I grew up listening to fairy tales, folklore and witches’ tales, which, over time, instilled a feeling of believing in paranormal things. Even though these were just made-up stories, they bring out emotions of fear, happiness, and sorrow. As I grew up, movies took the place of stories to keep these emotions alive. They allowed me to escape reality, and venture into different worlds. Hence, here’s a listicle to guide you through various Indian horror movies. Hope you enjoy the recommendations!
- Manichitrathazhu (1993)
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Manichitrathazhu is a Malayalam epic psychological horror film directed by Abdul Hameed Muhammed Fazil and written by Madhu Muttam. It revolves around a haunted mansion and what lies behind its past. Ganga is the primary character in the tale, and she becomes obsessed with Nagavelli’s story, which haunts the mansion. Navelli’s story stimulates Ganga to take interest in her. The story is based on a nineteenth century tragedy at the Alummoottil meda, an old traditional mansion located in Muttom village, belonging to the Travancore Channar family. The film is filled with backstories, comical moments, and epic music. Later, it was remade in four languages, all of which were commercially successful- in Kannada as Apthamitra, Chandramukhi in Tamil, Rajmohol in Bengali, and Bhool Bhulaiyaa in Hindi. It is a timeless movie that leaves a mark in the viewers’ minds.
- Zapatlela (1993)
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Zapatela is a 90s classic Marathi horror-comedy film, with a popular character named Tatya Bichoo. The story is about an evil doll and the police. It involves a ventriloquist and a puppeteer, creating practical effects for the wicked doll Tatya Bichoo. The film was an adaptation of Child’s Play (1988) and was later remade in Hindi as Khilona Bana Khalnayak (1995). When I re-watched the movie after a long time, it turned out to be more of a comical watch than a scary one. As a kid, it used to give me chills!
- 1920 (2008)
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1920 is a perfect mix of romance, drama, and supernatural horror-thriller. The story revolves around a married couple named Arjun and Lisa living in a haunted house in 1920. Arjun rejects his family’s wish to marry Lisa, leading to his car being ambushed, assaulted, and set on fire, ultimately abandoning his beliefs. They moved to an old house, where she discovered strange occurrences and dark secrets. The story takes advantage of a dramatic approach to progress the plot far more than is necessary, which results in it being about two and a half hours long. Overall, the movie succeeded and paved the way for several other franchise films to appear in Bollywood.
- Kothanodi (2015)
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The film’s storyline is inspired by traditional indigenous folktales from the state of Assam in India. The movie is based on a book called Burhi Aair Xadhu by Lakshminath Bezbaroa. It is a spine-chilling, scary, and somewhat unsettling story that revolves around four stories of mothers, who are dealing with their demonic possession. It captures the thought-provoking relationship between a mother and her child with a captivating narrative and a dark comedy that keeps the audience on edge.
- Tumbbad (2018)
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This mythological story is about the villagers of Tumbbad, Maharashtra, who defy the Goddess of Prosperity and as a result get cursed. The film is a folk horror about the God Hastar, the first son of Mother Earth, who lost his prominence owing to his thirst for riches and grain. He therefore vanishes from human worship. The movie is divided into three timelines and revolves around an ancestry treasure worshiping the God from 1917 to 1947. The story is about Vinayak, who along with his mother and brother, cares for a mysterious old woman. The old woman has the secrets to an ancestral treasure. Vinayak becomes obsessed with the treasure that these secrets lead to. It introduces us to the concept of how greed can overpower someone. It forces us to self-reflect on a person’s moral compass. The movie also depicts the cyclic notion of different generations in the story. The film is packed with exceptional cinematography, narrative, and music. Tumbbad is the first Indian film to be screened in the 75th Venice International Film Festival.
I hope these recommendations helped you get a glimpse of Indian horror movies. As a movie enthusiast, I assure you that these watches will be a rollercoaster of emotions, with incredible music and cinematography. So, grab your popcorn and get set!