Page 24 - Masala Lite Issue 166 October 2024

24 MASALA RECOMMENDS

This month isn’t complete without

our list of must-watch horror films.

BY MAHMOOD HOSSAIN

orror can come in many forms, from traditional folklore to ideas birthed
from the deepest, darkest, and most mysterious recesses of the human 1920 (2008)
mind. The evolution of the genre has been fascinating, spurring various If you want to watch a traditional haunting

subgenres, with debates over whether a horror film should be placed in one
category over another. Filmmakers across the world are presenting new and
different ways to leave us with endless nightmares; going beyond the cookie-cutter Drawing plenty of parallels with horror

jump scares and thoughtless gore fests. Be it psychological, slasher, gore, found classics like The Exorcist (1973), this Vikram

footage, monster, paranormal, or comedy horror, we continue to be entertained Bhatt-directed film is a story about a young
(or terrified) by this genre. So, it should come as no surprise that Indian cinema architect, Arjun (Rajneesh Duggal), and his

has produced some of the scariest movies over the years, rubbing elbows with wife Lisa (Adah Sharma). The conflict begins

some of the best horror flicks from the West. Here is a list of films you may have when Arjun’s family takes desperate measures
never watched, or perhaps just want to revisit this Halloween season. to prevent Arjun and Lisa’s marriage because

of their cultural and religious differences, as
the former is Hindu while the latter is Catholic.
Nevertheless, the couple moves forward with
BHOOL BHULAIYAA (2007) the marriage, and soon after, Arjun embarks on
If you’re looking for a horror-comedy a project to transform an old stately manor into
the whole family can enjoy a hotel. Meanwhile, Lisa starts to feel uneasy
about bizarre happenings around the Yorkshire

home, which eventually leads to a full-fledged

This film has probably gone down as one of the

greatest (if not the best) comedic horror films possession. Not only does this film highlight

in Bollywood history. With a star-studded cast, Asian/Western conflicts, but it also provides a

led by Akshay Kumar, the film has elements well-made horror film on a larger scale.
of a psychological thriller, with hints of the
supernatural, and flawless comedic timing. STREE (2018)

Directed by Priyadarshan, the film revolves If you’re looking for a comedy first;

around psychologist Dr. Aditya Shrivastav a horror movie for beginners
(Akshay Kumar) and his expertise in the
paranormal. In it, he comes to the aid of his
friend Siddharth (Shiney Ahuja) and wife Avni After the recently-released Stree 2 (2024) became

(Vidya Balan), who have returned to their a box-office hit, the 2018 original should be a

ancestral palace in India, which is riddled with film worth watching for the first time, or even
mysteries and haunted by a sinister entity. revisiting. Leaning on the lighter side of scary,
this well-executed horror-comedy is actually
based on an urban legend from Karnataka,
PARI (2018) India, about a malevolent spirit or witch that
If you’re into uncomfortable and visits the houses of a small town to abduct its
chilling ‘true horror’ men. On this occasion, the lead character, Vicky
(Rajkummar Rao), becomes enamoured with
a young woman while the men of the village
The directorial debut of Kolkata native Prosit
start to mysteriously disappear. The timing

Roy, this Bengali supernatural film provided
couldn’t be better, as paranoia kicks in, and
the stage for Anushka Sharma to deliver one
every interaction becomes questionable and
of the best and haunting performances of her
suspicious.
career. Pari is about Arnab (Karnesh Sharma)
and his wife welcoming a strange woman named
Rukhsana (Anushka Sharma) into their home,
who may or may not be of this world. The dark
and twisted element of this demonic horror
involves a satanic cult that kidnaps, assaults and
impregnates women with Ifrit, a mythological
demon in Islamic culture. And what happens to
the babies and their mothers? The story unravels
as Arnab digs deeper into Rukshana’s past to

find a dark and uncomfortable truth.
TUMBBAD (2018)
If you want to watch a high-calibre horror film

2018 was a great year for yet another critically-

acclaimed horror film in the form of Tumbbad.
Premiering at the 75th Venice International

Film Festival, this work of terrifying fiction
takes place in Tumbbad, Maharashtra, where 13B (2009)
its residents have upset Lakshmi (the Hindu
goddess of prosperity), and have thus exposed For those wanting slightly more thrills than spills
themselves to a devastating curse. With brilliant
cinematography and spine-shivering scares, More of a thriller than an all-out horror, this fi lm is about a young man, Manohar
the story follows Vinayak Rao (Sohum Shah) (Madhavan), who moves into room 13B of an apartment, and starts to encounter
returning to his ancestral village in pursuit of curious quirks in the building. Even stranger, he discovers a TV show, Tavarum Nalam,

a mythical treasure. As he delves further into that reflects what’s actually happening in Manohar’s life, like his wife (Neetu Chandra)
this journey, he gradually uncovers a frightening experiencing a miscarriage. With the help of a friend, he investigates the happenings

conspiracy revolving around the village’s ancient of past tenants of the apartment, later finding a disturbing and murderous history.
temple and a demonic entity that haunts it. This all leads to his own role and fate in the apartment’s future.
MASAL A LITE ISSUE 166 - OCTOBER 2024