Witches, Curses And Haunted Havelis: 13 Indian Horror Films To Watch This Friday The 13th

Indian horror has a fascinating relationship with curses, black magic, folklore and the supernatural, so while your Nightmare on Elm Street and Lake Placid and Jaw have their spot at classics, these are the stories closer to home that you can watch this Friday the 13th. They have all your classics: an ancestral haveli with a troubled past, a village with a sinister folklore, a spirit lurking in the sugarcane fields, or a seemingly ordinary house where something feels terribly wrong. Here's what to watch.

Often touted to be a pioneer in Indian horror cinema, Mahal introduced audiences to a ghostly romance set within the walls of an eerie ancestral property. Starring Madhubala and Ashok Kumar, the film follows Hari Shankar, a young lawyer who becomes increasingly fascinated by the mysterious history of his new home. He soon begins encountering a woman who appears to be connected to the property's tragic past, drawing him into an unsettling mystery involving reincarnation, obsession and the supernatural.

Where to watch: YouTube

Even if you haven't watched Kaun, you have most probably come across that one clip of a distraught Urmila Matondkar asking who is on the other side of the door with one of the creepiest expressions you could come across. Ram Gopal Varma's psychological thriller makes a compelling case for why the simplest horror setups can sometimes be the most unnerving. Matondkar's character finds herself alone on a stormy night. With news reports warning of a serial killer on the loose and an unexpected visitor at her doorstep, she comes face to face with one of the scariest nights of her life.

Where to watch: YouTube

I sometimes wonder how Anushka Sharma's Pari feels underrated and overrated at the same time. It's often one of the first movies that come up in discussions about Indian horror films. At the same time, it feels as if not enough people have watched this Prosit Roy movie. When Arnab encounters Rukhsana, a mysterious woman living in a dilapidated house, he decides to help her and eventually brings her home. However, her troubled past comes hand in hand with sinister happenings around the house.

Where to watch: YouTube

Who knew Lag Jaa Gale could be a song from a spooky film? In Woh Kaun Thi?, a doctor, Anand (Manoj Kumar), offers a ride to a mysterious woman (Sadhana) on a dark, stormy night. After she vanishes, he encounters her repeatedly, despite discovering reports that she died in a train accident. Things become stranger when he realises his newly arranged bride looks exactly like the woman who has been haunting him.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube

Even if you're not a horror fan, I'd recommend watching Bramayugam for the cinematography and Mammootty's performance. A spine-chilling period drama set in 17th-century Kerala, Bramayugam follows Thevan, a folk singer who stumbles upon a decrepit mansion owned by the enigmatic Kodumon Potti. What initially appears to be a place of refuge soon becomes a nightmarish trap when Thevan discovers the disturbing secrets lurking within its walls.

Where to watch: SonyLIV

Set against the backdrop of Maharashtra's sugarcane fields, Lapachhapi follows a young couple expecting a child as they seek refuge in a temporary home away from the city. However, their surroundings soon begin to reveal a sinister history, with disturbing occurrences exposing the dark secrets buried within the village. Directed by Vishal Furia and starring Pooja Sawant, the Marathi horror film draws from folk storytelling and deeply entrenched social stigmas to deliver a disturbing tale of supernatural terror.

Where to watch: ZEE5

From the director of Bhoothakaalam and Bramayugam comes another Malayalam horror film designed to get under your skin. Dies Irae, starring Pranav Mohanlal, follows Rohan, a wealthy young man whose seemingly comfortable existence begins to unravel after a disturbing encounter with a supernatural presence in his home. As strange occurrences become increasingly difficult to explain, he finds himself drawn into a terrifying mystery. This is one of the more divisive additions in this list, so consider yourself warned: you either love this movie or hate it.

Where to watch: JioHotstar

Another gem by Rahul Sadasivan, Bhoothakaalam is about how, sometimes, the most terrifying things happen within the walls of your own home. A mother and son struggle to cope with a family tragedy, only to find themselves increasingly disturbed by strange occurrences inside their house. As their mental health begins to deteriorate, the possibility of a supernatural presence becomes harder to dismiss.

Where to watch: SonyLIV

I don't know if you have grpwn up with the Munjya cartoons in Disney XD in the 2010s, but Aditya Sarpotdar's movie is a live-action, modern-day take on the ghost. Set between Mumbai and a village in Maharashtra, the film follows Bittu, a young man who accidentally awakens a malevolent spirit while visiting his ancestral village. The creature, known as Munjya, has unfinished business involving a woman he once loved, and Bittu soon finds himself at the centre of its supernatural obsession.

Where to watch: JioHotstar

We've all watched Stree (at least the first movie) at this point. If not, what are you even waiting for, Friday the 13th?

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, JioHotstar

Put a finger down if your favourite horror movie is where man is the scarier being than a literal monster. Greed, mythology and a centuries-old curse come together in Tumbbad, widely regarded as one of India's most distinctive folk horror films. Set in a rain-soaked village in Maharashtra, the film follows Vinayak Rao, whose obsession with money leads him to a fight for his life with Hastar, a forgotten deity associated with insatiable hunger. What's worse? He realises that his pre-teen son is an even worse human being than him.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Back when Akshay Kumar's comic timing knew no bounds, he worked with Priyadarshan to make a horror-comedy that is not a horror movie and also had a very progressive outlook towards the supernatural. Sure, the Kartik Aryan films are horror in a truer sense, but the first film about the ghost of Manjulika coming back to avenge her lover remains undefeated.

Where to watch: JioHotstar

Set in colonial-era Bengal (and inspired by Rabindranath Tagore's alleged affair with his sister-in-law, Kadambari Devi), Bulbbul is a feminist take on the story of witches in Indian folklore. Tripti Dimri stuns in her role as a preening, embattled matriarch in an aristocratic family full of secrets, so that even if the story falters a bit toward the end, the performances more than make up.

Where to watch: Netflix