Satyajit Ray is one of my heroes: Ari

Mumbai: Everyone knows Ari Aster as a Hollywood filmmaker who specialises in horror films such as Hereditary. Few are aware of the fact that the young American filmmaker is a diehard fan of the late Oscar-winning Indian legend Satyajit Ray. He says Ray's films inspired him to visit India.

"I am enjoying it here. I have never been to India before. I grew up obsessed with the movies of Satyajit Ray. He is one of my heroes and after watching his films, I wanted to come to India," Aster said.

Aster's new folk-horror film Midsommar was screened at the Jio MAMI festival this year in the After Dark section.

"I was very excited to be invited (to the Jio MAMI festival). It's an amazing place and the people are great. I was made to feel very welcome," he shared.

Talking about India, he said: "I love Indian food. I also love the Indian audiences. They engage so intensely with films." Aster looks impressed by the response Midsommar received at the festival.

"I need to interact with more people who saw the film to have a full picture of how it played here. But people have been very enthusiastic and they engage at a very deep level. They have come to me with very smart and thoughtful questions. Here, there is a commitment to engaging with cinema which you don't find everywhere," the director shared.