When the word ‘Bollywood’ is uttered, the first thing that usually comes to mind for Americans is images of Indian people doing crazy dance moves and singing. But actually, Bollywood is an entire film industry based in India that produces the most amount of films per year in the world.
As such, there are multiple genres of film produced including horror. While some borrow ideas and elements from horror films in the West, others are distinctly rooted in Indian culture. Yet the result is the same as they manage to be scary on their own merit as these examples show.
Raaz (2002)
Though stories about ghost hauntings are arguably universal, some are more eerily similar to one another. One such example is the 2002 Indian movie Raaz, which has parallels to the American horror film What Lies Beneath which came out two years prior.
Plot-wise, both movies are about a couple that is haunted by a ghost who has a secret connection to them. However, the couple in What Lies Beneath are seemingly perfect before the haunting occurs while the two leads in Raaz head off to a vacation spot to save their marriage. Another difference is that Raaz led to two sequels and a reboot.
Pari
Its story revolves around a cult that worships Ifrit, a demonic being from Islamic mythology, and a strange girl that is part of it. Things get further complicated when a couple entering into an arranged marriage have the girl live with them out of pity for her. Meanwhile, a professor who belonged to an extreme group that opposed the cult gets involved as well.
Kohraa
Within recent years, the term ‘ripoff’ has become so casually used on the Internet that its meaning is up for debate. This is especially true for Bollywood movies, which have gained a reputation for borrowing a lot of elements from Hollywood movies.
But Kohraa is not a ripoff at all. It’s a legitimate adaptation of a book that just so happened to be the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca. For those unfamiliar with the story, it’s about a woman who marries a rich widowing man that still has strong attachments to his former wife. Then to make matters worse, supernatural things start to happen.
Saboot
Though Bollywood got its start during the 1930s, it didn’t become more mainstream until the 1970s and 80s. Yet like their Hollywood counterparts, this was when Indian films were more gritty. For instance, among the lineup of 80s Bollywood movies was Saboot, a horror film that revolves around two sisters whose father gets murdered as part of a corporate scheme.
However, that isn’t the end of it as those who were responsible for murdering the sisters’ father end up getting killed one-by-one. This in turn forces the police to get involved, even though the nature of the killer is unknown.
Mahal (1949)
One of the earliest successful films in Bollywood, the 1949 horror-themed romance Mahal is considered to be one of the first reincarnation movies. Also known as ‘Punar Janam,’ this film genre deals with individuals that died tragically who are reborn to fulfill an unfinished purpose.
In the case of Mahal, it’s about a man who buys an abandoned palace and discovers he looks exactly like the previous owner who died 40 years prior in a tragic boating accident. Additionally, the man becomes haunted by the ghost of the previous owner’s lover who died waiting for the owner to return.
13B: Fear Has a New Address
Released in 2009, this Indian horror movie actually has two versions that were filmed at the same time. While the first version Yavarum Nalam was spoken in Tamil, a language that is primarily spoken in the southern region of India, the second version of 13B’s language was Hindi.
They also used different cast members for both films, much like the 1931 Dracula film and its Spanish counterpart. Yet regardless of the version, the story is the same as it’s about a family that moves into an apartment where strange things start to happen. In addition, they become addicted to a TV show whose characters parallel themselves.
Raat
When a character in a movie speaks a different language other than the dominant one that’s spoken, this is an example of bilingualism or using two languages simultaneously. However, true bilingual films are more common in countries like India as opposed to the US.
One such example is Raat, or Raatri, which had a version where the characters spoke Hindi and another where they spoke Telugu. Released in the early 90s, this cult horror film follows a family moving into a house that’s said to be haunted. Soon enough, a series of bizarre accidents happen in relation to the daughter of the family acting strangely.
Lupt
Like Pari, Lupt was also theatrically released last year in India before being made internationally available on Netflix and similar streaming services. While it’s not based on anything nor a ‘ripoff’ of sorts, this movie’s premise does borrow elements from classic American horror films.
It begins with a workaholic businessman, who starts seeing weird visions and is advised to take a vacation. So he and his family decide to go on a road trip, but along the way they get lost and start to experience attacks from supernatural forces. Though Indian critics didn’t seem to like this film, audience reviews online were more positive by comparison.
Pizza (2012)
Despite its not so intimidating title, the 2012 horror film Pizza was not only critically liked but also commercially successful. Originally spoken in Tamil, it tells the story of a pizza delivery guy who doesn’t believe in the supernatural but is superstitious.
Then one night, he comes back from a delivery with blood on his hands and barely able to recall what happened. But things get stranger as the film goes on involving ghosts and possession. A year later, a sequel came out followed by a Hindi remake also titled Pizza the year after that. Fortunately, the original is available on iTunes.
Tumbbad
Set in the Indian village of the same name, this critically acclaimed horror movie takes place in the 1900s when India was still controlled by the British Empire. However, the actual story is about a man who’s down on his luck that learns of a supernatural means to become rich.
In practice, it involves stealing gold from a dangerous god living inside the well near a mansion. Though as the man steals more gold, the more complicated things become. Aside from its acclaim, Tumbbad was also the first Indian film to premiere during Critic’s Week at last year’s International Venice Film Festival.
