‘Obsession’ has been one of the biggest hits of the year. What makes it even more impressive is that it was made on a shoestring budget of $750,000, but went on to gross $170 million worldwide. Film maker Ram Gopal Varma he was clearly blown away by this. On Sunday, he took to X to say he’s obsessed with the film and shared his thoughts on why it’s managed to connect with so many people around the world.
Ram Gopal Varma’s theory on how “Obsession” connected with audiences
RGV took to his X handle and wrote, “My theory on the massive success of OBSESSION. Every woman has a little bit of NIKKI in her, and she knows it too. Every man sees a little bit of NIKKI in his woman. Connect from there.”
What is ‘Obsession’?
The film follows Bear, a music store employee played by Michael Johnston, whose life takes a dark and terrifying turn after he gets his hands on a supernatural toy. He uses his childhood friend Nikki, played by Inde Navarrette, to fall in love with him, but the desire comes at a huge price. Written, directed and edited by ‘Obsession’ Curry Barker.
Ram Gopal Varma breaks down the budget and production of Obsession
In another post about X, RGV elaborated on what excited him about the making of the film, considering the editing and directorial approach. He said, “I am obsessed with Obsession. Till few weeks before the entire industry thought that big stars, massive budgets, Vfx spectacle films will drive audiences to theaters and now Obsession has reset that button. No big stars, no big locations, no lavish production designs, no foreign shoots, no top technicians and no budgets and the most important thing about it in India. , mere manufacturing cost can’t be. 70 lakhs plus excluding technical fees, considering it was shot entirely in 3 locations (two rooms in a modest house, the interior of a car and the interior of a small shop).He added: “The director’s style is visually simple, but very unique (I was particularly impressed by the excessive use of headspace in many shots, which strangely enhances the mood). He treats editing not only as a technical craft, but as a psychological weapon, mixing quick cuts with long stays (in this case, a long stay on Nikki’s face, in which the tension of the audience is impossible to capture). vision without escape.“The blurb also stated: “Cutting sharp sound effects (a door, a sudden laugh, a heartbeat) to create a rhythmic score is terrific. Barker’s editing philosophy is said to be: ‘Make the audience feel what the character feels, which is to be unstable.’ He mainly used single source lighting and lit spaces rather than individual shots, very similar David Fincherbut much more efficient. After grossing over $179 million to date on a budget of less than $1 million, what needs to be looked into even more is the editing path and sound design techniques not to forget the character design.”
Internet Burns Ram Gopal Varma For Missing ‘Obsession’ Point
However, not everything RGV said landed well online. Every woman who had a bit of Nikki rubbed a large section of the internet the wrong way with her remarks. Considering that ‘Obsession’ is basically a story about Bear’s crush who is forced into a relationship against his will by a supernatural desire, many social media users felt that RGV completely missed the point of the film. One user didn’t mince words, writing, “The movie is not about Nikki to begin with, what did you smoke before entering the theater Ramu?” Another took a more sarcastic route, asking: “Are you suggesting that every man is like a man.”
‘Obsession’ director Curry Barker has thanked fans as the film crosses $100 million
The immense success of the film prompted its creator to speak out as well. A few days ago, director Curry Barker took to Instagram to express his disbelief and gratitude as the film crossed the $100 million mark at the box office. In a heartfelt note to his audience, he wrote: “Over 100M at the box office?! So surreal, and it’s all thanks to you guys. Thank you to everyone who came out to see the film and helped us get here. I’m obsessed with you.”
Box office performance of Obsession in India
‘Obsession’ made its way to Indian theaters on May 29 and has since managed to make a strong impact locally, earning 32 crores at the Indian box office.
