Victor Banerjee and Ho Sakta Hai co-star Jaya Bhattacharya at the film?s promotional function in Calcutta on Tuesday. Picture by Aranya Sen

That the proverbial nimboo-mirchi (hanging from every taxi rear-view mirror) can actually inspire a full-length feature film is quite way out. But then Ho Sakta Hai ? the directorial debut of special effects wizard Wilson Louis ? does not even try to stick to the straight and the narrow.

The Calcutta connection? Victor Banerjee and Jaya Bhattacharya in the lead roles.

In the city on Tuesday to promote the film, Louis was very particular about the fact that his film was not another Vaastu Shastra and didn?t even fall under the horror genre.

?We are not trying to scare audiences here. It?s more of a paranormal theme and is the first film in India to explore the world of black magic. The promos do show it as a fear flick but it is more of a suspense thriller.?

The most novel element of the film is the use of special effects. Forty-five minutes of the two-hour duration is devoted to 3-D animation and visual effects. And of the Rs 1.75 crore budget, around Rs 45,000 has been spent on the effects.

There is even a nude sequence that has been specially created on the computer.

With Louis handling the SFX division of director Ketan Mehta?s company Maya Entertainment, it was all too easy. ?But more than stressing on the special effects, I have tried to concentrate on the script.?

For Victor it will be another spine-chiller after Bhoot and he did sound excited about the project. ?There is never a bigger privilege than to be approached by a debutante director for his first film. What made me do the project was the director?s integrity and the fascinating idea. I play a zamindar in the film, who holds on to his old family values. The notion of family values should attract audiences in Bengal.?

Jaya, a familiar face on the small screen, thanks to Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, plays Victor?s daughter-in-law, who has a mind of her own. ?I get all my film roles, including those in Devdas and Lajja, through my acting on the telly. I am just an actress ? I can?t categorise myself in one particular medium.?

Ho Sakta Hai, slated to release some time in December, was shot in a start-to-finish schedule of 38 days in Lonavla and Madh Island.