From psychological mind-benders to zombie comedies, these horror films prove Bollywood has produced far more than just things that go bump in the night.
Key Points
- Classics such as Raat, Bhoot and Kaun showcase why Ram Gopal Varma remains one of the most influential figures in Indian horror cinema.
- Modern favourites like Tumbbad, Pari and Tu Yaa Main prove that Bollywood horror continues to evolve with stronger storytelling and ambitious filmmaking.
Fear is a strange feeling.
We fear, ahh… fear itself, and yet it remains such a magnetic emotion that we willingly revel in it.
How else do you explain the audience’s enduring love for horror films? We walk into them fully aware that there will be scenes designed to scare the shite out of us, or at the very least leave us deeply unsettled and haunted by lingering nightmares afterwards.
The Hollywood indie psychological horror film Obsession is enjoying a remarkable run, not just in the USA but in India as well.
Directed by Curry Barker, the movie revolves around a young man whose wish for his one-sided crush to become obsessed with him unexpectedly comes true, but with horrifying consequences.
Reportedly made on a modest budget of just $750,000, Obsession has gone on to earn more than $225 million worldwide and is still counting. The film has also received rave reviews for its tight storytelling and the performances, particularly of Inde Navarrette.
On June 12, another American horror sensation, Backrooms, arrives in Indian theatres. Directed by Kane Parsons, the film was released in the USA on May 29 and, despite a reported budget of only $10 million, has already grossed more than $200 million worldwide.
So it is quite the season of choices for horror aficionados in India.
And if you’re in the mood for something desi and have an acquired taste for the schlockier side of the genre, there is also Vikram Bhatt’s Haunted 3D: Echoes Of The Past, releasing on the same day.
But if you prefer to check out some older Bollywood horror gems, Sreeju Sudhakaran has curated a list of 10 of the finest scary and supernatural films across different horror sub-genres and where you can watch them online.
Slow-Burn Horror: Raat (1992)
Where to Watch: Prime Video and Z5
I have lost count of the number of times I have recommended Ram Gopal Varma’s first horror film to newcomers exploring the genre.
Shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu, Raat was not a major hit upon release, yet it is often credited with changing the landscape of Hindi horror cinema, which until then had largely been dominated by the Ramsay brand of horror.
The film’s slow-burn approach intensifies the scares when they finally arrive, with RGV’s patient direction and eerie sound design working in perfect harmony with a couple of memorable kills.
It also features one of Revathi’s finest performances as a college student possessed by a malevolent force. The movie is also responsible for making me feel wary of cats for a considerable amount of years.
Fantasy Horror: Tumbbad (2018)
Where to Watch: Prime Video
If Raat can be called a nostalgic horror masterpiece, Tumbbad deserves to be called a modern horror masterpiece, which is amusing considering it is set in pre-Independence India.
Built around a cautionary tale about the corrosive nature of greed, Rahi Anil Barve’s fine film unsettles with its atmospheric horror and impeccable technical craftsmanship. Its production design and soundscape give it an international quality.
The scenes involving the terrifying grandmother and the climactic encounter with multiple Hastars are among the standout moments in a film overflowing with memorable imagery.
Urban Horror: Bhoot (2003)
Where to Watch: Prime Video, JioHotstar and MX Player
There was a period when Ram Gopal Varma could seemingly do no wrong.
It was also a time when half of Bollywood wanted to be in his films. Otherwise, it would be difficult to imagine names like Ajay Devgn, Nana Patekar, Urmila Matondkar, Tanuja, Rekha and Fardeen Khan coming together for a horror movie, especially when the genre still struggled for mainstream respect.
The premise is simple.
A young couple move into a new flat and soon find themselves experiencing supernatural disturbances before the wife becomes possessed by the spirit of a former resident.
What elevates Bhoot is the precision with which RGV stages the scares. They arrive unexpectedly and land with tremendous impact.
The strong technical work, particularly the sound design, and committed performances, particularly Urmila’s, ensure you remain invested throughout.
The movie spawned a spiritual sequel in 2012 called Bhoot Returns, again directed by RGV, but it was met with poor reviews and poorer audience reception.
Animal-Based Horror: Tu Yaa Main (2026)
Where to Watch: Netflix
The most recent entry on this list is also a rare example of a remake surpassing its source material (the Thai film The Pool).
Bejoy Nambiar’s thriller is not flawless. It takes its time getting to the good stuff, despite teasing it right in the opening scene.
However, the delay allows the film to flesh out its two protagonists so effectively that you genuinely care for them when they find themselves trapped in a drained swimming pool with a hungry crocodile (impressive creature effects btw).
The film becomes particularly thrilling once the reptilian threat emerges, while Adarsh Gourav and Shanaya Kapoor deliver compelling performances that make their precarious situations feel tangible.
It also features one of the most shocking and heartbreaking deaths in recent memory.
Found Footage Horror: Ragini MMS (2011)
Where to Watch: Hungama Play
Ragini MMS popularised the term ‘horrex’, a fusion of horror and sex.
It was hardly the first Hindi horror film to mix the two elements, but unlike many of its predecessors who used sex for gratuitous purposes, the sexual content here is actually integral to the story.
The film follows a man who secretly plans to record a sex tape with his unsuspecting girlfriend at a remote bungalow rigged with hidden cameras, only for a supernatural presence to derail his plans.
Bold, scary and featuring a wonderfully sleazy and hateful pre-stardom performance from Rajkummar Rao, Ragini MMS remains one of the more effective found-footage horrors from Bollywood.
The sequel abandoned the format altogether and instead leaned on Sunny Leone’s sultry image to glam up the spooks.
Horror-Comedy: Go Goa Gone (2013)
Where to Watch: Eros Now and Z5
The Stree universe may be dominating the box office today with its blend of horror and comedy, but it still trails behind what remains Bollywood’s finest horror comedy: Go Goa Gone.
Raj & DK’s cult favourite felt refreshingly original upon release, combining irreverent stoner humour with zombie horror, a sub-genre Bollywood had barely explored at the time.
The cast is terrific, particularly Kunal Kemmu and a transformed Saif Ali Khan as Boris (pronounced: Buurisss!), a Delhi-born Russian gangster.
Sure, the ‘Goa’ in the title is slightly misleading given that most of the action unfolds on a nearby island. But the humour, inventive twists and chemistry among the ensemble cast make that easy to forgive.
Sadly, despite years of promises, Go Goa Gone 2 appears no closer to becoming reality.
Psychological Horror: Kaun? (1999)
Where to Watch: YouTube
Ram Gopal Varma returns to this list, which is perhaps the strongest reminder of just how formidable a filmmaker he once was.
At the time of release, Kaun? felt remarkably bold. With only three actors, a single location and a story unfolding over the course of one night, it was unlike anything else in Hindi cinema at a time when masala potboilers used to rule the roost.
Strictly speaking, Kaun? is not even a conventional horror film.
There are no ghosts here. The terror comes from unpredictability, from not knowing who can be trusted and from the frightening depths of human malice.
Intensely suspenseful and brilliantly performed by Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpayee and Sushant Singh, Kaun? remains one of the most gripping psychological thrillers Bollywood has produced.
Witchcraft-Based Horror: Ek Thi Daayan (2013)
Where to Watch: MX Player
Its climax may disappoint, but Kannan Iyer’s supernatural thriller remains gripping and haunting for most of its runtime.
Emraan Hashmi plays a magician haunted by childhood trauma stemming from his belief that his stepmother was a ravenous witch. The experience leaves him terrified of the dark and suspicious of the women around him.
The childhood portions are especially effective, thanks largely to Konkona Sensharma’s chilling performance.
While some of the twists in the second half are predictable, Ek Thi Daayan remains an under-rated gem that deserve more attention from the lovers of the genre.
And if you do watch it, you will also be rewarded with the beautiful Yaaram.
Folklore-Based Horror: Pari (2018)
Where to Watch: YouTube
Anushka Sharma delivers one of her finest performances as a feral young woman discovered in the woods by a kind-hearted stranger played by Parambrata Chatterjee.
Prosit Roy’s Pari sustains a sense of dread from beginning to end, supported by an unsettling atmosphere and several genuinely disturbing and violent sequences that are unafraid to embrace gore.
The movie crafts striking imagery drawn from folklore and occult beliefs, wrapping it all in a chilly mood that lingers throughout.
Yet, beneath the horror lies a deeply tragic story, laced with an undercurrent of romance that makes you sympathise with its doomed yet terrifying protagonist.
Horror Anthology: Darna Mana Hai (2003)
Where to Watch: Prime Video and JioHotstar
Okay, I tried hard, but I simply couldn’t stop myself from sneaking in yet another RGV-related entry.
Technically, Darna Mana Hai was directed by Prawaal Raman, with Ram Gopal Varma serving as producer. Yet, the film carries an unmistakable RGV imprint throughout.
The anthology comprises six supernatural tales framed within another story about six friends sharing campfire horror stories while a serial killer quietly picks them off one by one.
Not every segment works equally well. The ‘apple’ story featuring Shilpa Shetty and Rajpal Yadav is merely passable, while the Sohail Khan-Antara Mali segment is undermined by a weak payoff.
But the film boasts two genuinely standout shorts.
One revolves around a no-smoking motel, with Saif Ali Khan playing a nicotine-addicted motorist and Boman Irani, in what was effectively his breakout performance, as the deeply unsettling motel manager.
The other stars Nana Patekar and Vivek Oberoi in a brilliantly creepy tale about a hitchhiker who repeatedly insists to the man giving him a lift that he is not human.
A sequel, Darna Zaroori Hai (2006), followed with six different directors at the helm. Unfortunately, it failed to leave much of an impression, barring the memorable police-station segment featuring Randeep Hooda.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
