#Ketchuptalks: “I grew up terrified of paranormal shows, but being part of Bhay forced me to sit with that fear,” Danish Sood

Actor Danish Sood sat down with us to talk about Bhay and his experience working in the paranormal genre. He shares how the project challenged his fears and influenced him as an actor.

Fear is often treated as something to be conquered, avoided, or explained away. Yet for actors working in the horror and paranormal space, fear becomes a tool for storytelling. It's a genre that thrives on atmosphere as much as action, and on what is suggested rather than shown. It demands belief, restraint, and a willingness to engage with the unseen, both on screen and within oneself. It was this emotional space that actor and musician Danish Sood found himself in while working on Bhay, a paranormal thriller inspired by real-life investigations of the Indian Paranormal Society. In this conversation, Danish reflects on portraying his character, confronting a genre he once found frightening, and how the experience influenced his understanding of fear, performance, and the unknown.

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Here's what Danish had to share about his experience:

Before we get into Bhay, how are you with horror as a viewer? Do you actually enjoy it or still avoid it?

I’ve always had a thing for horror. Even when I was younger and completely scared, I still ended up watching horror movies and shows because my sisters loved them so much. At first, I was just tagging along, but over time I grew attached to the genre, and now I genuinely love it. I actually enjoy getting scared because that’s what makes horror exciting. That rush, the uneasy feeling, and being on the edge of your seat are what pull you in and make the experience so memorable.

You’ve spoken about growing up scared of paranormal shows. Did Bhay force you to confront a fear you had been avoiding rather than overcoming?

Yes, I think Bhay definitely pushed me to confront a feeling I’d been avoiding rather than actively trying to overcome it. Growing up, paranormal shows always scared me the most. Being part of Bhay forced me to sit with that discomfort instead of running from it. At first, it was confusing, but over time I realized that I wasn’t just scared, I was also curious and deeply invested. In a way, it helped me understand the paranormal as an investigator, allowing me to live through both perspectives, fully believing in it and completely questioning it at the same time. It even made me appreciate horror more, because I learned that being afraid is part of what makes the experience exciting.

What did this role demand from you physically or mentally that you hadn’t trained for before?

I think it’s about believing in the unknown and fully committing to it. As humans, we’re always torn between curiosity and logic, we analyze the paranormal through science, which means we’re never completely certain whether it truly exists. With this script, there was so much richness that we simply had to trust it and surrender to the environment. Every element became a catalyst for performance, and the world we were stepping into required us to believe in it wholeheartedly.

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A post shared by Aditya Kapur (@adukapur)

Is there a difference between performing fear and believing in fear and did that line ever blur for you during the shoot?

I feel there’s a very thin line, but even while performing, you have to believe in it. There were moments when I genuinely sensed a presence. We even caught something on camera, a silhouette that seemed like an entity, and it clearly wasn’t human. That’s when the confusion set in. We weren’t scared, because it didn’t threaten us or try to harm us. It was simply the realization that something might exist beyond what we understand.

There was also an instance when a 40 to 50 foot tree fell right in the middle of our shoot. I witnessed it happen, and that’s when fear truly hit me, not because of anything paranormal, but because I kept thinking about what could have happened if it had fallen on someone.

Working so closely with the Indian Paranormal Society’s investigations, where do you personally stand now—belief, scepticism, or somewhere uncomfortable in between?

Acting in Bhay and interacting with the Indian Paranormal Society definitely shifted my perspective. I wouldn’t say I’ve landed firmly on either end of belief or skepticism; I exist somewhere in between, though leaning toward belief. I believe in the idea of their existence, not in a fearful way, but with curiosity and openness. Being part of the shoot and engaging with them taught me that not everything needs to be immediately explained or labeled. Some experiences simply ask you to stay present and respectful of the unknown. I don’t feel threatened by it; I feel intrigued. It’s less about proving anything and more about acknowledging that there may be more to our world than what we can see or measure, and I’m comfortable holding space for that possibility.

Did this project change the way you prepare for emotionally heavy scenes going forward?

Every project asks something different of you, so the emotional preparation is never the same. I see emotions as layers; each character carries their own history, circumstances, and impact, and depending on how deeply they’re affected, your emotional journey shifts as well. Even when the change is subtle, it’s always present in some form. This project taught me a great deal, and there’s so much I’m genuinely grateful for, especially the lessons around trust, vulnerability, and allowing the environment to shape your performance. I don’t think there’s a single formula you carry forward, but every experience adds something to your craft. And who knows, maybe some of what I learned here will return with me if there’s a next season of Bhay.

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A post shared by Danish Pratap Sood (@danishsood)

Have you watched Bhay? Let us know your thoughts on shows based on paranormal and the suprnatural.

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