A still from the film Kaaunri Kanya and the filmmakers, brothers (above) Soumya Ranjan and Ramya Ranjan. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, March 6: Bloodcurdling yells, furious chanting of mantras, a fearsome, pale-skinned woman performing mojo… Put yourself on beta-blockers.

Kaaunri Kanya, being touted as the state’s first 3-D horror flick with underwater scenes, will hit the theatres this summer. Going by the teaser, it could give RGV’s Bhoot a run for its money. And what’s better, it promises to be a treat for the audience, which bears the assault of humdrum family dramas and romances round the year.

This low-budget film, the debut venture of brothers Soumya Ranjan, 24, and Ramya Ranjan, 20, is in its post-production stage with Bangalore-based 3-D animation and visual effects (VFX) artistes working overtime to give it an Exorcist feel.

“I have friends who freelance as VFX artistes. They have contributed to films such as Harry Potter and Spiderman and have agreed to help me with my film. So, I can vouch for the quality of the special effects,” said Soumya Ranjan, who has worked as a post-production technician for the Aamir Khan-starrer 3 Idiots and Mani Ratnam’s Raavan. He returned to the state last year to make a film of a “different genre” along with his brother, under the banner of Angel Bee Medias.

He is particularly excited about the 10-minute underwater sequence, shot in a swimming pool in Vishakapatnam, because it has never been tried before in the state. “It was a challenge for us to shoot underwater. The actors, too, were coming up every 15 seconds for air. Since ours is a low budget film, we couldn’t afford to rope in expert swimmers who could do the job,” said the bespectacled youngster, a graduate of the Biju Patnaik Film and Television Institute, Cuttack.

Not one to give up, Soumya Ranjan took the camera and dived into the water, confining himself to a 4feet by 8feet glass box to shoot the scene. “The shot has been up to my satisfaction. Add special effects to that and I am sure people will jump off their seats,” he said.

He said Kaaunri Kanya (or woman possessed) is based on a real-life incident that took place in a nondescript village of Ganjam district. A young girl was murdered by villagers, who suspected her to be practising witchcraft. The movie, of course, has been dramatised. It features fresh faces from the theatre world.

Kavya plays the role of the ghost. The cast includes Payal, Soumya, Rehan, Ashutosh, Bighna, Ardhendu and Sudipta, all under the age of 25. Soumya Ranjan will be seen as a sorcerer. Actress Prakruti Mishra will be seen in an item song.

“It is about a young woman, Riya, and her doctor husband Akash who has been posted in a rural area. Unnatural events start occurring around them and before long, Riya gets possessed by the spirit of the so-called witch who was killed. A psychiatrist and sorcerers come into the picture and they figure out the story behind the supernatural occurrences. The film also has elements of romance and four great songs that people will love,” he said.