues through a heightened and frightening world.
“The film is mirror to society, only the reflection exists in a scary and fantastical world,” Khan added. “Sometimes this world doesn’t make sense but always feels strangely familiar. Perhaps that is the true horror.”
The approach places Kaali Kheti within a branch of horror that draws its tension from familiar traditions, environments and social structures before distorting them through the supernatural. Its rural setting also gives Khan an opportunity to explore fears rooted in land and agriculture rather than relying on the more conventional urban environments frequently used in contemporary horror.
Shroff leads the ensemble alongside Kelkar and Sargam. The cast is rounded out by Saxena and Choudhary in pivotal roles.
Sana Khan produces the film through BlackCanvas Studio in association with Zeroland Production.
With much of the story still being kept secret, the early material surrounding Kaali Kheti is emphasizing atmosphere and its unusual agricultural horror concept rather than revealing the nature of the threat awaiting its characters.
Kaali Kheti opens in theaters across India on Oct. 23.
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