Today, after a journey of around 80 years, Bollywood’s horror genre is still very average with a meagre output of just 6 to 7 films per year. The reason behind this small number is the fact that the content is highly monotonous and has become a typical recipe for the basic horror film.
Firstly, the ghosts will most usually be female (barring a few), who have generally experienced some kind of humiliation in their past and so their tormented spirit haunts others for revenge. They are typically clad in a white sari and are often found singing eerie songs amidst a dense forest or graveyard. In the case of the film being set in a haunted house, there will be a security guard and a servant who from the very first frame will always look suspicious. Most commonly however is the fact all the haunting scenes will be a direct copy from a famous Hollywood horror. Sex is also an essential element. Revealing bathroom scenes and a romantic run-up before every haunting is key to making it a hit.
Shaadi Ki Raat was the first Indian horror film made in 1935 and sadly went unnoticed by audiences, discouraging any attempts by other avid horror enthusiasts to make another. This was the era where India was enduring the final chapters of the freedom struggle. The second horror film to hit the Indian screen was Mahal in 1949 – 14 years later. This Kamal Amrohi directed film with yesteryear superstar Ashok Kumar playing the lead was a box office hit, although the music by Kemchand Prakash played a big role in this. One of the most memorable songs is Ayega Aane Wala, which is a super hit even today.
The success of Mahal brought back confidence in the horror genre and subsequently Bollywood starting intermittently emerging with more horror films in the following years. Notable movies, to name a few are Bees Saal Baad (1962), Kohra and Woh Kaun Thi (1964), Bhoot Bangla and Gumnam (1965). However one of the biggest turning points in the history of Bollywood horror was in 1972 when Ramsay Brother’s maiden film Do Ghaz Zameen Ke Neeche stormed the box office. It was after this that filmmakers saw the horror genre as being profitable therefore leading to today’s number of a minimum of 6 to 7 horror productions every year.
Some filmmakers in recent times like Ram Gopal Verma, Raj Kumar Kohli, Vikram Bhatt and Raj Khosla have tried to do things differently. They gave us some great hits such as Bhoot, Raaz, Jaani Dushman, Nagin and Woh Kaun Thi. Still however it seems quite a herculean task in India to make a Horror at par with international standards as well as to impress the audience worldwide.
