2024 the domination of horror: An overview into how the likes of Shaitaan, Munjya and Stree 2 have successfully spooked the audiences bringing in solid numbers

Shaitaan movie image

Munjya movie image

Stree 2 movie image

Unlike 2023 predominantly dominated by action movies with larger-than-life heroes this year has seen the horror genre ruling the roost. Horror stories of different kinds have entertained the viewers proving to be very profitable for the producers. The genre of horror isn’t something new. The banner of Vishesh films at their prime had made movies involving ghosts, the cast always used to be relatively new. Case in point being the first Raaz featuring Bipasha Basu. Noted filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma too has made impactful horror movies like Urmila Matondkar’s Bhoot. Bhoot is rightly considered to be one of Urmila’s most impactful performances till date. The movie even now sends a chill down the viewers spine.

Bhoot is rightly considered to be one of Urmila’s best performances till date

The likes of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Golmaal Again too have elements of spookiness particularly the first one directed by Anees Bazmee. However, the spooky elements here are mixed with slapstick or situational humor. Then you have Rahi Anil Barve’s gripping psychological horror thriller Tumbbad. The horror in this movie comes more from the director’s portrayal of human greed rather than the supernatural entity.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 directed by Anees Bazmee

The horror in Tumbbad comes more from the director’s portrayal of human greed rather than the supernatural entity

Coming to this year’s horror films the first one Shaitaan uses elements of a home invasion thriller where the protagonists in this case the father and mother have to save the children from a highly dangerous tormentor. R Madhavan in a delightfully deranged performance is the expert hypnotist with knowledge of black magic. The daughter Jahnavi played a brilliant Janki Bodiwala is under absolute control, doing everything he says. The storyline of Shaitaan is paper thin but the way Vikas Bahl build an effective atmosphere of dread engrossed the audiences thoroughly. Amit Trivedi’s background music coupled with Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti’s cinematography also made the movie gripping. Unlike most horror movies here thankfully the typical cliches of creaking doors are absent, instead the terror comes from R Madhavan’s sinister plans of wanting to control young women.

R Madhavan in a delightfully deranged performance

Next in the list are Munjya and Stree 2 both from the same production house Maddock. Both these movies feature grotesque demons. In the case of Stree 2 you have a headless creature whose target are young girls with modern outlook. In the case of Munjya the antagonist is a young Brahmin boy, he resorts to black magic to win over a girl named Munni. He also tries to sacrifice the life of his sister, but this only results in self-destruction. He becomes a restless spirit haunting the tree. Both movies have a folklore touch apart from impactful social commentary. Stree 2 like the first one is also set in the small town of Chanderi. Munjya on the other hand is set in the backdrop of a Konkan folklore.

Both Munjya and Stree 2 feature grotesque demons

A strong aspect of Munjya was the characterization of the leading man Bittu played by Abhay Varma. Bittu starts off as someone who is majorly underconfident and definitely not the type who would defeat the evil Munjya. However, we slowly seen him overcoming the inner fears. The profession of Bittu being a hairdresser also added an interesting layer. Sharvari Wagh played Bittu’s friend Bella. Bittu deeply loves Bella, but he never confesses. She is already in a relationship with an English man but isn’t very sure on marrying him. She has major career aspirations regarding Zumba dance.

Bittu starts off as someone who is majorly underconfident and definitely not the type who would defeat the evil Munjya

The interesting aspect here is that though Munjya and Bittu come from the same lineage their attitudes are as different as chalk and cheese. Bittu respects Bella’s career aspirations and never tries to force himself on her in spite of having a close proximity. This particular aspect stood out in the movie. The humor in this movie apart from the interactions between Bittu and Munjya also comes from Baahubali actor S. Sathyaraj he played a baba, but it isn’t the usual intense one. There is a whacky nature to the role which the actor pulled off successfully.

Finally, there is the mega hit Stree 2 which has broken quite a lot of records. Squeals are always a very tricky territory but Aamir Kaushik’s Stree 2 more than lived up to its prerelease buzz. It was a rollicking sequel generating both laughs and scares in equal measure. The movie also had a good blend of social commentary through the characterization of the headless Sarkate. He represents your every sexist leader who are uncomfortable with the thought process of a modern woman.

All these elements came across in a satisfying manner making it a monstrous hit. The trio of Rajkummar Rao, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee and Pankaj Tripathi were in splendid form shouldering the acting department with utmost ease. One of the most hilarious scenes in Stree 2 is the one involving Varun Dhawan’s Bhediya and Abhishek Banerjee as Bhediya aka Bhaskar’s cousin. Varun’s character gets attracted to Shraddha and asks Abhishek how to impress her. In response Abhishek says that you are a Bhediya remain like that and don’t become an animal.

This list is by no means complete as the genre of horror will continue to be explored with different backgrounds. This Diwali there is Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 which will further explore the journey of Kartik Aryan’s Rooh Baba/ Ruhaan Randhawa. Tumbbad 2 has also been announced by Sohum Shah who was both the leading man and also producer for the first part.

Kartik Aryan: From a comic actor to a versatile star

A rundown of Kartik’s journey from Pyaar Ka Punchnama to Chandu Champion

Starting with Pyaar Ka Punchnama Kartik has done 17 movies so far. He  started out with lighter roles that have shades of comedy and romance but with movies like Dhamaka, Freddy and the latest Chandu Champion Kartik has proved that he has got good range. He also tried his hand at an out and out commercial movie Shehzada, a remake of Telugu smash hit Ala Vaikuntapurramulo, though the movie ended up being a disaster because of the weak direction. However to Kartik’s credit he did make for a credible all-round hero.

In Pyaar Ka Punchnama Kartik played one of the frustrated boyfriends; there is a particular scene where Kartik vents outs his anger in a lengthy monologue about issues that men face in contemporary relationships. It struck a huge chord with young boys making Kartik an instant hit.  The sequel of Pyaar Ka Punchnama had an even bigger monologue that Kartik aced. For a long period Pyaar Ka Punchnama image stayed with the actor but thankfully Kartik managed to come out of those shadows.

Singing Ami Je Tomar in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

One of Kartik’s biggest strengths has been his charming nature and an endearing goofiness. A good example of this is Anees Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022); in this movie he played the role of Ruhan Randhawa. In the process of helping a girl he pretends to be a fake Baba convincing people that he has the ability to communicate with the spirits of dead people.

Kartik generated a lot of humor with his dialogue delivery and expressions. He brought the house down on many occasions particularly when he pretends to be an expert Baba.

At the same time he was equally intense in the song Ami Je Tomar where he pretends to be possessed by the devil. Apart from his goofiness what also makes Kartik a success is his ability to experiment and work in genres that people don’t associate him with.

Kartik Aryan as the disgrunted man in Dhamaka

Much before Chandu Champion there was Ram Madhvani’s Dhamaka released in the year 2021. In Dhamaka Kartik played the role of a former prime time anchor Arjun Pathak now demoted to a radio jockey. On the personal front too his life isn’t going well. In short he is a disgruntled man. The character is far away from the usual boy next door roles and Kartik did a wonderful job in portraying the different shades.

In the year of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 there was also Shashanka Ghosh’s Freddy a dark psychological romantic thriller about an introvert dentist who craves for companionship. Often times Kartik’s character of Dr Freddy Ginwala is mocked for his social awkwardness. In the title role Kartik aced the many aspects starting from desperation to the eventual dark turn.

kartik-aaryan Freddy showing the simmering rage within the calmness

The best part of Kartik’s performance was how he showcased the simmering rage beneath the calmness. Even in terms of body language one can see the big variation.  In spite of similarities to Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker Kartik made sure that his performance has its own individuality.

Now to the latest Chandu Champion directed by Kabir Khan. The role of Muralikanth Petkar, a Paralympics champion is a tough one to portray both emotionally and physically.

Kartik in this movie also appeared as an older man for the first time in his career. Before the movie there was lot of chatter about how he went from 39 percent body fat to just 7 percent.  

Kartik-Aaryan in Chandu Champion

The physical transformation was definitely extraordinary getting the perfect look to portray an athlete. But more than the physical transformation what stood out was how Kartik showcased the despair of Muralikanth after getting paralyzed waist down. There is a deep sadness including a suicide attempt. Kartik made sure that the audience’s heart went out for Muralikanth, because of which audiences feel happy for Muralikanth when he creates a world record in the sport of swimming.

Kartik Aaryan Sattu (Satyaprem Ki Katha) from a simpleton to standing up for his wife

Talking about romantic dramas Kartik’s best performance in this genre is Satyaprem Ki Katha (2023). Directed by Sameer Vidwan  Satyaprem Ki Katha was an impactful romantic drama focusing on the issue of date rape. Kartik’s Sattu starts off as a goofy guy but there is a solid emotional graph too as the movie takes a serious turn. The performance is particularly good in the high emotional moments. The evolution of Sattu from a simpleton to someone who stands for his wife was very well showcased by the actor.

This is a brief rundown of Kartik’s roles that showcase his versatility. Here’s hoping that this younger star goes from strength to strength and does many more versatile roles.  

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2: A Wholesome Commercial Entertainer

Priyadarshan’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa was a remake of the Tamil film Chandramukhi which starred Rajinikanth and Jyotika. Chandramukhi itself was a remake of the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu. Bhool Bhulaiyaa wasn’t as good as Chandramukhi but it was still highly watchable thanks to the comic timing of Akshay Kumar and also the performance of Vidya Balan in the post interval portions. It was also the time when Priyadarshan was in good form. Bhool Bhulaiyaa was a psychological thriller with ample doses of comedy.

Anees Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is an extension of that universe. This one plays out like a horror comedy, a genre which has brought good box office numbers. Karthik Aryan steps into the shoes of Akshay Kumar, Tabu on the other hand steps into the shoes of Vidya Balan. Tabu plays a double role in this one. The only cast member who is common between both the films is Rajpal Yadav. He returns back as Chota Pandit. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is one of those wholesome entertainers that have something for everyone.

Strangers Ruhan Randhawa (Karthik Aryan) and Reet Thakur (Kiara Advani) meet at a hill station. Just like most Bollywood love stories there is an instant connection followed by a song and dance sequence. Things take a turn when Ruhan and Reet land up in an abandoned haveli where the spirit of Manjulika is believed to held captive for 18 years. Ruhan turns into Rooh Baba in no time and convinces people that he can talk to ghosts. Things are going well for Ruhan, but he invites self trouble when he accidently unleashes the spirit that has been locked for 18 years. The rest of the story is about why the spirit of Manjulika is so angry and will Rooh baba be able to handle the situation. The back story of Manjulika and the connection of the twin sisters form an integral part of the second half.

The best thing about Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is how the director combines the elements of horror and comedy. The scares aren’t particularly new but still they do spoke you. The scenes of Karthik Aryan as Rooh Baba are an absolute laugh riot. His interactions with the family of Kiara Advani bring the house down. The subplot of Rajpal Yadav, Sanjay Mishra and Ashwini Kaleskar also raise some chuckles, even if the nature of the humor is somewhat questionable. The dialogues by Aakash Kaushik deserve praise for the way punch lines have been written.

Karthik Aryan gets ample scope to display his comic timing and the actor doesn’t disappoint one bit. Karthik is also very impressive in pre-climax scene where you have a big reveal.

Another thing that Anees Bazmee gets right is the track of twin sisters. After Karthik Aryan, Tabu has the meatiest role among the rest. She serves as the catalyst of the plot. The parts of the twin sister are as different as chalk and cheese. Tabu effortlessly switches between Anjulika and Manjulika. She gets her big moment in the climax and as usual Tabu kills it with her performance. The big twist here is quite satisfying as you don’t really see it coming. Special mention must also be given to the makeup of Tabu in the flashback portions. Tabu looks effortlessly young. Performances wise it is Karthik Aryan and Tabu who shoulder the film on their shoulders.

There are two areas where the film falters. One is the romance between Karthik and Kiara. There is a lot of flirting and also one kiss. But the chemistry is nowhere visible. In fact the romantic portions come across as speed breakers. The songs of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 are another major sore point. The only song that makes any impression is the reworked version of Hare Ram from the original. Karthik’s dance moves in that are quite fluid.

In a nutshell, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is a wholesome entertainer that is going to keep its target audiences engaged. It is a film which is sure to break the dry run that Bollywood has been having since the success of Gangubai and Kashmir Files.