Festival rounds continue for Ali Fazal’s psychological horror film The Underbug

Ali Fazal

Ali Fazal began the year with the world première of The Underbug at the Slamdance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury prize for the Breakouts Feature. Now, the psychological horror film is en route to another film gala. Shujaat Saudagar's directorial offering, starring Fazal and Hussain Dalal in lead roles, will be screened at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) on August 16 and 17.

With The Underbug, Saudagar tells the story of two rioters who take refuge in an abandoned bungalow as communal riots spread across the country. Naturally suspicious of each other, the two men are further terrified when they are convinced of an eerie presence in the house. Fazal was so impressed by the horror film and its political subtext that he also came on board as an executive producer. Proud that The Underbug is travelling to Melbourne, the actor-producer hopes that the movie's experimental nature and powerful theme will resonate with the audiences. "Our first outing with the film was a stellar success, and personally, it is close to my heart. It's a genre I have never done before. The Underbug is experimental in all the right ways, and it's thrilling that a new set of audience at the festival will witness it," he shares.