Old mansions, a tragic death, an incomplete love story, eerie voices, and paranormal occurrences… sounds like a complete package for a perfect horror movie. In India, the horror-comedy genre with a touch of Indian folk stories, has been all the rage recently.
This is also probably why films like Bhoothnath Returns (2014), Nagarahavu (2016), Pari (2018), Tumbbad (2018), Stree (2018), Bhediya (2022), Munjya (2024), and Stree 2 (2024), earned themselves a dedicated audience so effectively.
The folklore that inspired the making of Stree
In many ways, this genre was reborn with the release of Stree in 2018.
The movie digs deep into one of India’s oldest folklores, which originated in the 1990s in Karnataka. Stree finds its roots in the legend of Nale Ba, a malevolent witch who would prey on men by mimicking the voices of their loved ones. Once the wandering spirit lured them to open their doors, she would kill them within 24 hours, leaving behind only their clothes.
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, director Amar Kaushik shares what made him go for an untold and unheard-of story like this, for his debut directorial.
He says, “My mother used to tell me a lot of these stories while growing up. So, my inclination was always towards something which comes from our culture, or something that you’ve heard of. You have to start with it, and then have your story built around it. And that will eventually connect with the audience.”
Rise of horror-comedy genres rooted in Indian folklores
But long before the folklore themes re-established themselves as a hit formula in films like the Stree franchise—Bhediya, Munjya and Bulbbul—to name a few, there were other iconic films that had already delved into the concept.
Dadasaheb Phalke’s Raja Harishchandra in 1913, Mehmood’s 1965 comedy-musical Bhoot Bangla, Kohraa (1964), and Mahal (1949), are all quintessential examples of the horror-comedy genre.
Mehmood in Bhoot Bangla .. pic.twitter.com/pWd4uVJUco
— Palinder (@palinder60) June 20, 2021
Then what is it that after so many years, people found themselves drawn to this kind of storytelling once again?
Was it the idea of stepping into a world they’ve not experienced, was it the 70-mm cinematic extravaganza, or is it just the resurgence of our culturally rich odyssey that got the viewer’s attention?
Amar Kaushik says, “I don’t think it is only the big theatrical experience that is needed to get the viewers hooked to this genre. I think the trick is to give people what they have not seen before, and give them what you promised to give, be it comedy, thriller, or suspense.”
Aditya Sarpotdar, the director of the 2024 hit Munjya, shares his perspective on the same.
He says, “I feel cinema has always been the form of storytelling that has had the best impact on the audience because you tell stories with audiovisuals. It gives them that escapism that we all look for.”
He further sheds light on the acceptance of folklore stories at theatres.
He says, “In theatres, it has a jump. It has its collective laughs, and this becomes your best form of a genre. It gives you a package in the theatre with folklore. It has been very interesting to see how local folklore narratives have been very well accepted all over, because it connects us to each other’s culture.”
Do Munjyas really exist?
Munjya was one of 2024’s most unexpected hits, with Sharvari Wagh, Abhay Verma, and Mona Singh playing the key roles.
It was born out of a folklore from the Maharashtra and Konkan coast. It told the story of male spirits who died after their mundan ceremony, without getting married.
The director, Aditya Sarpotdar, recalls his childhood and how this particular folklore found its way to him.
He shares, “I’ve been brought up in Pune, but I have my roots in the Konkan territory. Every holiday, we used to go back to our hometowns, and growing up as a kid, I have heard stories of Munjya in my hometown.”
He adds, “I’ve heard about Munjya from a very young age. And I’ve always been intrigued about him and who he could be. When I was making my own movies, this was always in the back of my mind, I wanted to explore this in my own way.”
Real Vs Reel
There’s also the question of what separates a folklore tale from becoming borderline unrealistic.
There was a massive dismissal of the existence of werewolves when Bhediya was released, ensuring a sharp division between two kinds of audiences for the film.
The younger audience that have grown up watching shows like The Vampire Diaries (2009) and the Twilight (2008-2012) series, and believes in the existence of vampires and werewolves. On the contrary, the older generation of people failed to connect with such mythical entities.
Addressing the same, Amar Kaushik remarks, “I think there is the question of a personal connection here. Teenagers would love the idea of vampires and werewolves, and all the other mythological creatures you throw into the mix. But a 70-80-year-old may not find logic in it. Stree was about a spirit; now, everyone believes in a ghost, from a 10-year-old to an 80-year-old. But when it comes to something like a Bhediya, that is where the question of the target audience settles in.”
Sarpotdar shares his views on the same adds, “Folklore always comes from the space of relatability. These stories have always been told to impart moral lessons. So, no matter how unrealistic they may seem, the audience will connect because it connects them to human emotions.”
Speaking about Munjya, he reveals, “It was not about the monster or the way the monster is living in a very real world like us. It was about what the monster represents. So, I think that is where the audience finds its connection with a film like this.”
Upcoming sequels in the horror-comedy verse
Maddock Films recently announced the returning sequels in their horror-comedy verse, such as Bhediya 2, Stree 3, and Maha Munjya.
One of the new additions is Thama, which is also Aditya Sarpotdar’s next, with Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna playing the lead roles. Ayushmann plays a vampire in Thama.
Considering the backlash Bhediya received on the authenticity of werewolves, the same holds true for people accepting Ayushmann as a vampire.
Aditya Sarpotdar says, “I feel with Ayushmann as a vampire and Thama as a film, which is a supernatural romantic horror comedy, the audience knows a lot more. We just assume people are not that aware of werewolves. Vampires seem very European, but when we look at Indian narratives of what the Vedas were, they were the Indian version of vampires.”
Vedas, our Hindu scriptures, did not have a direct mention of the modern term “Vampires”, however mythological creatures such as Rakshasas and Pishachas, had similar existential habits, like that of the vampires-—such as preying on human lives, and roaming around in the night.
He concludes, “I am very excited to see how people are going to accept this, which seems very alien yet relatable, and connects them to our culture and our history.”
Amar Kaushik has a packed schedule with Stree 3 and Bhediya 2 coming up. Fan-favourite films such as Stree, Munjya, and Bhediya are up for sequels, keeping the intrigue alive amidst fans.
So long, waiting theatres to buzz again with the echoes of, “O Stree, Kal Aana.”
