Indian film fan rents cinema to prove movie not scary

An Indian filmgoer rented out an entire cinema to disprove a director's claim that his latest horror movie is so scary no one can watch it alone, a newspaper said Tuesday.

Pavin Ponanna, 30, booked all 227 seats at a Bangalore multiplex for an evening screening of "Phoonk," the Pioneer daily reported.

He asked cinema staff to have a doctor on call, but emerged declaring: "I never felt scared, not even for a moment. I took just ten minutes to settle down."

Bollywood producer-director Ram Gopal Verma had challenged any fan to watch "Phoonk" - the story of a happy family suddenly beset by the evil forces of black magic - on their own.

Ponanna, an advertising professional, visited a temple to prepare for the experience, the Pioneer said, adding that the tickets had cost him 47,000 rupees (1,000 dollars).