Vir Das has completed the shoot of Baara Number, his second directorial venture. The film is described as a found-footage psychological thriller and also has Das involved as producer and part of the ensemble cast.
The project brings him back behind the camera after his first film, with a format that depends on the camera being part of the story world. According to the makers, Baara Number uses the found-footage approach to place the audience closer to the events and to explore the psychological state of its characters.
Vir Das on the challenge of the format
Speaking after the wrap, Das called the film an "incredibly intense and rewarding experience". He said making a psychological thriller required restraint, atmosphere and attention to character, while the found-footage style added another layer to the process.
Das noted that the format changes how a scene is built because the camera cannot function like it does in conventional filmmaking. In his words, the camera becomes part of the world of the film, and the audience should feel as if they are discovering the story.
He also said the team often questioned whether they were pushing the form far enough, whether the performances felt natural, and whether the film was creating the unease and intimacy the story needed.
Ensemble cast of Baara Number
Baara Number features a large ensemble cast. The names announced for the film include Sheeba Chaddha, Suhail Nayyar, Arunoday Singh, Ahsaas Channa, Atul Kulkarni, Niharika Lyra Dutt, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Puja Sarup and Navin Kaushik, among others.
Das said the cast was central to what made the film special for him. He praised the actors for their understanding of the material and their willingness to experiment with a demanding genre and format.
He added that a psychological thriller built around performance and atmosphere needs actors who can trust the material and work with uncertainty. According to him, the ensemble allowed the team to take those creative risks.
Production details
The film is co-produced by Naresh Malik, Jeff Lazarus and Kaushik Srinivasan from Third Frame Studio, and Kavita Gupta and Vir Das’ Zazu Productions. Kavi Shastri is attached as the creative producer.
For Das, the film also reflects the kind of space he wants Zazu Productions to create. He said the banner has focused on stories that feel different and on giving performers and filmmakers the freedom to experiment.
With the shoot now complete, Baara Number will move into edit and post-production. Das said wrapping the film was a strange feeling after spending a long period with its characters and world, but he was excited for the project to take shape in its final form.
He described the film as an attempt to create a psychological thriller that feels immediate, unpredictable and immersive while remaining character-driven. He also said the project pushed him to question and expand his voice as a filmmaker after his first directorial effort.
No release date was mentioned in the announcement. The makers are currently positioning Baara Number as a tense psychological experience built around an unconventional visual style and a strong ensemble of actors.
Source: Bollywood Hungama.