The makers of Swapnil Joshi's first horror film Bali have revealed, via a motion poster, that the film will be released in theatres on 16 April.
Joshi took to Instagram to share the poster in which we see a closeup of the actor's face with red crosses on his eyeballs and blood trickling down his forehead. The tagline reads: Who is Elizabeth?
From the religious symbolism and blood, one can assume that the film's protagonist probably gets trapped in some kind of cult.
Joshi said in a statement, "I had promised the Marathi audience that I would explore a new genre this year. This film is a small step in that direction. I am very happy to get into the horror space. I am happy that I have got an opportunity to do it with my favourite people like Kartik, Arjun and my favourite director in this field, Vishal. I am sure that we together can 'scare' the audience and make them enjoy it."
With Bali, Joshi is eager to amp up the horror quotient in Marathi cinema. “If you think of it, barring Vishal’s Lapachhapi, the Marathi film industry has never had horror films per se. There were horror-comedies, but not films that give you sleepless nights. I think Bali will fill that void. What’s more interesting is that the film does not have the usual jump-scares or loud music that Indian horror films try to scare you with,” the actor added.
Furia, who made his directorial debut in the horror film Lapachhapi (2017), said Bali would be much scarier and thrilling than his first film. "Lapachhapi was well received by the Marathi audience, proving that they love the horror genre. Appreciating that, I really want to continue making horror films for the Marathi audience and this is another such attempt.”
The filmmaker also believes that Joshi's stardom will help the film reach the masses.
Bali stars Pooja Sawant who played the lead in Lapachhapi.
The project is being produced under the banner of Arjun Singgh Baran and Kartik D Nishandar’s Global Sports Entertainment and Media Solutions Private Limited.