By Rohan Rai
Toronto
Twin vampires take on a gang of violent highway robbers in HALF, a new Indian action film that combines horror, martial arts and the western genre. The film was presented at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)
Written and directed by Samjad, the film stars Ranjith Sajeev and Aiswarya Raj as twins Ethan and Ivy. The film’s action scenes are choreographed by Very Tri Yulisman, who has worked on films such as The Raid 2 and The Night Comes for Us.
HALF is inspired by the “curry western,” a style of Indian filmmaking that became popular in the 1970s. These films mixed the style of American and Italian westerns with Indian stories and settings. Many featured bandits, known as dacoits, who terrorized rural communities.
Samjad gives the genre a new twist by adding vampires to the story.
The film follows Ethan and Ivy, who are half-human and half-vampire. Their mother was human and their father was a vampire. Because of their unusual background, the twins have special powers and do not suffer from some of the usual weaknesses associated with vampires.
The story takes place on the lonely roads of the Rajasthan desert. While travelling through the region, Ethan and Ivy are attacked by a group of local robbers. The attack is brutal, and the twins are badly beaten. But they survive.
After recovering in the darkness of night, Ethan and Ivy set out to find the people who attacked them. What follows is a violent fight for revenge as the twins use their supernatural powers and fighting skills against the gang.
With its desert setting, vampires, martial arts and bloody action, HALF offers a fresh take on the Indian western. The film combines traditional Indian storytelling with elements of horror and international action cinema.