a series of unexplained murders unsettles the village.
Halloween is the perfect excuse to explore Bollywood’s darker side, where restless spirits, black magic and ancient curses turn familiar settings into places of terror.
Indian horror films often draw on folklore, mythology and social fears to create stories that stay with viewers long after the credits roll.
From haunted villages to families caught in supernatural battles, Bollywood has explored horror through a variety of genres.
Netflix offers a selection of Indian horror films worth considering for a Halloween movie night, whether you prefer atmospheric storytelling or full-blown supernatural thrillers.
These six films each bring a different kind of fear to the screen, making them a varied starting point for anyone looking to discover Bollywood horror.
Bulbbul
Produced by Anushka Sharma and Karnesh Ssharma under Clean Slate Filmz, Bulbbul combines period drama, mystery and supernatural horror in a visually striking story about violence against women.
Set in 19th-century Bengal, the film follows Bulbbul, a child bride who grows into a mysterious woman overseeing her husband’s household while a series of unexplained murders unsettles the village.
When her husband’s brother returns home, he begins questioning the strange events and the woman Bulbbul has become.
Rumours of a chudail, a female spirit from South Asian folklore, deepen the mystery surrounding the killings.
Triptii Dimri leads the film alongside Avinash Tiwary, Rahul Bose, Parambrata Chatterjee and Paoli Dam.
Instead of relying on relentless jump scares, director Anvita Dutt builds an unsettling atmosphere through folklore, striking imagery and the tension between appearance and reality.
Baramulla
Set in Kashmir, Baramulla brings crime investigation and supernatural horror together.
The story centres on Deputy Superintendent of Police Ridwan (Manav Kaul), who investigates a series of child disappearances in the region.
The investigation initially points towards criminality, but disturbing occurrences gradually suggest that something far more sinister may be at work.
As Ridwan searches for answers, the unexplained events begin threatening his own family, turning a professional investigation into a deeply personal struggle.
Baramulla uses its isolated setting and the mystery surrounding the missing children to create tension, while keeping the supernatural threat closely connected to the central investigation.
Kaul stars alongside Bhasha Sumbli and Arista Mehta in this Hindi-language thriller.
Its combination of police procedural elements, local atmosphere and paranormal mystery offers a different approach to the conventional haunted-house story.
Shaitaan
What happens when a family holiday turns into a nightmare and the person responsible refuses to leave?
Directed by Vikas Bahl, Shaitaan follows a family whose lives are thrown into turmoil when a stranger uses black magic to gain control over their daughter.
Ajay Devgn and Jyothika play her parents, while R. Madhavan portrays the unsettling intruder whose influence over the teenager becomes increasingly disturbing.
Its central conflict revolves around the parents’ desperate attempts to protect their daughter while confronting a man who appears to hold extraordinary power over her.
Rather than centring on a conventional ghost, Shaitaan draws much of its horror from psychological control and the helplessness of watching a loved one behave against their will.
Madhavan’s performance adds to the unease, with the family’s growing desperation driving the tension.
Ghost Stories
If one frightening story is not enough this Halloween, Ghost Stories delivers four separate tales of terror in a single anthology film.
The Netflix production brings together directors Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee and Karan Johar, who previously collaborated on the anthology Lust Stories.
Each filmmaker approaches horror differently, exploring disturbing experiences that blur the boundaries between the familiar and the inexplicable.
The stories feature unsettling encounters, sinister presences and situations in which characters struggle to understand the forces surrounding them.
The ensemble cast includes Janhvi Kapoor, Sobhita Dhulipala, Mrunal Thakur, Avinash Tiwary, Vijay Varma and Surekha Sikri.
With four directors contributing distinct perspectives, the film moves between different kinds of fear rather than following one continuous storyline.
Maa
Mythology and supernatural terror meet in Maa, a horror film starring Kajol as a mother forced to confront an ancient evil to protect her daughter.
Directed by Vishal Furia, the film follows a family whose visit to their ancestral village becomes a battle against a demonic force targeting children.
The story expands the supernatural world introduced in Shaitaan. However, its focus shifts towards mythological horror, drawing on the power associated with the goddess Kali as the mother confronts the threat consuming the village.
Kajol leads the film alongside Ronit Roy and Indraneil Sengupta. Her character’s determination to save her daughter gives the story an emotional centre, while the cursed setting and demonic threat provide its darker elements.
The film offers a different flavour of Indian horror, using mythology and the bond between mother and child to drive its central conflict.
Kaali Khuhi
A village’s dark history becomes the source of supernatural terror in Kaali Khuhi, a Hindi-language horror film directed by Terrie Samundra.
The Netflix Original follows 10-year-old Shivangi, who must protect her family and village in Punjab when a restless spirit begins haunting the community.
The haunting is tied to the village’s history of female infanticide, giving the film a disturbing social dimension beyond its ghost story.
As Shivangi confronts the consequences of past actions, the supernatural threat exposes the violence and silence that have shaped the community.
Riva Arora plays Shivangi, with veteran actors Shabana Azmi and Leela Samson among the cast. Sanjeeda Shaikh and Satyadeep Misra also feature in the film, which combines a young protagonist’s perspective with a mystery rooted in generations of wrongdoing.
Whether it is a restless spirit seeking justice, a family confronting black magic or a village haunted by its past, Bollywood horror offers plenty of ways to spend Halloween.
These six films also show how Indian filmmakers use folklore, mythology and social issues to give supernatural stories a deeper edge.
With Bulbbul and Kaali Khuhi exploring the consequences of injustice, and Baramulla building fear around a mystery, there is something for viewers who prefer their horror with a story to uncover.
This Halloween, settle in, turn down the lights and let these Indian horror films take you into the darker side of storytelling.
