Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) on Friday, 12 June took to X (formerly Twitter) to lavish praise on director Curry Barker's supernatural psychological horror thriller 'Obsession', calling it a 'wake-up call' for an industry he says is 'obsessed with stars, remakes and bloated spectacles.' RGV argued that the film's staggering commercial success — achieved on a shoestring budget — dismantles the logic that bigger spending equals bigger impact.

The Budget That Defied the Industry

'Obsession' was reportedly made on a budget of $75,000 — a figure RGV contextualised sharply. 'A film shot entirely in just 2 rooms, interior of a car and a small store with 5 new actors couldn't have costed more than ₹70 lakh,' he wrote, setting aside the reported $750,000 total budget figure. Against that outlay, the film has reportedly grossed over $238 million — approximately ₹2,279 crore — globally, with its India earnings reportedly on course to cross ₹100 crore. The return on investment, RGV noted, 'will seem obscene and vulgar to the producers who wasted hundreds of crores and shot their films for years.'

What RGV Said About Barker's Direction

RGV described Barker's filmmaking approach as 'deceptively simplistic, but highly weaponized.' He praised the decision to shoot in confined spaces — not to cut costs, he argued, but to 'trap the audience in the characters' perspectives.' RGV specifically highlighted the editing as 'a rhythmic psychological assault,' combining rapid cuts with sharp sound design — door slams, sudden laughs, heartbeats, voice tone alterations — punctuated by extended holds. He singled out a lingering close-up of the character Nikki's face at the interval as his 'most favourite shot.'

The Critique of Indian Cinema

RGV's post was as much a critique of mainstream Indian filmmaking as it was a review of 'Obsession.' 'For our industry OBSESSED with risk aversion chasing stars, making remakes and bloated spectacles, this film is a SLAP ON THE FACE,' he wrote. He argued that 'rigorous directorial vision,' cutting-edge editing as a storytelling tool, and creative sound design can generate more impact than 'CGI armies, massive sets, exotic locations and ₹500 crore budgets.' This comes amid what many in the industry have termed 'franchise fatigue' and widespread audience disillusionment with big-ticket releases that have underperformed at the box office in recent years.

What the Film Is About

'Obsession' centres on Bear, played by Michael Johnston, a music store employee who acquires a supernatural toy that grants his wish for his friend Nikki, essayed by Inde Navarrette, to fall in love with him — with horrifying consequences. RGV noted that the film 'externalizes internal rot, making the personal public and the psychological visceral,' adding that its 'gore and emotional messiness turns pulp into something disturbingly resonant about loneliness and desire.'

The Takeaway for Filmmakers

RGV's central message was directed squarely at producers and directors: 'treat low budgets as liberation, not limitation.' He urged a refocus of resources on performances, 'path-breaking editing,' and creative sound design. 'The greatest thing Curry Barker did, more than making a blockbuster, is that he taught us that our obsession should be about making better films and not bigger films,' he concluded. Whether the Indian film industry heeds that message — or dismisses it as the view of an outlier — remains to be seen.