Karan Tacker calls it 'most disturbing experience' on being a part of Bhay

When a project creates an impact yoursquod expect everyone to be thrilled and eagerly waiting to dive right into another season However in a chat with midday Karan Tacker mdash who has recently starred in Amazon MX Playerrsquos Bhay The Gaurav Tiwari Mystery mdash admits he is actually terrified that the horror biopic based on Abhirup Dharrsquos book Ghost Hunter Gaurav Tiwari The Life and Legacy of Indiarsquos Foremost Paranormal Investigator might be renewed for another season After laughing it off but only slightly he tells us why the show ranks among the bravest decisions of his career and his eerie brushes with the paranormalExcerpts from the interviewBefore the show did you know about TiwariNo I actually didnrsquot So when this show was offered to me I did exactly what anyone would do mdash I went online and quickly looked up who Gaurav Tiwari was because I didnrsquot want to look stupid I was genuinely blown away when I read his story From the very beginning I was extremely kicked about the concept of the showKaran Tacker as Gaurav TiwariWasnrsquot it risky to open with Tiwarirsquos death sceneIn Hindi cinema you never ideally show your protagonist dead from the first frame But we wanted to take that coldopen strategy to tell people exactly what theyrsquore getting into and rope them into the story instantly It was a punt we took as a team and it paid offDid working on this series strengthen your belief in the paranormalIrsquove always believed there is life after death and have always been curious about it Irsquove read many books met people who write about paranormal things and connect with the other side I never dived too deep into it before because it felt like a dark hole But after the show the intrigue has become a part of my reality Had this been fiction my mind would work differently Wersquove seen documented footage real sightings and knowing Gaurav was celebrated globally makes everything feel very bona fide While promoting the show I went to a haunted site and did a real seacuteance with a paranormal investigator I donrsquot know where I got the guts to do it but it was surreal I didnrsquot sleep for a week after thatWe even experienced strange things on set in Madhya Pradesh when we were shooting in a rundown bungalow like when seven setup cameras glitched together batteries of phones and cameras got drained and a massive tree crashed onto an ambulance There were moments that genuinely shook usGaurav TiwariDid shooting the show emotionally or psychologically disturb youAbsolutely This has been the most disturbing experience of my life as an actor Knowing this is a real personrsquos story knowing he died mysteriously knowing he claimed something latched onto him mdash that really stayed with me I had sleepless nights after seeing real footage A big part of me is happy that itrsquos done because it was really torturous Also shooting 40 nights in isolated funky locations is not easy Irsquom almost afraid there is going to be a season twoThe show uses strong background music and sound effects Was that deliberateYes Background music BGM is essential Even in theatre during Shakespearersquos time music supported the narrative and emotions You need to balance creativity with mass connect Indiarsquos main audience sits outside metros so you have to simplify things and also spoonfeed a bit The first two episodes went through 22 edits just to get the tone and pacing rightPiciStockWas this the riskiest role of your careerYes absolutely This was the biggest risk Irsquove taken People donrsquot always accept you when you move away from heroic roles Either it was going to land or completely fail Thankfully it workedWhen you look back at your journey how do you see your career nowIrsquove really enjoyed my career Things didnrsquot move as fast as I wouldrsquove liked but itrsquos been fulfilling I wasnrsquot a trained actor I didnrsquot come here to become one I come from a business family I did odd jobs including flying as a cabin crew Acting happened by chance I took a sixtosevenyear break from TV because I wanted to do only something that genuinely pushed my career OTT changed everything From Special Ops to Khakee The Bihar Chapter to Bhay I feel fortunate to have found diversity in my work My aim now is to do one or two powerful projects a year and Irsquoll be happy with thatWho is Gaurav TiwariHe was Indiarsquos most prominent paranormal investigator and founder of the Indian Paranormal Society He dedicated his life to studying and investigating haunted locations worldwide His death in July 2016 remains mysterious He was found in his Delhi home with a mark around his neck The police cited asphyxia due to hanging and suggested depression but his family and followers believe something ldquounseenrdquo may have been responsible