Since its release on April 18, Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s Southern Gothic horror musical, has been the talk of the town, not only because of its genre-bending plot but also because it is one of the only movies to get a near-perfect certified fresh rating of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. If you’ve not yet watched the gore and blues-soaked vampire thriller, catch it before it leaves the theatre near you. And if you have, maybe it has piqued your interest in the Indian folk horror scene?
It’s hard not to associate Indian cinema with Bollywood superhits: girl meets boy, they fall in love, a problem occurs but the relationship persists against all odds alongside extravagant dance sequences. Still, despite the joyful experience of repeatedly watching these blockbusters, India’s folk horror genre mustn’t be overlooked. The country’s deep multicultural roots and repository of abundant folk stories have led to the adaptation of some terrifying tales for the screen. If Sinners has a vampire from Ireland, well, we have Munjya from Chetukwadi.
Yakshi (1968)
This Malayalam-language film, based on Malayattoor Ramakrishnan’s novel of the same name, follows college lecturer Srinivasan’s research on Yakshis—female Indian deities associated with fertility and prosperity. Eroticism, masculinity and emotion paint this black and white film, which blurs the boundary between fact and fiction.
Paheli (2005)
If you’re in the mood to watch some familiar faces on screen, this Rajasthani ghost tale will not disappoint. Boasting a stellar cast, Paheli begins with the wedding of Kishanlal (Shah Rukh Khan) and Lachchi (Rani Mukerji), who are separated when he leaves on business for five years the day after the wedding. When Kishanlal reappears just a few days later, Lachchi is overjoyed but it’s not her husband who has returned. Instead, it’s a ghost who has taken Kishanlal’s form after falling in love with his wife. Although not fear-inducing in the traditional sense of a horror film, Paheli tells the engrossing story of the townsfolk attempting to determine the real Kishanlal from his identical ghost (both played by Shah Rukh Khan).
Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007)
The first of a beloved Indian horror movie franchise, which has since gone downhill, Bhool Bhulaiyaa follows the story of an NRI and his wife who return to his ancestral haveli after the death of the family patriarch. Between laughs and terrors, the film introduces a relatable human touch through motifs of repression, mental illness and the complexity of the human identity. In Bhool Bhulaiyaa, the supernatural element serves not only as a trigger for horror, but also as a reflection of human struggles.
Lapachhapi (2017)
When Neha and Tushar go into hiding in a sugarcane field to escape debt collectors trawling their city, they soon realise that they are not the only secrets hidden there. This Marathi horror directed by Vishal Furia underscores maternal resistance as Neha seeks to protect her unborn child from the lingering evil spirits haunting her new home. In keeping with the film’s theme of a mother’s connection to her unborn baby, Lapachhapi adopts the sonic motif of a haunting nursery rhyme—a recurring omen which creates a disturbing effect.
Stree (2018)
In an interesting role reversal, the men of Chanderi must take precautions to stay safe from the spirit of an angry woman, Stree, who is believed capable of abducting them and making them disappear. Based on the urban legend of ‘Nale Ba,’ which spread like wildfire in ’90s Karnataka, Stree strikes a clever balance between horror and satire to offer a sharply subversive social commentary on patriarchal norms.
Tumbbad (2018)
The film follows Vinayak Rao (Sohum Shah), who, in his search for ancestral treasure, instead finds his doom. The gory depiction of the evil entity Hastar does more than simply unnerve audiences, it also provokes them to reflect on the consequences of their own inner darkness and greed. This cinematic masterpiece more than earned the honour of being the first Indian film to open the Venice Film Festival’s Critics’ Week. From its unique atmospheric score to the wide shots of the perennially rainy landscape of the village of Tumbbad, every element of filmmaking is incorporated to make the viewing immersive.
Pari (2018)
Set in the haunting, rain-drenched corners of Bengal, Pari depicts a supernatural occurrence in a subtle way. In this film, illusion begets unsettlement when a kind-hearted man tries to help a chained woman in a hut, who he believes is a victim of abuse. Through Anushka Sharma’s haunting performance as Rukhsana, the supernatural is grounded in the mundane, leaving a lingering, sinister feeling. Tales of the Islamic demon Ifrit and a satanic Bangladeshi cult that worships him are a major influence on the story. The icy blue palette adds to the moody and mystical atmosphere of the film, evoking a chilling reflection on the themes of generational trauma and occult traditions.
Jallikattu (2019)
Centred around the Tamil tradition of Jallikattu, during which a bull is released into a crowd of people attempting to hold onto the hump of the sprinting animal, filmmaker and actor Lijo Jose Pellissery suggests that there is little difference between man and beast. The horrors in Jallikattu come from the villagers themselves. The rhythmically charged pace of this film and frenetic editing echo the untamed, unstoppable spirit of man.
Bulbbul (2020)
It’s not hard to guess that this film was made for women by a woman. Submerged in crimson hues, Bulbbul’s plot is plagued with strange deaths of the villagemen and female rage as a consequence of patriarchal oppression and child marriage. By juxtaposing childhood innocence with dark realities of adulthood, Bulbbul’s director and writer Anvita Dutt highlights the consequences of repressed trauma via Triptii Dimri in a glittering OTT debut.
Churuli (2021)
Churuli means ‘spiral’ in Malayalam, and this looping motif is maintained throughout the film, both visually and structurally, leaving viewers spiralling long after the credits roll. From its winding forest paths to its labyrinthine narrative, the film plunges the audience into a disorienting vortex where time, logic and identity blur. The film taps into the sci-fi premise of entering another dimension by following the journey of two undercover cops in search of a fugitive. The suspense is amplified along their travel through visually aberrant scenes and an uncanny sound design, leaving a psychedelic impression.
Kantara (2022)
Greed is once again the stimulus for calamity in this Kannada-language folk film directed by Rishab Shetty, who also plays the dual role of Kantara and the protagonist Kaadubettu Shiva. Charged with potent binary tensions—man versus nature, tradition versus modernity, spiritual versus material—the film offers a visceral meditation on balance, belonging and the price of forgetting one’s roots. Kantara brings Indian folk traditions to the forefront by spotlighting the worship of Daivas and performance of the ‘Bhoota Kola’, a ritualistic dance practised in coastal Karnataka.
Bhoothakaalam (2022)
Horrors of the past haunt Asha and Vinu’s home. Yet, it is unclear to the mother and son whether the ghosts live in their mind or lurk within their walls. This Malayalam-language psychological horror trades jump scares for something far more haunting: the quiet terror of the mind unravelling. Humanistic horrors are brought to the forefront in Bhoothakaalam, replete with themes of substance abuse, psychological disorder and isolation.
Munjya (2024)
Munjya follows Bittu, a shy hairdresser living in Pune, who experiences unsettling visions linked to a haunted peepal tree in his ancestral village. Upon further investigation, he uncovers a dark family secret: his ancestor Gotya, obsessed with a woman named Munni, resorted to black magic and died tragically, transforming into a malevolent spirit named Munjya. Now, Munjya seeks to possess Bittu and fulfil his unrequited love by marrying not Munni but her granddaughter Bela, whom Bittu is in love with and must protect at any cost.
Bokshi (2025)
Bhargav Saikia’s Bokshi, which premiered at the prestigious International Film Festival Rotterdam earlier this year, eschews conventional horror tropes to craft a dark, lyrical coming-of-age tale. The plot thickens when Anahita, a high school student grappling with the traumatic disappearance of her mother, goes on an excursion with her mystical history teacher, Shalini, whom she seeks solace in. Here, Bokshi—which means ‘witch’ in Nepali—symbolises female empowerment as opposed to a vilified feminine form. From costumes to blood, this horror is stained with red throughout, evocative of terrors lurking in the shadows.
