“Monika Panwar – A Perfect Fit for the Chilling Role in Khauf!”, Says acclaimed cinematographer turned director, Pankaj Kumar
Prime Video recently announced the premiere date for its upcoming spine chilling suspense horror series, Khauf, sparking excitement among the audiences. The series marks the directorial debut of acclaimed cinematographer Pankaj Kumar known for his spectacular work in Haider, Tumbaad, Brahmastra Part One-Shiva and Farzi. The talented cinematographer turned director is known to bring gripping narratives to life with immersive visual entertainment and is now all set to take it a notch higher with Khauf. Featuring a stellar cast including Monika Panwar, Rajat Kapoor, Abhishek Chauhan, Geetanjali Kulkarni and Shilpa Shukla in lead roles, the series promises a chilling experience that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
Pankaj dives deep into what intrigued him to cast Monika to spearhead the series. He said, “There were countless discussions on every audition we saw. We went through numerous auditions for each and every character, but the moment we saw Monika’s, it was a unanimous decision—she was our lead.”
Adding further on his experience of working with the fantastic cast, he said, “As a director, it was incredibly rewarding to work with actors who embodied their roles so naturally. Their seamless performances made my job much easier. They were just in character and had gone through a process of rehearsal for months, so the bonding was very real, it was very believable because of the rigorous rehearsals they all went through. I consider myself very fortunate that every actor was cast purely on merit—chosen because they truly fit their roles, without any other influencing factors.”
Khauf follows the story of Madhu, a young woman who relocates to a bustling city seeking a new beginning, only to encounter a malevolent force in her hostel room that compels her to confront the dark demons of her past. Marking Smita Singh’s debut as a creator and showrunner, Khauf is executive-produced by Sanjay Routray and Sarita Patil under the Matchbox Shots banner. Directed by Pankaj Kumar and Surya Balakrishna, Khauf will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in India and across 240+ countries and territories on April 18.
