Did You Know Bollywood Has Its Own Horror Sub-Genre? 4 Franchises That Put An Indian Spin On Spooky
Many people mistake “Bollywood” for a genre defined by bright, colorful, musicals, full of Indian culture and romance, but the truth is it’s an entire industry that’s just as broad and varied as Hollywood.
So of course it knows how to scratch your horror itch, granted with a desi spin. Like their American counterparts, Bollywood horror films love franchises with countless sequels, but they may contain more comedy than you’d typically expect from a thriller. With a very family friendly target audience aimed at drawing members young and old into theaters, Bollywood promises as many laughs as it does screams.
Check out some of the most popular and successful franchises available on streaming platforms today.
Stree
Stree 2 was 2024’s highest grossing Hindi film, marking a huge milestone for the horror genre and lead actress Shraddha Kapoor. The franchise follows bespoke tailor Vicky, a resident of a superstitious village haunted by a vengeful spirit known as “Stree” who stalks men during an annual four-day religious festival. During this time the townspeople paint their homes with a red paint, asking Stree to come back tomorrow, and the men are told not to walk alone at night to avoid being seduced and kidnapped by the spirit.
When a mysterious, beautiful, and nameless woman played by Kapoor arrives in town, Vicky must work with her and trusted friends to break the curse and find the town’s missing men. The film and it’s sequel are delightfully spooky and entertaining, and put an interesting twist on gender roles and women’s safety in public spaces.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa
This franchise’s original film, whose name translates to “labyrinth”, centers around an ancestral palace haunted by the ghost of traditional Bengali dancer, Manjulika, who is bent on avenging her lover’s murder, and combines elements of psychiatry and exorcism with a complex family dynamic.
It’s sequel and third installment are standalone films from the original, with the name of the evil spirit, Manjulika, remaining as the through line in each. Karthik Aaryan stars as Ruhaan Randhawa, who poses as a fraud psychic and ghost buster to combat similarly historic hauntings in equally lavish mansions.
Bhediya
From the same supernatural universe as Stree, Bhediya is the tale of contractor Bhaskar, who is turned into a werewolf in the midst of a tense environmental standoff where local and tribal residents oppose the deforestation required for him to build new roads. After he is unable to control his abilities, and two people from the project are killed by an animal, friends and cousin JD hide Bhaskar away in a remote location where police won’t be able to find him. The film follows his attempts to reverse the transformation and become human again, discover the identity of another local werewolf, and determine the fate of the forest. A sequel to the film is currently in development.
Bhoot
Another franchise with standalone films, the original Bhoot followed the haunting of a couple who rent a high-rise apartment that is significantly underpriced due to the murder-suicide committed by it’s previous resident. When the wife starts acting strangely and the building’s watchman is found murdered, exorcists are called in to untangle the twisted tale and truth of the tormented spirit.
It’s sequel, Bhoot Returns, follows another family moving into a new home, this time with a young daughter whose new imaginary friend coincides with other supernatural occurrences throughout the bungalow. The family sets up cameras all over the home in an attempt to identify the cause of their torment, but are met with murder, possession, and destruction. A third installment is in the works.