Streaming giant Netflix’s new three-part mini-series Ghoul blends supernatural elements with dystopia and is a commentary on the current socio-political malaise. Set in a detention centre, the show is directed by Patrick Graham and stars Radhika Apte and Manav Kaul and has opened to positive reviews. t2 sat down with the two actors at Taj Land’s End in Bandra, Mumbai, recently to know more about the chills and spills that go into making a horror show

How do you view your characters in Ghoul?

Radhika Apte: I play Nida Rahim, who’s a military officer, very idealistic and patriotic. And she’s just thrown into a very weird situation. Sunil DaCunha (played by Manav Kaul) is someone that she’s admired as a hero during her college days and she meets him in an interrogation cell that he runs.

Manav Kaul: Then a prisoner comes into the picture and everything goes upside down. And it’s a lot of fun! (Laughs) 

It’s such a shift from the sweet, supportive husband you played in Tumhari Sulu! 

Manav: (Laughs) That’s the fun of trying to do different roles. Also, I was surrounded by amazing actors and everyone was a friend — I’ve known them all from theatre. It was a very, very interesting bunch of actors put together in a very damp, absolutely claustrophobic atmosphere for a month and we had a lot of fun. It was great complimenting your co-actors and being complimented back.

Ghoul is set in a dystopian world. Is that a genre that you know of or are interested in?

Radhika: It was really amazing, the entire set-up of the show — it was actually one of the main reasons I wanted to do it as well. I really like this one scene where I’m sitting blindfolded in a Jeep and you don’t know where you’re headed. It’s weird and full of horror, it’s futuristic in a way but quite present also. It’s not so real at the same time, the way it’s set up is quite bizarre. I like that. Like in Alien 3, it’s weird and crazy.

Do you like horror films and shows?

Manav: Honestly, I am not a big fan. I don’t like getting scared. A good horror film or show tends to stay with me even after I am done watching. I still remember the horror films I saw as a kid and they terrify me. 

Radhika: I have a love-hate relationship with horror. I love ghost stories but I also scare very easily. I am one of those who watches horror films only after making sure that I am not going to be alone after. 

What is it like to shoot a horror show? Is it as claustrophobic as we see on screen?

Manav: It was quite claustrophobic. Most of the show is shot in the basement of Tulip Star (a defunct hotel in Juhu). It’s raining throughout, so there’s water everywhere and we were wet very often. It was all very dingy and miserable....

Radhika: It was also very tiring because fear is a very taxing emotion. Being scared for 10 takes in a row can exhaust you. This was a very quick shoot, so we didn’t really get a chance to relax between scenes. 

Manav: Thank god for Patrick. He kept the atmosphere on set light in spite of all of these factors.
Radhika: Yeah, he is such a funny guy. 

Did you get scared at all while shooting?

Radhika: The scene where I tap an actor and he turns around. I had seen him with make-up before and we had been chatting all day. But when it was time to shoot that scene, we were in a dark room and I had to walk in with a torch. He is in the corner and when he turned, I screamed. I was genuinely scared.  

Radhika, you’ve done your fair share of work with Phantom Films. What is it about them as a production house that works for you?

Radhika: I think they do subjects that are more interesting than what has been offered to me so far. In general, their content is very interesting and I really like Vikram’s (Vikramaditya Motwane) and Anurag’s (Kashyap) work, and I admire their processes so much — they’re very different directors. I really like working with both of them.

There is a lot of chatter about how you’re in every Phantom and Netflix production!

Radhika: (Laughs) I really don’t know how to react to this. It’s so ridiculous, I was laughing. It’s just a coincidence. When we shot Ghoul two years ago, it was a film for theatrical release; ditto for Lust Stories. Sacred Games was the only Netflix original. Obviously, I have no control over the fact that they all released in the same year or that the films ended up on Netflix. But I am not complaining.  

Manav, this is your first experience with a series. Did that feel any different simply because you need to carry a character a lot longer than a film?

Manav: When we shot this, it was supposed to be a film and then we had to shoot a little bit more. But if I had to shoot for a series, it wouldn’t make any difference because, as an actor, I like to perform and go on set. And if I get to perform Ashok from Tumhari Sulu for three months, why not? I’d do it as long as they give me that much material. As an actor, I like to give more than what’s expected of me. I love actors who add a layer that’s not there, and I want to be a part of that set; the kind you can’t take your eyes off.

Radhika, congratulations on the success of Sacred Games. What kind of reactions did you get?

Radhika: For the series, I got exceptional love because it was loved all over. I’ve not met anybody who’s not liked it. Personally as well, I got some really good responses, some really good compliments and criticism as well.