It’s that time of year again when the air carries a sense of mystery, with Halloween chills settling in!! For popular actor Gaurav S Bajaj, seen in Star Plus’ Kyunki Rishton Ke Bhi Roop Badalte Hain, spookiness is not just about cheap jump scares or standard cinematic frights; rather, it is about atmosphere, psychological depth, and the lingering tension of the unseen.
When asked which classic villain he would step into for a day, Gaurav doesn’t hesitate to pick cinema’s ultimate aristocrat of the dark. “If I could step into the shoes of any classic horror icon for a day, it would definitely be Dracula. We’ve all grown up watching him, and he remains the quintessential image that comes to mind on Halloween. What fascinates me is the sheer sophistication and mystic element in that look—he is so much more than just a creature of the dark. He represents a rare combination of raw power and undeniable danger. The idea of playing someone who can completely command a room with nothing more than his presence, while carrying an unsettling, magnetic darkness beneath, is deeply appealing to me.”
Stepping into the horror genre brings its own surreal, hair-raising realities, and Gaurav recalls a spine-chilling moment from his very first horror-suspense shoot that tested everyone’s nerves. “Horror sets have a distinct, electric energy, particularly when you are shooting late at night in isolated areas. There are moments when the silence becomes completely unsettling. Once, while we were deep in a scene, my director was casually sipping on coffee when he suddenly dropped his cup. In that silent atmosphere, it sounded like a gunshot and scared us to death. The eerie surroundings had our imaginations running wild before we even realised what had happened.”
If I am dressing up for Halloween, I would lean straight into a stylish vampire look—especially since I’ve got a good jawline to pull it off!
When debating what is harder to pull off convincingly on camera—pure terror or a chilling, silent stare—Gaurav leans heavily into the mastery of subtlety and non-verbal performance. “I will always prefer a cold, unsettling stare. I love playing with the eyes because true silence demands complete command over your craft. Someone who says absolutely nothing can create a far deeper, more lasting sense of dread than someone who simply screams.”
For someone with a sharp aesthetic, dressing up for Halloween is an exercise in tailored elegance. “If I am dressing up for Halloween, I would lean straight into a stylish vampire look—especially since I’ve got a good jawline to pull it off! I’d go for an all-black ensemble featuring a beautifully tailored long coat with rich gothic detailing. It has to combine sophistication and class; that distinct Gaurav flair should shine through even while creating a dark, gothic persona.”
No Halloween season is complete without revisiting the cinematic masterpieces that taught us how to love being scared. Sharing his personal watchlist, Gaurav highlights the films that deliver the ultimate eerie vibe. “My absolute comfort scary watch has to be The Conjuring—it simply gives the best, most authentic eerie feel from start to finish, though The Latest Obsession was also on another level. And of course, The Evil Dead is a classic I grew up watching that cemented my love for the genre.”
