Bhediya: Ahead of Varun Dhawan film, exploring the lore and lure of werewolves and shape-shifters in India

As Bhediya gears up to release, indianexpress.com delved deep into why this mythical character has not found many takers over the years in India.

It is midnight and the full moon casts its shadow on a man sitting by the river. As the wind blows softly, the man stands up, looking visibly in pain. And then in a flash, he grows twice his size — muscles potruding out of his clothes, his face now elongated like a dog’s, and the body covered in fur. The man is now a wolf, or as lore tells us, a werewolf.

We have seen this scene play out in cinema multiple times across the world, but scarcely in India. Despite our love for icchadhari naagins, shape-shifters have rarely appeared in Indian films and shows. Now, Varun Dhawan is all set to get into the skin of a werewolf in the about-to-release Bhediya; the Amar Kaushik directorial that calls itself ‘India’s first creature comedy’. Varun plays a werewolf on a mission, while Kriti Sanon will essay the role of his lover-cum-doctor.

In a country that’s obsessed with mythological and mystical stories, it comes as a surprise that not many tales about werewolves have been told before. While on television we have had Pyaar Ki Yeh Ek Kahani and Fanaah (both though focussed majorly on vampires), and a rich tradition of revenge-seeking naagins, werewolves and other shape-shifters have been missing from Indian screens.

As indianexpress.com spoke to industry stalwarts to zero upon the cause, most mentioned the ‘risk factor’ being the prime reason. Khaali Peeli director Maqbool Khan shared that there was a time when such shapeshifting creatures were either the villain or their weapon, but never the central character. “It’s not that Bollywood hasn’t toyed with the idea before. If you go into the horror zone, there was Jaani Dushman and Dharmendra’s Katilon Ke Kaatil, which had a character called Reecha. They weren’t exactly werewolves but had similar physical features with fur and fangs, almost ‘daanav’ like. The werewolves are just their refined version,” he shared.

The filmmaker further added, “The lack of projects on these subjects was definitely because mainstream actors wouldn’t be keen to do this. The last project that I can think of was Mahesh Bhatt’s Junoon where Rahul Roy shifted shape into a tiger. But hats off to Varun Dhawan for choosing to do this. He has a wider reach and I think it will definitely start a new trend in the industry.”

Maqbool has also directed the initial episodes of Star One’s Pyaar Kii Yeh Ek Kahaani, which was a take on The Twilight Saga. While Vivian Dsena played the vampire, Rithvik Dhanjani was the werewolf in the popular show. Its writer Sonali Jaffer, who is also now a producer, shared that there are very few shape-shifting stories because of the scarcity of uniqueness factor. She shared that given the success their show garnered, not many TV shows attempted a similar story. Also, the relatability factor makes it a tightrope to walk on.

“These stories cannot cater to everyone. It has a different kind of storytelling. Also, I think that’s the reason why makers have shied from it for so long. However, now the audiences have explored so much content that they are more accepting,” she added.

Many in the industry also believe VFX holds an important part when one is telling a shapeshifting story. During the Bhediya promotions, Varun Dhawan too had addressed the same and claimed that the team has paid close attention to giving the audience the best visual experience.

“On TV, it’s impossible to work on the special effects on a daily basis and thus most projects become a weekend offering. However, films have an advantage, and they have the liberty to check and rework if there’s something amiss before the release. The budget in both cases has to be huge, and thus not many want to try their hands on it. Everyone wants a fool-proof plan these days,” an industry insider also shared.

Echoing their thoughts, Maqbool Khan too agreed that such stories have to be visually appealing. He shared that while due to the lack of budgets, TV shows may sometime falter, audiences still love watching them because it keeps them hooked. Referring to the success of shows like Naagin, Brahmarakshas (a take on Jaani Dushman) and other supernatural dramas, the filmmaker said that even when audiences call it cringy, they enjoy watching it.

“When it comes to films, not every story will work. But if it has good VFX and a tight script, people will buy it,” he shared. Lauding Bhediya’s trailer, Khan said that the film comes across as a complete package, which is the need of the hour.

“Just like Stree, there is a balance of horror, song, dance, and comedy. Every element is there and I am sure a lot of audiences are looking forward to watching it. It’s so encouraging to see that people, especially mainstream actors are taking up the challenges. It takes a lot. Earlier, actors wouldn’t even risk changing their hairstyles but now actors are going all out experimenting, and even using prosthetics. It’s so needed now given how Bollywood has seen a slump. I think we need to push the envelope in all aspects. I hope Bhediya does really well and we go back to entertaining audiences in the theatre.”

History of werewolves in the Indian context

Twilight did give the generation probably its full-fledged story on vampires and werewolves. The first instance of a menacing wolf would be in the fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood”, where they come across as a manipulative killer. Indians, however, have grown up listening to stories of wolves picking up children from outside their homes during full moon nights.

Several online reports suggest that in 1878, British officials had recorded more than 600 death due to wolf attack in a village in Uttar Pradesh. Years later, in 1996, many similar deaths happened in the same locality. Locals claimed that the killers were half-man and half-wolf. the police officials never found a substance in the claims.

While reporting the crime, New York Times, in its news article wrote, “A frenzy of rumors has put the blame for the killings not on wolves but on werewolves, the half-man, half-wolf creatures that have stalked their way through folklore for about as long as human societies have existed.”

Rightly so, in Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna created wolves from his own hair to convince the people of Brij to migrate to Vrindavana. Given the people were not keen, he created these menacing creatures to scare them into moving into a new camp, which was also designed in the shape of a half-moon.

Many other folklores have the character of Yakshas, who are closest to werewolves. The guardians of Kuber and his wealth were half-human and half-creature. Maqbool Khan believes that while a lot of international cultures have werewolf references, the ‘bhediya’ has always been part of Indian grandmother’s bedtime stories. Calling werewolves a western concept, the filmmaker said, “We have all heard stories of wolves attacking people. There were so many variants, one that I remember is the Jharak, who made noise while walking. Bhediya and wolves have always been part of our stories, the werewolves are just the a stylish version of this folklore. Even Betaal’s dog looked like a bhediya.”

Sonali Jaffer, on the other hand, feels that all shape-shifting creatures have evolved from Indian folk stories. “It’s wrong to say that they are westernised stories. I feel Naagin is a manifestation of our culture and people. Most shapeshifting stories have got so much success because one can relate to the history behind it. And this is why when you are making such stories, it’s important to keep in consideration the Indian roots. You cannot have a foreign reference while making it. There has to be a local connect, otherwise, it will not work.”

News Source:- The Indian EXPRESS