Corrode (Kshay)

An Empatheia, Conjure Media and Arts production with 3rd Thought Entertainment. Produced by Karan Gour, Shaan Vyas. Executive producers, Adityavikram Gupta, Devesh Gour, Siddharth Bhatia, Vinay Mohindar. Directed, written, edited by Karan Gour.With: Rasika Dugal, Alekh Sangal, Sudhir Pednekar, Adityavardhan Gupta, Nikita Anand, Asit Reij, Aswin Baluja, Siddharth Bhatia. (Hindi dialogue)A psychologically fragile lady becomes consumed by her wish to have a distinctive statue in the goddess Lakshmi in "Corrode," a visually striking mental drama about obsession sometimes much like Roman Polanksi's "Repulsion." Filming in black-and-white-colored widescreen, Indian multihypenate Karan Gour imbues his debut feature with a feeling of inexorable disaster through surreal dream sequences and unsettling appear design. four years inside the making, this low-budget, non-commercial indie pic reps a great find for fests dedicated to experimental work, and could lure designers of horror and fantasy. Petite, artistic Chhaya (Rasika Dugal, exceptional) and her construction-worker husband, Arvind (Alekh Sangal), are part of the cash-strapped lower-middle-class, dwelling inside a cramped Bombay apartment. Occasions take time and effort: Arvind's opportunistic boss pleads poor and won't pay wages due, and Chhaya remains melancholy around the recent miscarriage. Her attraction for the near existence-size unpainted sculpture relates to some flying rock that pulls blood stream from her mouth area later, that small cut morphs into strange body-horror images. When Arvind leaves by having an extended business travel, Chhaya's obsession spirals uncontrollable. Evocative tech work and effects belie the pic's microbudget.Camera (B&W, widescreen, DV), Abhinay Khoparzi music, Gour, Siddharth Bhatia. Examined at Chicago Film Festival (New Company company directors, competing), March. 11, 2001. Running time: 92 MIN. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com