New Delhi, April 20 -- "Always make the audience suffer as much as possible."

These words capture the essence of Alfred Hitchcock, the British director who earned his title as the Master of Suspense Indie Film through five decades of groundbreaking work. Hitchcock shared this wisdom when he lectured Yale drama students in 1939 Time, during his journey to California for his first American film.

The philosophy behind this quote reveals Hitchcock's understanding that suspense differs fundamentally from surprise. A surprise lasts 15 seconds, but suspense can last 15 minutes.

His famous bomb-under-the-table example demonstrates this principle perfectly. If people sit talking and a bomb suddenly explodes, the shock lasts mere moments. But sh...