Bollywood is one of the biggest movie industries, recognized for its enthusiastic musicals and dramatic love stories. Moreover, It holds a gem of spine-chilling, eerie horror films that have entertained audiences with their suspenseful storylines, melodramas, and eerie scenes that have made people scared for decades. “Bhool Bhulaiya 2,” which is the sequel to the film “Bhool Bhulaiya,” is the highest-grossing Hindi horror movie in Bollywood. It was created with a combination of horror and comedy elements, making it a perfect fit for this generation. Therefore, this article will discuss the criteria for the best horror movie in Hindi and cover the top contenders.
Moreover, Bollywood horror cinema is renowned for its chilling narratives, real stories, emotional bonds, scary portrayals, and unique displays. Which shaped Hindi horror cinema to this level. Likewise, from the old eerie classics that set the foundation of horror films to the most-grossing films, this article explores the top 10 contenders for the best horror movie in Hindi.
Standards for the Best Horror Movie in Hindi
To decide which is the best horror movie in Hindi, there is a set of criteria that contains various aspects of a film, based on which we consider a film to be among the best or worst. Furthermore, all these aspects are essential for evaluating the top contenders in Hindi horror cinema.
Acting
Realistic performances by the cast are as important as the storyline. Additionally, they convey real fear and emotion through their acting, making the movie more believable and helping the audience immerse themselves in the scene. The actors’ ability to portray believable characters and reactions to fearful situations can make or break a horror film.
Audience Impact
The lasting impact a movie has on its viewers is an essential measure of its success. This includes the fear it shows, the discussions it generates, and its ability to stay in the minds of the audience long after watching it.
Storyline
A thrilling, eerie horror and an original storyline with some other elements are essential for creating an outstanding horror movie. The story should engage the audience’s attention, and create thrilling suspense, dramatic and comedic elements, as well as unexpected twists. It should effectively build curiosity, anxiety, tension, and a sense of fear throughout, and all these senses make the horror movie perfect.
Popularity
A movie’s popularity among the audience is one of the essential indicators of its success. In particular, this includes box office collections, longevity in theatre, and cultural impact. A popular and thrilling horror movie usually revolves around a respective belief system and culture that impacts the audience as a message or moral.
Top 10 Contenders for the Best Horror Movie in Hindi
Phone Bhoot (2022)
“Phone Bhoot (2022) is a horror-comedy about two unemployed young men, Major and Gullu. Who teams up with a spirit named Ragini to help deprived souls achieve salvation. In return, Ragini helps them earn money and achieve their dreams and goals. The film’s unique mix of humor and horror adds a unique element to the genre, delivering both scares and laughs at the same time.
Director: Gurmmeet Singh
IMDb Rating: 5.2
Characters and Cast:
- Ragini: Played by Katrina Kaif, Ragini is a spirit who wants to help souls attain salvation. Gullu and Major’s companion.
- Major: Played by Siddhant Chaturvedi, aka Shergill is a partner of Gullu who helps Ragini.
- Gullu: Played by Ishaan Khatter, Gullu is Major’s partner in their ghostbusting adventures.
- Atmaram: Played by Jackie Shroff, Atmaram is an evil “tantrik” who captures spirits by promising them salvation (Moksha) but uses them for bad causes.
Bhediya (2022)
“Bhediya” (a Yapum) is a horror-comedy about a man named Bhaskar who transforms into a werewolf every night. After being bitten by a wild wolf, he is silently killing those people who are involved in deforestation projects. All his buddies try to find the solution to this problem, and the film has a bunch of twists, turns, and laughs. Consequently, this film stands out in the genre of horror-comedy.
Director: Amar Kaushik
IMDb Rating: 6.7
Characters and Cast:
- Bhaskar: Played by Varun Dhawan, Bhaskar, aka “Bhediya” (a Yapum), is Janardhan’s cousin and Anika’s love interest.
- Anika: Played by Kriti Sanon, Anika, aka Lady “Bhediya” (a Yapum), is Bhaskar’s love interest. She is a local veterinarian who helps Bhaskar deal with his transformation.
- Janardhan/ JD/ Jana: Played by Abhishek Banerjee, JD is Bhaskar’s cousin, Vicky and Bittu’s friend.
- Panda: Played by Deepak Dobriyal, he is a native who shows all around the small town in Arunachal Pradesh to Bhaskar and Jana.
Dobaaraa (2022)
“Dobaaraa” is a science fiction, eerie horror film that involves time travel. The story follows Antara, a woman who experiences a time travel event that connects her to a boy from the past who witnessed a murder during a thunderstorm that happened 25 years ago. Connecting through television and changing the past altered the situation of the present. The film’s innovative story combines horror with a science fiction twist.
Director: Anurag Kashyap
IMDb Rating: 4.8
Characters and Cast:
- Antara: Played by Taapsee Pannu, Antara Awasthi is the wife of Vikas Awasthi. She is a love interest of Anay, who experiences time.
- Anay: Played by Pavail Gulati, Anay Anand Antara’s love interest.
- Vikas Awasthi: Played by Rahul Bhatt, Vikas is Antara’s husband who becomes involved in the unfolding events.
- Sethupathi: Played by a Nassar, Sethupathi is a Doctor.
Bhoot Police (2021)
“Bhoot Police” is a horror-comedy about two ghost hunters, Vibhooti and Chiraunji. They run an exorcist business and travel all over the world to rescue people from spirits and earn money. However, they don’t know anything about paranormal or supernatural activities they only thrive on the superstitious beliefs of people. Later on, they confront the real spirit, “Kichkandi,” who is the mother of one child killed by the British owner of the land. The film’s humorous and comedic take on ghost hunting and moments of genuine scares make it a standout in the genre. Moreover, the performance of the cast offers the film a fresh take on the horror-comedy genre.
Director: Pavan Kirpalani
IMDb Rating: 6.8
Characters and Cast:
- Vibhooti: Played by Saif Ali Khan, Vibhootii, aka Vibhu is a carefree ghost hunter. He does not believe in spirits but earns money by showing people’s superstitions as true.
- Chiraunji: Played by Arjun Kapoor, Chiraunji, aka “Chiku” is Vibhooti’s more serious partner who believes in superstitious and supernatural activities.
- Maya: Played by Yami Gautam, Maya is the sister of Kanika and a local seeking. She helps the duo in dealing with supernatural events.
- Kanika: Played by Jacqueline Fernandez, Kanika, aka “kannu” is a sister of Maya.
Chhorii (2021)
“Chhorii” is a remake of the Marathi film “Lapachhapi.” It tells the story of a pregnant woman named Sakshi who experiences eerie and supernatural events in a sugarcane village. The story revolves around Sunaini, a sister-in-law of Devi, who accidentally killed her husband and got burned alive by Devi’s family. In this process, she gave birth to a new child, which Devi’s family threw into the well. Sunaini jumped into the well to save her child, and Devi’s three children, who love Sunaini, also jumped into the well to save her, resulting in all of them dying and becoming ghosts. The combining elements of thriller, suspense, and horror create a fully eerie environment.
Director: Vishal Furia
IMDb Rating: 6.7
Characters and Cast:
- Sakshi: Played by Nushrratt Bharuccha, Sakshi is an eight-month-pregnant woman who becomes the target of supernatural activities and spirits.
- Hemant/Rajbir: Played by Saurabh Goyal, Hemant is Sakshi’s supportive husband who brought Sakshi to live in the village.
- Bhanno Devi: Played by Mita Vashisht, Devi is the village midwife with a dark secret.
- Kajla: Played by Rajesh Jais, husband of Bhanno Devi and a driver.
Bulbbul (2020)
“Bulbbul” is the story of a young woman named “Bulbbul” from the 19th century. She married Indranil when she was barely five years old, but Bulbbul is close to Indranil’s youngest brother, “Satya” who is the same age as Bulbbul. Indranil doesn’t like it, and after knowing the feeling of Bulbbul towards Satya, Indranil beats her and injures her feet with iron bars. while she was on bed rest, Bulbbul got raped by Mahendra and was accidentally suffocated by him. Now Bulbbul transforms into a vigilante spirit who fights against women’s injustice and kills those men who abuse, murder, or take advantage of women, and she also kills Mahendra. This eerie horror film with a cultural message received critical praise.
Director: Anvita Dutt
IMDb Rating: 6.5
Characters and Cast:
- Bulbbul: Played by Tripti Dimri, Bulbbul is the wife of Indranil. Who transforms into a spirit after getting raped by Mahendra and fights against injustice for village women.
- Satya: Played by Avinash Tiwary, Satya is Bulbbul’s love interest and a childhood friend or a younger brother of Indranil. Who came back from London to solve the uncovered truth.
- Indranil: Played by Rahul Bose, Indranil is Bulbbul’s oppressive husband and Satya’s eldest brother.
- Binodini: Played by Paoli Dam, Binodini is Mahenra’s widowed wife.
Pari (2018)
“Pari” is a 2018 Indian horror film that revolves around the demon Ifrit. The story follows Arnab, who comes back from Piyali’s home and accidentally hits the old woman, who dies on the spot. In searching for her family, Arnab and the cops found her daughter Rukshana chained at an old home. Rukshana does not seem to be normal and is disconnected from the outer world. Professor Ali, who knows Rukshana’s real identity, wants to capture her, but she escapes from him and reaches Arnab’s house, who doesn’t know the real identity of Rukshana. When Arnab knows the reality, he reaches Professor Qasim, who captures Rukshana with his men, ties her up, and tortures her so that she dies of her own poison. The film stands out for its unconventional narrative, chilling moments, and humanity shown by Piyali.
Director: Prosit Roy
IMDb Rating: 6.6
Characters and Cast:
- Arnab: Played by Parambrata Chatterjee, Arnab is the man who takes in Rukhsana and a future husband of Piyali.
- Rukhsana: Played by Anushka Sharma, Rukhsana is a mysterious woman with a dark past and the love interest of Arnab.
- Professor Qasim Ali: Played by Rajat Kapoor, Professor Qasim is the man who is aware of Rukhsana’s true nature and wants to capture her.
- Piyali: Played by Ritabhari Chakraborty, the future wife of Arnab and a nurse.
Tumbbad (2018)
“Tumbbad” is a 2018 Indian horror film that revolves around Vinayak Rao and covers the theme of greed and human nature. Set in 20s century, in an old village in Tumbbad. The story follows Vinayak, who is curious about finding a hidden treasure that the cursed deity Hastar guards. In childhood, Vinayak learned about treasure and despite the warning, he returned after several years as an adult to claim that treasure. After exploring too much, he knew that the treasure was in the goddess’s womb.
Vinayak continuously puts his life at risk to steal the gold coins from the womb of Hastar. His unsatisfied greed leads him to involve his son in finding this treasure, resulting in tragic consequences. This film gained 8.2 IMDb ratings due to its rich storytelling, atmospheric visuals, and exploration the greed and human nature and its consequences. Consequently, it is widely considered to be one of the best horror films.
Directors: Rahi Anil Barve, Adesh Prasad, and Anand Gandhi
IMDb Rating: 8.2
Characters and Cast:
- Vinayak Rao: Played by Sohum Shah, Vinayak is a greedy man who is curious about finding a hidden treasure and the father of Raghav.
- Raghav: Played by Mohammad Samad, Raghav is Vinayak’s son, who later gets involved with his father to find the hidden treasure.
- Hastar: Played by Harsh K, Hastar is a mythical creature who guards the hidden treasure in their womb.
Stree (2018)
“Stree” is a 2018 Indian horror-comedy film that revolves around a spirit named “Stree” set in the old village of Chanderi. This “Stree” is a female ghost who abducts men at night before every annual festival when they are alone and leaves their clothes behind.
The story follows a tailor of Chanderi named Vicky, who, along with his friends Bittu and Jana, tries to find the solution to this mysterious Stree. All the people of Chanderi assumed that the Stree seeking revenge and calling the name of men at night and those men who responded are mysteriously disappeared and never seen again. After some time, Vicky meets a mysterious woman who seems to be connected by supernatural powers Vicky takes help from her, and both embark on a journey to stop Stree. Combining comedy, humor, suspense, and horror takes the film to the next level, also its mixed genre, engaging story, and comedy make it worthwhile.
Director: Amar Kaushik
IMDb Rating: 7.5
Characters and Cast:
- Vicky: Played by Rajkummar Rao, Vicky is a tailor and a friend of Bittu and Jana.
- Stree: Played by Flora Saini, Stree is the eerie spirit of an angry woman who killed men.
- Bittu: Played by Aparshakti Khurana, Bittu is a friend of Vicky and Jana.
- Unknown Woman: Played by Shraddha Kapoor, She is the unknown woman who met Vicky and helped him to confront the Stree.
- Rudra: Played by Pankaj Tripathi, Rudra is the local expert on the Stree legend.
- Jana: Played by Abhishek Banerjee, Jana is a Vicky and Bittu’s friend.
Ek Thi Daayan (2013)
“Ek Thi Dayan” is a 2013 Indian eerie horror film that revolves around black magic and witchcraft. The story follows Bobo, a famous magician who gets worried about his sister’s death, his childhood memories, and the presence of a witch. Whenever Bobo tries to uncover the truth, he knows that his past is extremely connected with dark forces. The witch “Dayan” who tortured him in the past or his childhood, gets back into their present lives. When he tries to save his loved ones from a witch, it leads him into danger and untruthfulness, which makes things blurry between reality and the supernatural.
The blend of horror and psychological thrillers delivers a unique taste of Indian mythology. Thus, “Ek Thi Dayan” stands out with its strong performances by the cast, particularly Emraan Hashmi, Huma Qureshi, and Konkona Sen Sharma, who portray ancient myths, dark magic, and eerie horror with their acting.
Director: Kannan Iyer
IMDb Rating: 5.7
Characters and Cast:
- Bobo: Played by Emraan Hashmi, Bobo is a famous magician. He deals with his sister’s death, dark memories, and a witch from his childhood.
- Tamara: Played by Huma Qureshi, Tamara is Bobo’s love interest.
- Lisa Dutt: Played by Kalki Koechlin, Lisa is a mysterious woman who Bobo believes to be the Daayan and behaves rudely with her.
- Diana: Played by Konkona Sen Sharma, Diana is the demonic witch from Bobo’s past who comes into the present and marries Bobo’s father.
- Dr. Palit: Played by Rajatava Dutta, Dr. Palit is a psychiatrist of Bobo.
- Misha Mathur: Played by Sara Arjun, Misha is Bobo’s sister who has died in the past.
Conclusion
In this article, we explore Hindi horror cinema and describe its evolution from its early days to the latest releases of 2024. Firstly, we set criteria for what makes a film the “best horror movie in Hindi” by including essential aspects such as popularity, storyline, acting, and audience impact on the movie. Furthermore, we highlighted the top contenders in horror movies of all time, like Haunted, Ek Thi Dayan, Stree, and more films like that. We also consider such things as how the genre of horror cinemas is continuously evolving, containing storytelling, and blending with other genres, as well as making different elements like horror with comedy and horror with social commentary.
We encourage you to dive into the sea of the best horror movie in Hindi cinema and watch the films that we have recommended to you. Watch classic gems such as Haunted, Pizza, and Tumbbad, and share your thoughts, favorite scenes, favorite movies, best actors, and best storylines with us. In doing so, you can contribute to growing preferences for this genre and make it more massive in Bollywood cinemas