9th February, Mumbai: It was a big win for Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, as their second home production, The Underbug, got a positive response at the Slamdance Film Festival in Los Angeles. The film, which was made under the banner of Pushing Buttons Studios, entered this independent film festival and garnered rave reviews from critics and audience both.
The movie is directed by Shujaat Saudagar and stars Ali and Hussain Dalal in lead roles. The film was shot during lockdowns in late 2020. The film was extensively shot in a house somewhere in the interior of Maharashtra. A psychological thriller, the story revolves around two characters who take refuge in an abandoned house.
The Underbug being the first psychological horror movie from their production house, it already looked promising. Owing to which it helped to create a cult for South Asian movies of a similar genre in front of a global audience.
Richa says, “The movie got a great response and as creators of it we were there to witness it. It was a very proud moment for us, especially because it represented Indian cinema on such a huge global platform. This is a great time for cinema as Indian movies are getting wider reach with a global audience. The films of this genre are quite tricky since it has a very niche audience, but since it got such a positive response it kind of says it all. ”
Ali says, “I have not produced the movie but also acted in it, so I am not just physically involved with the movie but also emotionally. And seeing a response like this is quite heartwarming. The movie was made in very confused and stressful circumstances. The movie also had the added responsibilities since it was its first screening, and the first reactions were positive, it gave us a lot of confidence.”
The movie is written by Shujaat Saudagar, Abbas Dalal, Hussain Dalal and produced by Vikesh Bhutani, Shujaat Saudagar and Aman Mann. Executive Producers are Shaunak Sen, Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal, Abbas Dalal and Hussain Dalal.