By Rohan Rai
Toronto
HALF, a new Indian action film that combines horror, martial arts and the western genre, is set to leave audiences thrilled at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The film brings together vampires, high-octane action and a classic revenge story, creating a distinctive blend of genres for the global stage.
Written and directed by Samjad, the film stars Ranjith Sajeev and Aiswarya Raj as twins Ethan and Ivy. The film’s action sequences are choreographed by Very Tri Yulisman, who has worked on films such as The Raid 2 and The Night Comes for Us.
A Unique Story of Twins, Vampires and Revenge
HALF is inspired by the “curry western,” a style of Indian filmmaking that became popular in the 1970s. These films mixed the visual language and storytelling traditions 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 introducing vampires into the story, combining supernatural horror with the dusty landscapes and outlaw mythology traditionally associated with the western.
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 possess special powers and do not suffer from some of the usual weaknesses associated with vampires.
Revenge Across the Rajasthan Desert
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 responsible for the attack. What follows is a violent fight for revenge as the twins use their supernatural abilities and fighting skills against the gang.
The desert setting becomes an important part of the film’s atmosphere, giving the story a stark western landscape while the supernatural elements introduce a darker horror dimension.
“With its desert setting, vampires, martial arts and bloody action, HALF offers a fresh take on the Indian western.”
A New Kind of Indian Western
With its combination of desert landscapes, vampires, martial arts and bloody action, HALF offers a fresh take on the Indian western.
Rather than following the traditional western formula, the film brings together several cinematic traditions. Indian storytelling and the history of the curry western are combined with vampire mythology, modern action choreography and international genre influences.
The result is a story built around two unusual protagonists, a dangerous journey and a quest for revenge.
The film’s action choreography by Very Tri Yulisman adds another international dimension to the production. His previous work on acclaimed action films has helped shape the physical combat sequences and gives the film an emphasis on close-quarters fighting and high-energy action.
THE FILM AT A GLANCE
Title: HALF
Genre: Action / Horror / Western
Director: Samjad
Starring: Ranjith Sajeev, Aiswarya Raj
Action Choreography: Very Tri Yulisman
Notable Action Credits: The Raid 2, The Night Comes for Us
Festival: Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)
Setting: Rajasthan DesertCentral Characters: Ethan and Ivy
Story: Half-human, half-vampire twins face a violent gang after surviving a brutal attack.
A new kind of western.
A new kind of vampire story.
HALF combines traditional Indian storytelling with elements of horror, western cinema and international action filmmaking, creating a genre-crossing story of survival, supernatural power and revenge.