Has anyone ever told you that watching horror movies can help you burn calories? Please don’t go on binge-watching the entire marathon for losing the extra lockdown weight. Do you have any favorite spine-chilling Bollywood horror movies? Not one, we guess.
When it comes to scaring the audience with creepy plots, nail-biting sequences, and spooky background score, Bollywood is quite on track. Here is a list of some Bollywood horror movies that can keep you awake for nights.
1.Raaz (2002)
151 min | Drama, Horror, Musical
Sanjana and Aditya decide to give their marriage one last chance. They plan a holiday in Ooty, but they don’t know that a strange figure is waiting for them to come. Raaz has been fairly much stolen directly from What Lies Beneath (2000) – it features an identical plot about a wife believing that she is being haunted and then finding her husband has been having an affair with the dead woman. The actress playing the long-suffering wife, Bipasha Basu, has a bewitching beauty. The songs are even surprisingly listenable.
2. Bhoot (2003)
113 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
When a married couple moves into a flat that is haunted by a spirit, a series of inexplicable experiences drive the wife to near madness. Now, the husband must protect his wife to save their marriage. It defied many of the predominating trends of Bollywood cinema – it was, for instance, one of the few films to defy the unwritten rule that all Indian films must have the lead actors burst into (dubbed) song at regular intervals; it also lacks the lush sometimes over-the-top romanticism that is frequently common to much of Indian cinema and features much more mundanely every day and unglamourized actors.
3. 13B: Fear Has a New Address(2009)
146 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A man experiences a supernatural occurrence at his newly purchased apartment; a soap opera being telecast exclusively on his TV, which shows the happenings of his family. The happenings start to mirror each other and sometimes predict things for his family. Spooked, he investigates and finds that a family of eight were murdered in the same place in 1977. And it looks like the spirit which had haunted the earlier family has come to haunt him once again. The film was praised for its atmospheric horror.
4. Ragini MMS (2011)
93 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Out to relax and have fun at a farmhouse, the couple experiences horror at the hands of an unknown entity. It’s a found-footage horror film that combines the story of a real scandal with strands from Stephen King’s novel Gerald’s Game. The film has plenty of moments that will send a chill down your spine.
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5. Horror Story (2013)
91 min | Horror
Seven youngsters decide to spend a night in an abandoned haunted hotel. What they mistook as mere rumors, dawns on them to be the truth as they realize they are not alone inside. With Horror Story, Vikram Bhatt succeeds in providing chills to the audience and takes them on a thrilling ride. The film is heavily inspired by flicks like The Exorcist along with the climax turning into a bhoot-fair of sorts! The background music consists of a child-like voice whispering Ring-A-Ring Of Roses, which is just about the scariest part of the film, and an assortment of sounds that were ‘borrowed’ from Vikram Bhatt-directed 1920.
6. Aatma (2013)
100 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
A single mother fights against the supernatural in order to hold on to her daughter. The script is fresh, unlike most of the recent horror movies – a story of a mother, daughter, and a dead husband. Aatma is not a full-fledged horror film with ugly demons and gruesome deaths. It attempts to play with your mind and even succeeds. It sets the mood perfectly for a supernatural thriller. The ‘Aatma‘ here is unconventional too, considering there is no over-the-top demonic ‘look’ to it. No typical background score is used to create an atmosphere either. The film skillfully manages to be different from most in its genre.
7. Ragini MMS 2 (2014)
119 min | Horror
A sleazy film director’s decision to shoot his latest erotic horror movie in a notorious haunted house angers the vengeful spirit of its past inhabitant. Hold onto your pants as Erotica meets Eerie in a sequel that traces Ragini’s haunted past. They put a blurry patch on Sunny Leone’s bosom, and the rest of the way, even on cold misty nights; she’s prancing around a haunted house in expensive lingerie. There’s even girl on girl action, what with Sunny and Sandhya Mridul sharing a lip lock. This is as erotic as an Indian horror film gets.
8. 6-5=2 (2013)
105 min | Horror, Thriller
Six friends plan for a trek to a mountain in Western ghats. Nobody expected that this movie would be so good to watch but the title was a bit catchy which pulled most of the audience towards it. The plot revolves around a fatal trek accident. The film was reported to have taken its inspiration from the 1999 American independent film The Blair Witch Project.
9. Alone (2015)
133 min | Horror
A supernatural mystery about a young woman whose dead sister haunts her. The ghost is of which sister is the real twist. We suggest you sit back with a calm mind and dig deep enough into every detail. However, there are a few spine-chilling moments. It sure tops our list of best Bollywood Horror Movies.
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10. Pizza (2014)
107 min | Horror
A Pizza delivery boy’s mundane life takes a horrifying turn when he is sent to make a delivery to the home of a family who has a dark secret. The film is a remake of the 2012 Tamil film, Pizza, directed by Karthik Subbaraj. Kunal Malkholkar is a pizza delivery boy who lives with his wife Nikita, who is an aspiring novelist and is researching material for a horror story. Kunal himself doesn’t believe in the supernatural but the circumstances force him to believe in it. He concocts a ludicrous story involving multiple murders by a supernatural entity to dupe his employer only to experience them later in reality. It makes you wonder what will happen if all your lies come true.
11. Naina (2005)
105mins | Horror, Thriller
A remake of the Hong-Kong-Singaporean film The Eye (2002), Naina stars Urmila Matondkar in the lead role as a woman who starts having strange visions after undergoing a cornea transplant. This movie caused controversy in India for its depiction of the character seeing ghosts after receiving a corneal transplant was similar to existing fears in India surrounding corneal transplants and it was feared the film would discourage people from donating corneas or seeking corneal transplants. Let us know if the concept had an impact on you.
12. Pari (2018)
150mins | Horror, Mystery
One of the only horror films of the last decade starring an A-lister, Pari featured Anushka Sharma as an ifrit who makes you uneasy in the worst ways imaginable while all your nightmares come alive. Pari was able to redefine the genre as it’s refreshingly different, atmospheric, and moody.
13. Raat (1992)
127 mins| Horror, Thriller
A family moves into a new house in the city, but start experiencing strange incidents around the house. After a series of violent deaths, a priest is summoned to rid Mini of the ghost that has possessed her. A film with lots of twists and turns and unraveling suspicion is genuinely a work of art. This movie is all about revenge. A moll woman was killed brutally in the basement by the old owner of the house.
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14. Phoonk (2008)
114 mins| Horror, Thriller
Ram Gopal Varma is known to be one of the most eccentric directors of the Indian film industry. The film tells the story of an atheist man, who does not believe in god nor evil. But his vision changes when he comes across an evil spirit and now as his faith is questioned, he tries hard to come out of the deadly pickle he has found himself in.
15. Darna Mana Hai (2003)
121 mins | Horror
It follows a story of a group of youngsters on a trip telling horror stories to each other as one by one they start to disappear. All the stories have been helmed by different directors and some of the stories are really really good. The film was a critical and commercial success and also spanned a sequel. Its basic premise is loosely inspired by the movie Campfire Tales. Upon release it met with an extremely positive response, making it a cult classic movie.
16. 1920 (2008)
138mins | Horror, Mystery
The film tells the story of Arjun and Lisa as they move into a mansion that has been haunted for centuries. But they move in in spite of that and face the repercussions. Arjun will go to any heights to save his lady love, when Lisa gets possessed by a demonic spirit. Saddled with some great music as well, 1920 was actually a really good horror film with a decent storyline
17. Raaz 3 (2012)
150mins | Horror, Romance
No materialistic thing lasts, and there is a fragile line between self-love and self-obsession. This movie is living evidence of it. A classic Bhatt movie, it is filled with glamour and the dark side of success. A top actress who cannot handle her competition moves on to the path of black magic. It is quite interesting to see how the strength of love and god is depicted. Black magic has been a subject that is touched in a very different angle. It is one of the best Bollywood Horror Movies.
18. Bhoot Returns (2012)
88mins | Horror
The second installment of the Bollywood horror movie- Bhoot. But, this had more nail-biting situations. Directed by Vikram Bhatt, it has Manisha Koirala in the leading role. The story, however, ends abruptly according to critics, but the end twist is jaw-dropping. One must-see for themselves. This movie also shows the importance of paying attention to your kids. Parenting lessons are given horrifically, but they are unquestionably valuable.
19. Mahal(1949)
165mins | Horror, Romance
Mahal is one of the Bollywood’s earliest film in the horror genre. It stars Madhubala and Ashok Kumar and is a suspense drama based on reincarnation. When Hari Shankar comes to live in an abandoned palace, he learns of the incomplete love of the previous owners. There is an eerie semblance between him and the previous owner. Watch the film to know more! It is one of the oldest Bollywood Horror Movies out there that’s sure to scare the hell out of you
20. Bhool Bhulaiya
159mins | Horror, Comedy
Bhool Bhulaiya is one of its kind film: a comedy horror. When it comes to making us laugh, it makes us laugh hard. But, when it is about fear the film haunts us and our imagination in the most frightful manner. It is an official remake of Manichitrathazhu, a 1993 Malyali film. The film has an interesting subplot wherein rationality and superstitions are at loggerheads, accentuated by the main storyline through the diversity of characters, carefully etched scenes delivered in alternating comic and serious tones. It definitely justifies to be on the list of Bollywood Horror Movies.
20 films, 20 nights! We challenge you to watch them all.
Let us know in the comments if we’ve left out any movies that have kept you up all night!