Bollywood Hindi Horror Movies have transitioned from supernatural themes and folk tales to modern and nuanced storytelling. Early Bollywood horror films like Mahal (1949) and Bees Saal Baad (1962) established the horror genre in Hindi cinema. They laid the foundation for Hindi horror movies with suspenseful storytelling, melodrama, and haunting atmospheres.
Evolution of Hindi Horror Movies: In recent years Hindi horror movies like Stree (2018) and Tumbbad (2018) have witnessed a major shift from conventional tropes to dynamic themes. Bollywood horror movies have become a more compelling anss integral part of Hindi cinema., thanks to innovative storytelling techniques and improved special effects.
List of 10 Hindi Horror Movies That You Must Watch
If you are an enthusiast of horror stories ghosts and ghouls, then this guide is fir you. In this guide of National Film Awards 2024, you may explore 10 Bollywood Hindi Horror Movies. Here are some of best Bollywood Hindi horror movies.
1. Mahal (1949)
- Director: Kamal Amrohi
- Release Date: October 19, 1949
- Cast: Madhubala, Ashok Kumar, Vijayalakshmi, Kanu Roy, M. Kumar
- Runtime: 165 Minutes
- Writers: Kamal Amrohi
Often Known as Bollywood’s first horror movie, Mahal (1949) is a historical movie to watch for its historical significance, and it is a significant landmark in Indian cinema, blending gothic horror themes of reincarnation. Starring Ashok Kumar, and Madhubala, it tells the story of a man haunted by visions of a woman claiming to be his lover from past times.
The film’s suspenseful mystery and eerie atmosphere made it a massive hit, popularizing the horror genre in India and solidifying Madhubala’s iconic status. It remained her highest-grossing film for six years and is now regarded as a cult-classic.
2. Bhoot
- Director: Ram Gopal Varma
- Release Date: May 30, 2003
- Cast: Ajay Devgan, Urmila Matondkar, Nana Patekar, Rekha, Fardeen Khan
- Runtime: 113 Minutes
- Writers: Lalit Marathe
Inspired by The Exorcist, Bhoot is a standout in the demonic possession genre. It follows a couple Vishal and Swati, whose move into a haunted apartment leads to Swati’s chilling possession. Urmilla Matondkar’s haunting performance earned her prestigious awards, while director Ram Gopal Varma won Best Director.
The film’s success led to the sequel Bhoot Returns in 2012, though recent Bhoot films by Dharma Productions are separate from the original franchise.
3. Tumbbad (2018)
- Director: Rahi Anil Barve
- Release Date: October 12, 2018
- Cast: Sohum Shah, Mohammad Samad, Harsh K., Jyoti Malshe, Dhundiraj Prabhakar Jogalekar
- Runtime: 113 Minutes
- Writers: Adesh Prasad, Anand Gandhi, Mitesh Shah, Rahi Anil Barve
Tumbbad premiered at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, becoming the first Indian film to do so and marking a milestone for Indian horror on the global stage. Set in Tumbbad, Maharashtra, the mythical tale follows the disastrous curse faced by residents who defy the Goddess of Prosperity. The film earns critical acclaim, securing eight Filmfare nominations and winning three.
Director Rahi Anil Barve initially shot the film in 2012 but, dissatisfied, rewrote and re-shot in 2015, resulting in the version audiences admire today. Rooted in Indian tradition, Tumbbad boasts stunning cinematography and spine-chilling horror, solidifying its place as a landmark in Indian cinema.
4. 13B (2009)
- Director: Vikram Kumar
- Release Date: March 6, 2009
- Cast: R. Madhavan , Neetu Chandra , Sachin Khedekar , Ravi Babu , Murli Sharma
- Runtime: 137 Minutes
- Writers: Vikram Kumar
13B: Fear Has a New Address (originally Yavarum Nalam) is a clever low-budget Indian horror movie. Despite limited resources, it impresses with inventive camerawork and stunning visuals. Madhavan shines as a man discovering his family’s grim future through a mysterious telenovela tied to a past tragedy in their apartment.
Blending J-Horror elements with a fresh storyline, the film delivers both scares and intellectual depth, culminating in a chilling twist. While it received mixed reviews, the Tamil version was a box-office hit, unlike the less successful Hindi adaptation.
5. Bees Saal Baad (1962)
- Director: Biren Nag
- Release Date: January 1, 1962
- Cast: Biswajit Chatterjee, Waheeda Rahman, Manmohan Krishna, Sajjan, Madan Puri, Lata Sinha, Mira Mukherjee, Asit Sen
- Runtime: 135 Minutes
- Writers: Biren Nag
Bees Saal Baad is a Hindi adaptation of the Bengali film Jighansa, which itself drew from Sir Arthur Conan Dolyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles and Hemedra Kumar Roy’s Nishithini Bivishika. The story follows a vengeful spirit haunting the descendants of a wealthy man who wronged her, killing the men of his family across generations.
A Psychological thriller, it was the highest-grossing Indian film of 1962, winning four Filmfare awards out of seven.
6. Bhool Bhulaiya (2007)
- Director: Priyadarshan
- Release Date: October 12, 2007
- Cast: Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Shiney Ahuja , Ameesha Patel , Manoj Joshi , Paresh Rawal, Rasika Joshi, Rajpal Naurang Yadav
- Runtime: 159 Minutes
- Writers: Neeraj Vora, Manisha Korde, Madhu Muttam, Ram Patil
Bhool Bhulaiyaa directed by Priyadarshan, is a Bollywood psychological thriller comedy horror movie centered on an NRI couple, Siddharth Chaturvedi (Shiney Ahuja) and Avni S. Chaturvedi (Vidya Balan), who return to their ancestral palace in India. Soon after they experience unsettling events that seem to suggest the presence of a ghost.
To uncover the truth, Siddharth enlists the help of his friend, Dr. Aditya “Adi” Shrivastav (Akshay Kumar), a psychologists with expertise in paranormal cases. Using his psychiatric skills, Dr. Adi delves into the mystery leading to unexpected and shocking revelations.
7. Raaz (2002)
- Release date: 1 February 2002 (India)
Director: Vikram Bhatt - Cast: Bipasha Basu, Dino Morea, Malini Sharma, Vikram Bhatt, Ashutosh Rana, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Alli Asgar, Anang Dessai, Pratima Kannan, Shruti Ulfat, Masood Akhtar, Mink Barar, Murali Sharma, Neha Bam, Gaurav Arora, Yusuf Hussain
- Runtime: 152 min
- Writer: Mahesh Bhatt and Girish Dhamija
Similarily like many indian horror films Raaz leans on supernatural themes and shares What Lies Beneath. It follows a couple moving into a new home to mend their relationship only to face a vengeful spirit and buried secrets.
The film earned six Filmfare nominations, established Bipasha Basu as Bollywood’s scream queen and led to three sequels rare for Indian honor.
8. 1920 (2008)
- Director: Vikram Bhatt
- Release Date: September 12, 2008
- Cast: Rajneesh Duggal, Adah Sharma, Raj Zutshi, Vipin Sharma, Anjori Alagh
- Runtime: 143 Minutes
- Writers: Vikram Bhatt , Dheeraj Rattan
1920 is a horror film directed by Vikram Bhatt, set in British colonial India. It Arjun Rathod an aristocrat who moves into a currentside mansion with his wife Lisa, only to face sinister spirits. As Arjun uncovers the masion’s dark history their lives are thrown into chaos.
Released in 2008, the film blends haunted house thrills with the themes of love and defiance as Arjun, a Hindu marries Lisa, a half-British Indian against societal norms. Renouncing his family and faith, he takes a job renovating the cursed manor, where malevolent forces target Lisa.
A critical and commercial success, 1920 spwaned a four-film franchise and remains a standout in Indian horror cinema.
9. Stree (2018)
- Director: Amar Kaushik
- Release Date: August 31, 2018
- Writers: Raj Nidimoru , Krishna D.K. , Sumit Arora , Pawan Sony
- Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee, Vijay Raaz
- Runtime: 128 Minutes
Stree is a Hindi horror comedy film set in a small town where a witch named Stree abducts men during a festival. The story follows Vicky a tailor, who falls for a mysterious girl and becomes involve in the mystery of the disappearances.
Blending honor and comedy effectively , Stree is inspired by the urban legend “Nale Ba”, where people write “come tomorrow” on their walls to keep evil spirit away. The film balances humour, scares and emotion, standing out with its inventive plot.
It received priased for its direction, screenplay, and quirky Humour earning Amar Kaushik Best Director Award at the Filmfare and Zee Cine Awards.
10. Ek Thi Daayan (2013)
- Release date: 18 April 2013 (India)
- Director: Kannan Iyer
- Writers: Mukul Sharma, Vishal Bhardwaj
- Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Kalki Koechlin, KonKona Sen, Huma Qureshi, Visshesh Tiwari, Pavan Malhotra, Rajatava Dutta, Sara Arjun, Bhavesh Balchandani, Roald Smeets, Kanupriya Gupta, Pooja Jhaveri, Deepak Dadhwal, Pallavi Batra, Deepali Pansare, Vikas Shrivastav, Aalaap Majgavkar, Jatin Sial, Adhiraj Bose, Aditya Nimbalkar, Sanya Monga, Annu Kapoor, Shikha Rahi, Shirina Sambyal
- Runtime: 128 Minutes
Ek Thi Daayan is a Hindi supernatural thriller based on Mukul Sharma Sharma’s short story “Mobious Trips”. The film follows Bejoy “Bobo” Charan Mathur, a successful magician haunted by hallucinations of his dead sister Misha.
In regression, hypnosis he recalls a daayan (witch) who killed his father and sacrificed Misha before he defeated it. Now the Daayan returns to seek revenge on Bobo and his family.
The film was a box-office hit, praised for its acting and imaginative story, earning an 80% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Konkona Sen Sharma received a Best Supporting Actress nominations at the 59th Filmfare Awards.
Conclusion
In the above guide you may discover top 10 Bollywood Hindi Horror Movies that blends suspense, thrills, and cultural nuances. These top 10 horror movies showcases the diversity of the genre, offering everything from supernatural entities to psychological terror, ensuring a captivating terror, ensuring a captivating experience for horror enthusiasts.
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