He ruled the late 1980s and 1990s with back-to-back blockbusters. Known for crafting high-octane thrillers that kept audiences on the edge of their seats, Rajiv Rai — the filmmaker, writer, editor, and producer behind big hits like Yudh (1985), Tridev (1989), Vishwatma (1992), Mohra (1994), and Gupt (1997) — suddenly disappeared from the spotlight. Now, 21 years later, he returns with Zora, a suspense actioner featuring a fresh cast, one song, and made on a low budget.

Of course, it is a daunting task — ask any filmmaker. But for Rai, this is an attempt to re-enter the industry doing what he does best. About his film Zora, he says, “It is a whodunit, but different from Gupt.”

The film is made on a shoestring budget of Rs. 2 crore, using Rai’s own equity and four cameras. “The low budget is the hero of the film. In my day, I have directed some lavishly mounted movies, but today it is hard for me as a producer to deal with a big-budget movie loss. So, I have only one song in Zora. The cost of all the actors, including the junior artistes, is Rs 25 lakh,” says the director.

He adds, “The film is a case study like Hollywood films The Blair Witch Project [1999] and Paranormal Activity [2007] [which were made on a small budget].”

Despite his long-standing connection with actors, Rai never considered approaching them to star in his comeback film. “If I asked them, maybe they would have done it, but I would have spoiled my relations. [In fact], actor friends from the industry even offered to work for free. People often criticize them, but the actor community is not so bad,” shares the director, who cast six to seven new actors from various states.

However, it is the exhibition sector — theatre and OTT platform owners — that disheartened him because they couldn’t accept a project with newcomers. “It is very hard to get the exhibition sector to showcase a movie like Zora. Everybody says they want a change, and no one wants a big-budget movie, but nobody is willing to make that change. I cannot sell [the film] on an OTT platform either as they want well-known faces too,” he admonishes.