Actress Asha Negi has opened up about how growing up in Uttarakhand, a state rich in folklore and supernatural traditions, shaped her fascination with the horror genre.
Speaking about her childhood, Asha recalled hearing numerous stories about “devi-devtas” and supernatural experiences from her family and community.
“I’ve heard a lot about ‘devi-devtas.’ In fact, when we went to Orchha for the shoot of Ali Baba, everyone was sharing their stories with the director. I remember telling them about an incident that happened in my family, back in our village,” Asha said.
She also spoke about the traditional practice of jaagar, a form of spiritual folk singing and ritual associated with the Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand. The practice is traditionally performed to invoke or “awaken” deities and ancestral spirits.
“We have ‘jaagars’ in our village, where a lot of prayers and rituals take place. Sometimes, during these rituals, it is believed that the soul of someone who has passed away from the family can also communicate or speak,” she said.
Recalling an incident from her own family, Asha described it as an overwhelming experience and said she believes such occurrences do happen in her village.
“This actually happened in my family, and it was a very overwhelming experience. I definitely believe in this, and these things do happen in our village. My parents would also tell me stories from the time when they used to live in the village. So, I’ve grown up hearing many such stories,” she said.
Asha is currently part of Ali Baba Aur 40 Bhoot, a horror-comedy series that blends folklore, haunted mysteries and adventure. The show features Asha Negi as Alisha “Ali” Nigam and Vishal Vashishtha as Baba.
Set against the backdrop of Central Indian folklore, the series follows Ali, a science-driven neuropsychology expert whose search for her missing father leads her into a world of supernatural mysteries.
Asked whether the 40 “bhoots” in the title could represent 40 different fears and which fear is most universal, Asha said it could be the concern over how others perceive us.
“The most universal fear could be, ‘What do people think about me?’ Every person thinks about how others perceive them. I hope they think good things about me,” she said.
The 40-episode series premiered on September 11 on JioHotstar.
