Halloween and beyond: How horror storytelling is having its moment in Indian entertainment

Eerie folk tales about spirits and haunted peepal trees have been a part of every Indian's childhood. Growing up watching the stories of Vikram Betal and Aahat on television that spooked with ghostly entities like chudails (witches) and prets (souls), horror storytelling holds an enduring space in the Indian entertainment landscape. 

While Bollywood’s exploration of the horror genre began in the 1940s, it was the Ramsay brothers who made horror mainstream in the 1970s and '80s with cult classics like Veerana (1988) and Purana Mandir (1984). Over the years, the genre evolved beyond the over-the-top (OTT) horror cliches, embracing psychological fear and social commentary. Recent releases like Pari (2018), Stree (2018), Stree 2 (2024), and Tumbbad (2018) have moulded horror into creative storytelling. 

Regional cinema has also significantly contributed to the genre. Films like the Aranamanai sequel, Pizza (2012), and Lapachhapi (2016) have redefined the genre by infusing humour with traditional ghost stories. 

On the occasion of Halloween, YS Life sat down with storyteller, actor and filmmaker Sudhanshu Rai to discuss all things eerie and haunted! 

Renowned for his extensive repertoire of over 500 stories across radio and digital platforms, Rai has directed the horror-comedy Chaipatti (2021), Detective Boomrah, and Chintaa Mani, among others. 

Edited excerpts from the interaction: 

YS Life [YSL]: Your stories are known for their eerie twists and suspenseful endings. How does Halloween, though relatively new to India, resonate with your storytelling style?

Sudhanshu Rai [SR]: Halloween is a concept that has evolved into a celebratory occasion across many countries. The celebrations and the spooky fervour around Halloween make the audience quite receptive to content that resonates with the theme. It is also the perfect time for storytellers like us to bond strongly with our fans and listeners, whether with folklore, age-old legends or stories that are far from one’s imagination.

The popularity of Halloween has definitely soared exponentially in India over the past few years, with ever-increasing excitement, especially among children. It is the universe of my stories, images and characters that resonates with the overall concept of Halloween.

YSL: What’s your take on the growing fascination with spooky and supernatural themes in India? 

SR: The advent of supernatural and horror themes in Indian cinema is not new. The genre has sporadically been explored by some brilliant Indian filmmakers ever since the yesteryear black and white era. But the fact cannot be denied that such content has of late been lapped up remarkably well by the Indian audience, making some of the projects as big as an all-time hit. The prime reason behind it is the rapidly evolving preference and exposure of the Indian audience of late, especially in the wake of the boom of OTTs, international cinema, and the zeal to experiment with newer concepts among Indian filmmakers.

YSL: Who has been your inspiration, in the Indian context, when writing a horror-comedy story?

SR: I won’t really call anyone an inspiration for horror comedies, but as a child, I have been influenced by Sri RK Narayan’s Malgudi Days. Its visualisation, memorable and distinctive characters, and the simplicity of the stories penned by the literary genius have always been a source of creativity for me. 

The other very strong influence is my grandmother, the best storyteller I’ve ever known. Ingrained in her stories of horrors were some funny moments and jokes that often triggered laughter. As of now, I believe the storyteller within is the best guide for me.

YSL: Can you tell us more about your upcoming sci-fi thriller? 

SR: Our upcoming feature film is a one-of-its-kind sci-fi supernatural thriller, the likes of which have rarely appeared in the Indian context. Shot at regions near Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, the film follows the journey of a spy who ventures into the rural heartland of India from a major metropolitan and soon gets entangled in a complex web of unexplainable happenings. 

Oscillating between two horizons, the protagonist, played by me, somehow explores the unknown. Though I can’t share much about the storyline at this point, I can confirm that just like my previous releases, this film too incorporates elements from India’s rich cultural heritage, including scriptures, languages like Sanskrit, and classical music. Interestingly, local craftsmen and artisans were roped in as part of the set creation etc, to ensure the most authentic presentation for the audience.

YSL: India has its own folklore on the supernatural. How do these traditional stories influence your narratives, especially for a season like Halloween?

SR: Folklores and supernatural legends have also been a source of influence in filmmaking, not just in India but worldwide, though it is a fact that India is a land of many such legends and folklores that are as captivating as they’re scary. 

Some of the amazing recent releases like Kantara, Tumbbad or Bramayugam appear to draw influence from folklore and legends from the hinterland. As a storyteller, however, I draw my cues from all over, for instance, years ago the story of a strange man in Japan gave me the cue to pen The Missing Mr Kwatrochi, a story about someone from a different time zone who was here to send out a message for someone. From a Mozart concert attended in a foreign country to beautiful landscapes and architecture, there have been many triggers for me to conceptualise my stories.

YSL: Gorakhpur, where your new film is shot, is steeped in history and culture. Did you encounter or explore any local legends or eerie stories while filming?

SR: Hailing from Gorakhpur myself, I have always known about the various folklore and legends based around the region. 

As for the shoot, one of the locations was an isolated place near my native, which has been etched in my memory ever since childhood. Whenever we went to play as a child around that location, we would see several crows flying around or sitting on a tree, and strangely some would fall whenever any of us screamed loudly. The shooting took place during the peak winter season near Gorakhpur, and we had to shoot overnight amid dense fog for an extended period. There were occasions when I felt crow-like creatures appearing from within the fogs and the dense forests around; now I am not really sure whether it was a figment of my imagination from childhood or something else.

YSL: Do you see Halloween becoming a bigger part of the entertainment landscape in India?

SR: Indian cinema has definitely evolved a great deal in the recent past, in sync with the evolving preferences of the audience. While last year was a year of action flicks, horror comedies and supernatural subjects have been ruling the box office in 2024. The audience desires to experience something new and fresh in cinema, prompting filmmakers to experiment with out-of-the-box ideas. The frenzy for horror comedies and supernatural themes is only set to get bigger around Halloween, for example, the release of Bhool Bhulaiya 3 is timed perfectly with the occasion. Going forward, there is ample scope for Halloween to become an even bigger part of the Indian entertainment landscape.

YSL: If you could recommend one of your previous works as the perfect Halloween watch for Indian audiences, which one would it be and why?

SR: I feel both Chaipatti and Chintaa Mani are the perfect picks for a Halloween watch, for those fond of storytelling.