Bollywood Hungama

EXCLUSIVE: Sabbir Khan reveals why Adbhut is a RARE film to premiere on TV before arriving on OTT; explains how his supernatural thriller got a U/A certificate: You can watch it with your family without having to CRINGE

Sabbir Khan, known for mass-appealing action entertainers like Heropanti (2014), Baaghi (2016) and Munna Michael (2017), switched genres with the supernatural psychological thriller Adbhut, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Diana Penty and Shreya Dhanwanthary. At a time when films often skip a theatrical release and premiere directly on streaming platforms, Adbhut took an unusual route. It first premiered on television before finally arriving on JioHotstar on Friday, October 9. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Sabbir Khan opened up about the unconventional release strategy, the film's delay, its casting and a lot more. How was your weekend? Did you receive encouraging feedback for Adbhut? The weekend was great. Since it was an unusual film from my end, I was bombarded with messages. People couldn't believe that I had made it! If I hadn't told anybody that I was the one who made it, they wouldn't have believed it (laughs). But overall, the feedback has been good. It's doing very well on JioHotstar. It's the number one film on the platform right now. What was the reason behind the film premiering on television first and then arriving on OTT? The film was supposed to come out in 2023-24. It first premiered on SET Max, and I think the only reason it got delayed was because Sony and Zee were supposed to merge. That took a year and a half to get sorted, after which the merger eventually didn't happen. But all's well that ends well. The film got picked up by JioHotstar and found its home. I am grateful to JioHotstar for picking it up. It's a great platform to be on. Did you ever consider releasing Adbhut in cinemas? The way it has been shot, it actually has big-screen appeal... I made this film with Sony Pictures. When they saw the finished product, they wanted to release it in theatres. But post-pandemic, films weren't doing that well theatrically. So, there was a lot of deliberation over whether or not we should release it in cinemas. As you rightly said, anybody who saw it instantly felt that it was made for the big screen. Also, I was thinking ahead of the curve. When I conceptualized the film, it was way ahead of the whole horror wave that we are witnessing right now. At present, everybody wants to make a horror film! Unfortunately, Adbhut didn't come out at the time it was supposed to. However, I guess everything finds its place at the right time. Films like Adbhut often receive an 'A' certificate. Hence, was it a pleasant surprise when the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) passed it with a U/A certificate? It's a story that lends itself to the kind of genres we love watching at home, be it supernatural, crime, mystery or horror. However, most people tend to make A-rated horror films. I asked myself, 'What if I make it more story-centric?' Moreover, this is not a film with typical jump scares or Ramsay-type ghosts! So, we kept it more psychological. That worked, as we didn't get a single cut. We received a clean U/A certificate. It's a film that you can watch with your family without having to cringe, as it's not excessively dark or scary. The casting is quite strong. Were Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Diana Penty and Shreya Dhanwanthary your first choices? Yes, they were all pretty much my first choices. I had already worked with Nawaz in Munna Michael. We share a comfort level, and he's a phenomenal actor. I hadn't worked with the other actors before. But when I met Shreya and Diana, there was an instant connection. You sometimes meet actors and instinctively feel that you're on the same page. I had great meetings with both of them and also with Rohan Mehra. They responded to the material exactly the way it was written. That made things easier. The same camaraderie continued during the shoot, and we had a great time on the sets. Adbhut marked your second collaboration with the late Vikram Gokhale after Nikamma (2022). How was your bond with him? Also, did he get to see the film before his demise? Vikram ji saw the film when he dubbed for certain portions. He wasn't keeping well and was in Pune. So, I sent my team there to get his dubbing done. I feel fortunate that I got the chance to work with him before he passed away. He was an institution in himself. Apart from being an actor, he was also a very prolific writer and director. He had such a rich background in theatre that, for us filmmakers, even getting a few pearls of wisdom from people like him means a lot. Hence, for me, working with him was a great experience. Also Read: New poster of Nawazuddin Siddiquis horror-thriller Adbhut unveiled, set to release on Sony Max on September 15