Suparn Verma, who has directed Bollywood's latest horror film "Aaatma", says the genre has found a new lease of life in Hindi cinema thanks to popular actresses like Bipasha Basu.

He believes horror genre was once considered B-grade cinema in Bollywood. That, he said, has changed.

"I think horror has always had a huge audience for a very long time. It's just that we have been making less of horror cinema. Also, it is only in recent years, with Bipasha kind of starting it off, when A-listers have started doing horror cinema.

"Until then, it was treated as B-grade cinema, a sub-genre of cinema. Today it has become respectful. The audience is huge," Suparn said here Thursday at a promotional event held for "Aatma".

Verma's "Aatma", co-starring Bipasha and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, released Friday.

Bipasha has done quite a few horror films like "Raaz" (2002), "Darna Zaroori Hai" (2006) and "Raaz 3" (2012).

Verma also said the availability of new techniques has increased the possibilities that can be explored in the genre.

"Now we have started pushing the envelope. We have new stories and techniques coming out. With horror there is a lot more play, technically, which you can't do with romantic (films). There, you can only show romance, but in horror, there is morality, fear... you can show a lot actually," he said.

Nawazuddin finds an admirer in Bipasha


Bipasha Basu, who has worked with National Award-winning actor Nawazuddin Sidiqqui in her latest release "Aatma", says she is proud of working with the credible actor that he is.

"Nawaz is a wonderful actor and we all knew it even before he got the National Award, as he has been shining in all the roles he has done in the films in the last year," the 34-year-old said here Thursday at a promotional event for "Aatma".

"We all are very happy that he got the National Award. I feel very proud that I got an opportunity to work with him because he is a very credible actor," she added.

Nawazuddin won a special jury award for his performances in films "Gangs of Wasseypur", "Kahaani", "Talaash" and "Dekh India Circus".