Choo Mantar’s Sharan is a horror genre fan and here are his favorite films

Ever since he made the transition from supporting actor to lead hero, Sharan’s goal has been to do diverse films and roles, without letting go of his core strength – comedy. That resolve has only gotten stronger over time, especially after Guru Shishyaru, he reckons, and as part of this journey, he took up a film that is new for him as an actor.

Exclusive! Sharan: Exorcism, as depicted in Choo Mantar, will be novel for Kannada audiences 

Sharan has collaborated with filmmaker Navneeth, who is best known for the hit horror film Karvva, on a horror comedy called Choo Mantar, which is releasing in theatres on January 10. Interestingly, Sharan says that while humor is his forte, as a movie lover, it is not his favorite genre; instead, he seeks enjoyment in horror. This is also why he jumped at the idea of a film with Navaneeth, which would allow them to blend both their sensibilities to present a film with enough scares and some laughs too. Incidentally, the subject was initially not meant for Sharan but was later adapted for him.

Sharan on his favorite Kannada horror films

Talking about his love for the horror genre in a promotional interview with Newz Alerts, Sharan said that he enjoys films that send a shiver down the spine. “There are a few Kannada films in the genre that I have really liked. For instance, Naa Ninna Bidalaare, Shhhh, Aathma Bandhana, Digvijaya, etc. In fact, Naa Ninna Bidalaare is a film that works even after multiple watches,” he says.

In Choo Mantar, Sharan plays a priest nicknamed Dynamo because of his expertise in exorcism. He and his team get called to a bungalow, Morgan House, where an NRI couple, played by Prabhu Mundkur and Meghana Gaonkar have been experiencing supernatural occurrences. Morgan House has a violent and disturbing past, with evil spirits lurking around. Can Dynamo find a solution to the strange events happening in the house and to its inhabitants?

Best Sharan-led comedies to watch on OTT 

Choo Mantar, which also stars Aditi Prabhudeva, Chikkanna, Gurukiran, Rajini Bharadwaj, and Vijay Chendoor, among others, was supposed to be released in April last year but was postponed for various reasons, not once, but twice, including to accommodate Sharan’s Avatara Purusha 2. It is now set for release, amid issues with securing adequate screens and shows.