When it comes to horror movies in Bollywood, almost every movie is a cliche with several plot holes. Most of them approach a similar style to scare the audience or are a very rip-off of Hollywood movies with a repetitive storyline. Considering these points, horror is not the best genre for Bollywood. However, there are a few movies that can give you jump scares and invoke the fear of ghosts and spirits in you. Here’s a list of spooky and nail-biting Bollywood horror movies that can be counted in the list of good horror movies.
Raat
A cult classic horror movie made in both Telugu and Hindi version, upon its release, was a box office hit. Written and directed by Ram Gopal Verma, it’s a story that will instil fear about an old Indian belief. The movie shows that it’s a bad omen if a cat is accidentally killed in your premise as it indicates bad spirits possess a member. A thrilling supernatural movie!
13B: Fear Has a New Address
Yavaram Nalam, a Tamil film, was released in Hindi as 13B. It’s a neo-noir psychological horror-thriller starring R. Madhavan and directed by Vikram Kumar. The movie lives up to its expectation of scary events. The concept of horror in it was a new one for Indian cinema. Here modern technology is the mode of communication for the ghosts.
Darna Mana Hai
This is another cult classic from Ram Gopal Verma which shows that as a directed he is daring to try new concepts. The film consists of six different stories and kinda inspired by the campfire tales. The story and the plot will keep you at the edge of your seat. This is definitely a piece of art in the Bollywood horror movies sector.
Tumbbad
One of the most underrated Bollywood horror movies directed by Anil Barve and Anand Gandhi. It’s a very low budget movie with a fascinating and gripping story. It follows the story of a search of hidden treasure in the 20th-century pre-independence era. The movie captures your mind! One of the best horror movies in modern cinema that has raised the standard of Bollywood.
Bhoot
An overall nice horror movie that has a new style element of horror with a frequent interception of loud scream moments. Again the director is Ram Gopal Verma. The story follows a possessed wife and proved to be a box office hit with stars like Ajay Devgan and Urmila Matondkar. The suspense, horror, and thrill are well delivered by Verma in this movie.
Paari
A dark mythological supernatural thriller with a good storyline. Staring Anuskha Sharma as the lead protagonist of the movie while Prosit Roy is the director. The story revolves around black magic and a satanic cult. It delivers quite a chilling and nerve-wracking experience with brilliant casting. Unfortunately, Pakistan banned the movie stating religious offence.
1920
If you like the jump scares and plots like conjuring then this might be your Bollywood horror to go for. It’s a movie directed by Vikram Bhatt and inspired by the movie Exorcist. The plot revolves around the events surrounding a married couple living in a haunted house in the year 1920.
Ek Thi Daayan
A supernatural thriller directed by Kannan Iyer and adapted from the short story Mobius Trips by Mukul Sharma. The movie did a decent job in the box office. While the movie is a paranormal thriller with an attempt to try something new. The movie has a unique style of combining outdoor horror with thrilling sequences.
Makdee
A movie that will surely leave you scared of witches. The film tells the story of a young girl in north India and her encounter with an alleged witch. Directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, the movie has Shabana Azmi with her excellent performance. In fact, all the actors did a great job.
Mahal
One of the oldest Bollywood movie that was certainly ahead of its time. It has shaped the horror movies for Indian Cinema. Starring Madhubala and Ashok Kumar, mahal is an instant classic with a captivating performance by the actors. Directed by Kamal Amrohi, the movie deals with the concept of reincarnation. Even after 70 years of its release, the movie can still haunt you.
