‘It Lives Inside’: Indian American director's supernatural Hollywood film makes SXSW debut

Indian actress Neeru Bajwa, who has been a part of several blockbuster Punjabi films, is presently gearing up for the release of her Hollywood debut film It Lives Inside. In addition to her, the film also stars Indian-American actress Megan Suri in the lead role. For those not in the know, Suri became a household name with her role of Aneesa in Mindy Kaling’s teen comedy-drama Never Have I Ever on Netflix.

It Lives Inside has been in the news ever since its announcement and the anticipation among fans grew more after the makers dropped its official trailer some days ago.

The film introduces the concept of ‘pishaach’ or vampire to the American audience. While we have seen scores of Indian films on supernatural phenomena, stories, and scary folklore, the subject of ‘pishaach’ has not been presented in a very interesting way even in Indian cinema.

It Lives Inside, which made its debut at the 2023 South by Southwest film festival (SXSW) held in Austin, Texas each year, is scheduled to release on 22 September 2023 as announced through a post shared by Neeru Bajwa on her Instagram handle.

The poster features Suri holding a jar in her hands with a very scary expression. The post read: "You can’t contain evil. IT LIVES INSIDE, starring Megan Suri and Neeru Bajwa, opens exclusively in theatres September 22nd.”

The film is directed by Indian American director Bishal Datta. Mohana Krishnan, Vik Sahay, Gage Marsh, Beatrice Kitsos, and Betty Gabriel also play important roles in the film.

Stay tuned to this space for more updates and reveals.