This month isn’t complete without our list of must-watch horror films

BY MAHMOOD HOSSAIN

Horror can come in many forms, from traditional folklore to ideas birthed from the deepest, darkest, and most mysterious recesses of the human mind. The evolution of the genre has been fascinating, spurring various subgenres, with debates over whether a horror film should be placed in one category over another. Filmmakers across the world are presenting new and different ways to leave us with endless nightmares; going beyond the cookie-cutter jump scares and thoughtless gore fests. Be it psychological, slasher, gore, found footage, monster, paranormal, or comedy horror, we continue to be entertained (or terrified) by this genre. So, it should come as no surprise that Indian cinema has produced some of the scariest movies over the years, rubbing elbows with some of the best horror flicks from the West. Here is a list of films you may have never watched, or perhaps just want to revisit this Halloween season.

BHOOL BHULAIYAA (2007)

If you’re looking for a horror-comedy the whole family can enjoy

This film has probably gone down as one of the greatest (if not the best) comedic horror films in Bollywood history. With a star-studded cast, led by Akshay Kumar, the film has elements of a psychological thriller, with hints of the supernatural, and flawless comedic timing. Directed by Priyadarshan, the film revolves around psychologist Dr. Aditya Shrivastav (Akshay Kumar) and his expertise in the paranormal. In it, he comes to the aid of his friend Siddharth (Shiney Ahuja) and wife Avni (Vidya Balan), who have returned to their ancestral palace in India, which is riddled with mysteries and haunted by a sinister entity

PARI (2018)

If you’re into uncomfortable and chilling ‘true horror’

The directorial debut of Kolkata native Prosit Roy, this Bengali supernatural film provided the stage for Anushka Sharma to deliver one of the best and haunting performances of her career. Pari is about Arnab (Karnesh Sharma) and his wife welcoming a strange woman named Rukhsana (Anushka Sharma) into their home, who may or may not be of this world. The dark and twisted element of this demonic horror involves a satanic cult that kidnaps, assaults and impregnates women with Ifrit, a mythological demon in Islamic culture. And what happens to the babies and their mothers? The story unravels as Arnab digs deeper into Rukshana’s past to find a dark and uncomfortable truth.

TUMBBAD (2018)

If you want to watch a high-calibre horror film

2018 was a great year for yet another criticallyacclaimed horror film in the form of Tumbbad. Premiering at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, this work of terrifying fiction takes place in Tumbbad, Maharashtra, where its residents have upset Lakshmi (the Hindu goddess of prosperity), and have thus exposed themselves to a devastating curse. With brilliant cinematography and spine-shivering scares, the story follows Vinayak Rao (Sohum Shah) returning to his ancestral village in pursuit of a mythical treasure. As he delves further into this journey, he gradually uncovers a frightening conspiracy revolving around the village’s ancient temple and a demonic entity that haunts it.

1920 (2008)

If you want to watch a traditional haunting

Drawing plenty of parallels with horror classics like The Exorcist (1973), this Vikram Bhatt-directed film is a story about a young architect, Arjun (Rajneesh Duggal), and his wife Lisa (Adah Sharma). The conflict begins when Arjun’s family takes desperate measures to prevent Arjun and Lisa’s marriage because of their cultural and religious differences, as the former is Hindu while the latter is Catholic. Nevertheless, the couple moves forward with the marriage, and soon after, Arjun embarks on a project to transform an old stately manor into a hotel. Meanwhile, Lisa starts to feel uneasy about bizarre happenings around the Yorkshire home, which eventually leads to a full-fledged possession. Not only does this film highlight Asian/Western conflicts, but it also provides a well-made horror film on a larger scale.

STREE (2018)

If you’re looking for a comedy first; a horror movie for beginners

After the recently-released Stree 2 (2024) became a box-office hit, the 2018 original should be a film worth watching for the first time, or even revisiting. Leaning on the lighter side of scary, this well-executed horror-comedy is actually based on an urban legend from Karnataka, India, about a malevolent spirit or witch that visits the houses of a small town to abduct its men. On this occasion, the lead character, Vicky (Rajkummar Rao), becomes enamoured with a young woman while the men of the village start to mysteriously disappear. The timing couldn’t be better, as paranoia kicks in, and every interaction becomes questionable and suspicious.

13B (2009)

For those wanting slightly more thrills than spills

More of a thriller than an all-out horror, this film is about a young man, Manohar (Madhavan), who moves into room 13B of an apartment, and starts to encounter curious quirks in the building. Even stranger, he discovers a TV show, Tavarum Nalam, that reflects what’s actually happening in Manohar’s life, like his wife (Neetu Chandra) experiencing a miscarriage. With the help of a friend, he investigates the happenings of past tenants of the apartment, later finding a disturbing and murderous history. This all leads to his own role and fate in the apartment’s future.