Exclusive! Swapnil Joshi: Had Vishal told me about paranormal activity on Bali sets, I would not have completed the shoot

Actor Swapnil Joshi will be attempting the horror genre for the first time in his decades-long career in the film and television industry. His next Marathi film Bali is a horror drama, directed by Vishal Furia of Chhorii fame. Bali too will release on Amazon Prime Video on December 9 and ahead of its release, Joshi spoke to OTTplay about his experience working on the film alongside Pooja Sawant and how he gets scared easy. He also shed some light on Samantar 3 and Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai franchise. Excerpts: 

Bali is nearing release. How are you feeling currently?

Horror. I think horror is one emotion that I would choose to express before every release. It gives me goosebumps thinking about what's going to happen on a Friday. I am excited, nervous, there's a lot of anticipation but in all, I am happy and satisfied to have done the film and be a part of the journey. 

Could you tell us about the film and your character?

Bali is a father-son story and a classic horror. I play the role of Shrikant, a single father who has lost his wife to an illness. He is already grieving and sad and that's when his seven-year-old son is also diagnosed with a terminal illness. He decides no matter what happens, he won't let his son go away too and that he would go to any extent to protect him. He admits him in the hospital where there is some negative entity that wants to take his son away for reasons you will get to know in the film. Bali means the victim and he is trying to save his son from being a victim.

Was it any different to work on a horror film?

It was completely different. There were different prosthetics, VFX, set designs, and different entries and exits for ghosts. The atmosphere in a horror film is different, aisa nahi ke takes ke beech mein, actors kursi laga ke baith kar gappe lada rahe ho. It was spooky with all the lighting, colours, production designs and set design. All these elements add to the spookiness of the sets. But it was a surreal experience. I have done horror for the first time in my career. I am thrilled and also s**t scared. But the team, the director and the producers are awesome and I can't be more excited that the film is releasing on a powerful platform like Amazon.

What was it that drew you to this project?

A lot of reasons. I could be a part of a story that I have never told before, visit those emotions that I have not before. A lot of boxes ticked right for me. When Samantar was out, it became a huge hit and I realised the audience loves good content, so I didn't mind breaking the image I hold too. All these reasons combined, made Bali a compelling choice for me.

When people usually work on a horror film, they say to have experienced something scary on the sets. Did the same happen with you too in Bali?

Thankfully, I did not but there was some paranormal activity on the sets that used to happen. Thank God it did not happen with me, otherwise, I would not have completed the shoot of the film. I am genuinely scared of ghosts.

So you do believe in ghosts?

I don't believe in ghosts but I do believe in the concept of yin and yang. Agar achha hai to bura bhi hai, agar positivity hai to negativity bhi hai. Ab aap agar usse ghost kaho ya spirit, jo bhi naam de, and it is proven by science. There is a sequence in the film with windows, which has been shown in the trailer as well. Windows play a very relevant part in the film. While shooting, when Vishal used to talk about those windows, they would fly open on their own.

Are you sure it was not someone pulling a prank?

I am quite sure. If it were to be a prank, Vishal would have played it on me or Pooja or somebody but he did not even mention it to me during the entire shoot. He told me only after the entire shoot got over at one of the wrap up parties. He said they have experienced it four to five times while he would plan the lighting and camera. Even listening to it is scary.

Where was the film shot?

It was shot in Pune. The basic location is the hospital which we shot in two parts. We shot live in a hospital and in a different place too as having those kinds of lights, set designs would not be possible in an actual hospital.

You said you get scared easy. So did playing the character in this film affect you personally as well?

It affected me personally but for good, I would say. I get scared easily and that helped the film. I don't play a hero or a larger-than-life image in the film. I play the underdog, a father who is scared of losing his son. I play a husband who is scared of losing another family member, having lost his wife and I play a middle-class man who is scared of the huge medical bills that come with hospitalisation. Shrikant is genuinely scared of circumstances, emotions and losing someone he loves and me getting scared of negativity in real life helped me make the struggles of Shrikant and its portrayal very real. This is how I would like to believe.

Samantar has been a crazy ride for you which began in 2020. Now Bali is slated to release in 2021 and we see you in intense moments here as well. Is experimental content something you look forward to currently?

I would like to believe that I have started experimenting with films five years ago. I did a film called Ranangan where I play a villain and an out and out negative character. It received disruptive reactions, either people loved it a lot or just hated it. But the film gave me the courage to do more disruptive roles. I then did Mogra Phulaalaa, completely different from my image. I played an introvert and who lacked confidence in life, which is absolutely not me. Then, Samantar 1 happened, which gave a bigger palette for Samantar 2. I hope to continue to do more content that brings a smile to the audience or satisfy my hunger as an actor or both.

What is the update on Samantar 3?

I never said never. (smiles)

Do we get to see more of the Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai franchise? When is that happening?

It would be difficult to say when. But Satish has written 5 parts at the beginning itself but when it would happen is a hypothetical question.