Vikas Bahl on handling back-to-back releases of Sunflower, Shaitaan: 'You are like a zombie' | Exclusive

Filmmaker Vikas Bahl is in the midst of a prolific spell and that too in diverse genres. He ended 2023 with Ganapath, the sci-fi saga, which sadly did not work at the box office. Just three months later, the filmmaker is back with two projects in successive weeks. Vikas began March with the second season of the comedy thriller Sunflower and followed it up with his first horror film Shaitaan.

Sunflower, which streams on Zee5, stars Sunil Grover along with an ensemble cast. The first season was received very well and the second has been a success as well. But barely a week after its release, Vikas saw a polar shift in genres with the dark horror Shaitaan, starring Ajay Devgn, R Madhavan, and Jyotika. “You are just like a zombie going from one thing to the other but I am loving every bit of it,” Vikas says about juggling multiple promotions at the same time.

He says Sunflower has been as fun to make as it is to watch. “To make this show is delightful, to write it is a joy. We wait for Zee5 to tell us to make the next season so that we can all huddle up in a room. We laugh so much writing it that it is super fun,” the filmmaker tells us.

Before Shaitaan, Vikas’ forte has largely been lighter slice-of-life dramas. Hence, the genre switch was a big step. Vikas says, “Shaitaan is absolutely new territory for me but I have absolutely loved it. I am loving blood and gore.”

The second season of Sunflower premiered on Zee5 on March 1. Shaitaan released in theatres on March 8 and has already netted over Rs 50 crore at the box office.