Sign in

Vikram Bhatt says Hollywood horror Obsession reminded him of his 2002 blockbuster: 'I laughed and thought this is Raaz’

Vikram Bhatt reacted to the global success of the Hollywood's supernatural horror film, Obsession, revealing he found it similar to Raaz.

Updated on: Jun 23, 2026, 12:15:36 IST
Written by
Share
Share via
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
Copy link
  • copy link

The Hollywood supernatural horror film Obsession took cinemas in India by storm upon its release and went on to become a sensation. The film emerged as a global success, and filmmaker Vikram Bhatt has now reacted to its popularity, revealing that he found similarities between the film and his 2002 blockbuster Raaz.

Vikram Bhatt says he believes Obsession's storyline is similar to Raaz.
Vikram Bhatt says he believes Obsession's storyline is similar to Raaz.

Why Vikram Bhatt thinks Obsession is Raaz

In an interview with Firstpost, Vikram reacted to the global success of Obsession and said, "I haven't seen Obsession, but someone was telling me the story, and I sat back, laughed and thought, 'This is Raaz.' It's basically Malini of Raaz throughout the whole film. My take is that if you make a good horror film, people are going to come. This one was really good."

He further explained why the horror genre can work even without major stars, saying, "When you have big actors, you cannot possibly have them getting scared and running around. Either it starts looking like a comedy, where they are comically scared, or it doesn't feel believable. In a realistic story, if you have an A-list hero who already has a larger-than-life persona, like an Allu Arjun or a Ram Charan, it's not going to work. There's a resistance from A-listers. Secondly, as I have observed, people come to experience the sensation of fear. They don't come for any actor. That's the nature of the genre."

About Obsession's success

The film, starring Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette in the lead roles, collected 77.95 crore in India. It emerged as one of the highest-grossing horror films in the country. Directed by Curry Barker, the film also features Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless and Andy Richter in supporting roles. Obsession has reportedly grossed over $300 million worldwide, making it a major commercial success.

About Raaz

The film stars Dino Morea and Bipasha Basu in lead roles, alongside Malini Sharma and Ashutosh Rana in supporting roles.

Raaz follows Aditya (Dino Morea) and Sanjana (Bipasha Basu), who travel to Ooty in an attempt to repair their troubled marriage. However, their new home harbours a dark secret — a restless spirit with unfinished business. As the haunting intensifies, Sanjana uncovers a chilling truth: the greatest threat may be the very man she is trying to save. The film was both a critical and commercial success, emerging as the second-highest-grossing Hindi film of 2002.

About Vikram Bhatt's recent release

The filmmaker's latest release, Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past, is a spiritual sequel to Haunted – 3D. The film stars Mahaakshay Chakraborty, also known as Mimoh Chakraborty, alongside Chetna Pande, Gaurav Bajpai, Hemant Pandey, Shruti Prakash and Praneet Bhat. Despite receiving negative reviews from critics, the film has collected over 20 crore worldwide within 10 days of its release.

  • Riya Sharma
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Riya Sharma

    Riya Sharma is a content producer at Hindustan Times who lives and breathes entertainment. If there’s gossip making noise in Bollywood or a reality show moment breaking the internet, chances are she’s already writing about it. She loves digging out the juiciest stories, spotting viral pegs and turning it into easy-to-read content. A journalism graduate from IP University, Riya began her career as a social media executive, where she learned the art of grabbing attention in a scroll-heavy world. But her love for showbiz soon pulled her into entertainment journalism, because for her, it’s always been entertainment, entertainment and more entertainment. An artist at heart, Riya has a deep passion for acting, music and dance, which shapes how she watches and writes about films and reality shows. She loves sharing her views and reviews, especially when something excites, surprises or completely disappoints her. A hardcore reality show fan, Riya enjoys tracking every twist, task and meltdown, and breaking them down for readers who can’t get enough of high-voltage drama. Movies are equally close to her heart, whether it’s a big theatrical release or a binge-worthy OTT series, she’s always watching, and analysing what’s worth the time. She loves talking to celebrities, asking questions that go beyond the usual. When she’s not working, she’s either glued to a new web series, hunting for underrated thrillers on OTT platforms, or rewatching iconic Bollywood moments.Read More

Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!.

Get more updates from Bollywood, Taylor Swift, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.