Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt is celebrating the success of Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past, but according to him, the horror film almost never made it to theatres.
Taking to Instagram after the film`s encouraging box office performance, Bhatt shared a candid note detailing the numerous setbacks he faced while bringing the project to life. The filmmaker revealed that what began as an ambitious follow-up to the success of 1920: Horrors of the Heart soon turned into one of the toughest journeys of his career.
Sharing a picture that read `From hunted to haunted,` Bhatt reflected on the challenges that threatened to derail the film at multiple stages.
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A post shared by Vikram Bhatt (@thevikrambhatt)
Vikram Bhatt reveals struggles
According to Bhatt, the production ran into trouble almost immediately after filming began.
“Ten days into the shoot, money ran out. Most films would have died here. Not this one,” he wrote, revealing that the team borrowed money, negotiated with vendors and continued shooting despite mounting financial pressure.
The filmmaker said the project was repeatedly hit by production, post-production and visual effects challenges.
However, he described his personal legal troubles as the biggest obstacle of all.
“And then life delivered its hardest blow. My wife and I were arrested on allegations that I maintain were false. I spent 75 days in prison while Haunted sat unfinished,” Bhatt revealed.
He further shared that while he was in prison, he even suggested releasing the film without him. However, producer Anand Pandit stood by him. Recalling the conversation, Bhatt wrote, “No Vikram Bhatt, no film release.”
Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past beats the odds
After returning to Mumbai, Bhatt discovered that post-production work had stalled. He said the team worked relentlessly to complete the film, often putting in 18-20 hour workdays.
Just when the finish line seemed near, another legal challenge threatened to halt the release. Bhatt revealed that even two days before release, nobody knew whether the film would make it to cinemas.
“Distributors were nervous. Exhibitors were nervous. Years of effort seemed to hang in the balance,” he wrote.
Despite the uncertainty and limited showcasing, the filmmaker said audiences eventually turned up for the film. “By every conventional yardstick, it should have struggled. Instead, something extraordinary happened. The audience arrived,” Bhatt added.
According to box office tracking portal Sacnilk, Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past has collected over Rs 11 crore in its first four days and has outperformed several competing releases. For Bhatt, however, the biggest victory was simply seeing the film finally reach audiences after years of setbacks.
