What’s the secret to a deliciously crafted thriller? Vasan Bala hopes to have the answer with Monica O My Darling, starring Rajkummar Rao, Huma Qureshi and Radhika Apte. For the noir thriller, the director has been inspired by filmmaker Sriram Raghavan, whom he considers the genre’s pioneer in the Hindi film industry. “With thrillers, I don’t take the pressure of making it a whodunit. I think all the masters have followed the [rule]. Be it Sriram Raghavan or any other director, they never take the pressure of hiding a lot from the audience. In fact, they give away a lot and hide a few [elements], which works as a surprise for viewers,” says the director.

Raghavan and Vasan Bala