Malayalam cinema and the curious case of horrendous horror films

Even though some of these movies are now regarded as classics, they all used a similar pattern while portraying ghosts and bhoots. In fact, the last thing they do is evoke a sense of horror. The majority of them may be watched as comedy now because of their awful portrayal of bhoots and the sheer volume of cringe-inducing sequences; they are only horrendous and not horrifying.

Due to the lack of willingness on the part of the filmmakers to explore the genre, Indian audiences rarely have the opportunity to see spine-chilling and magnificent horror films like Tumbbad (2018), Raat (1992), Bhoot (2003), Dibakar Banerjee’s segment in Ghost Stories (2020), Ahalya (2015), Ghoul (2018), and Stree (2018), despite the country producing close to 2,000 films annually on average.

And no, that doesn’t imply that we don’t make any scary movies at all. But since all that the viewers get are mind-numbing films like Bhoot Police (2021), Phone Bhoot (2022), and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022), it seems as if the terrain continues to remain untraversed.

Even Malayalam cinema, which has always tried to explore different underexplored territories including within the horror domain with the recent additions being the stellar Romancham (2023, Dir. Jithu Madhavan) and Bhoothakaalam (2022, Dir. Rahul Sadasivan), has over the years produced a slew of subpar horror films that appear to be cut from the same cloth.

With humdrum plots, the hypersexualisation of women (especially ghosts), and tawdry visual effects, a large number of these films are worse than soft-porn films the industry made in the 1980s which at least served their aims.

The horror genre

Horror is very difficult to classify, especially as a genre. The term is very ambiguous because it feeds on evoking feelings of fear, dread, and terror as well as constructing an environment that elicits these emotions and anything that one person considers frightening might not be so for another. Let’s simply agree to start things off by saying that “horror films” are probably the ones whose primary goal is to arouse fear.

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, horror stories can feature supernatural elements such as ghosts, witches, or vampires, or they can address more realistic psychological fears.

Although horror movies have been around since the late 1800s, the German expressionists were the first to really experiment with the genre. While Georges Méliès’ The House of the Devil (1896), a three-minute-long silent short, is considered to technically be the first ever horror film, Robert Wiene’s silent The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920) is popularly regarded as the first “true horror film”. Works like The Golem (1915, Dir. Paul Wegener) and Nosferatu (1922, Dir. Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau) also contributed significantly to the popularity of horror flicks.

Horror also includes many subgenres like psychological horror, body horror, monster horror, slasher, comedy horror, gore, found footage etc.

The glorious initial years of Malayalam horror films

The Malayalam film industry kickstarted the proper exploration of the horror genre on a high note by adapting Neelavelicham, a short story penned by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, one of the most celebrated Indian writers. Bhargavi Nilayam (1964), directed by eminent cinematographer A Vincent, is regarded as the first true horror film in the language.

Bhargavi Nilayam is a timeless classic that beautifully blends horror, romance and even comedy, thanks to Basheer, who was known for not giving two hoots about the rules and regulations of the literary language, for penning the script in a majestically down-to-earth manner. While the performances of Madhu, Vijaya Nirmala, Prem Nazir, P J Antony, and Kuthiravattam Pappu gave the film flesh and blood, its overall quality was elevated by a flock of incredible technicians like P N Sundaram and P Bhaskar Rao (cinematography), G Venkitaraman (editing), V M Muthu (costumes), and K Gangadharan (make-up) among many others. The mesmerising lyrics written by P Bhaskaran for the songs with a Hindustani flair that M S Baburaj composed are still captivating.

Above all, what makes Bhargavi Nilayam what it is, is the impeccable artisanship of master cinematographer A Vincent, who captured some of the most pivotal films in the history of Malayalam cinema such as Neelakuyil (1954), Mudiyanaya Puthran (1961), Moodupadam (1963) and Thacholi Othenan (1964). (Un)surprisingly, this was Vincent’s directorial debut.

In 1968, the industry returned with yet another horror movie, Yakshi. Just like a lot of good movies of that era, this film too was an adaptation of literary work (Malayattoor Ramakrishnan’s 1967 novel of the same name) and was helmed by the veteran K S Sethumadhavan. Considered to be the first psychological thriller in Malayalam cinema, Yakshi too is a tour de force and embodies elements of horror and myth. The movie stars Sharada and Sathyan, two of the finest actors of all time, and tells the tale of a college lecturer, who is fascinated by ghosts and the paranormal and experiences an unfortunate incident, and a woman who enters his life after everyone else started acting indifferently and abandoned him following the mishap.

Yakshagaanam (1976), directed by veteran actor Sheela, was the next absolute horror film produced by the industry.

Even though these films are aesthetically appealing, none of them is, however, devoid of archetypal horror movie elements. It was renowned poet Yusufali Kechery’s Vanadevatha (1976), a remake of Bimal Roy’s Madhumati, that broke these stereotypes for the first time. Vanadevatha does not have a conventional ghost or a woman roaming around singing in the middle of nowhere only to be spotted by the male protagonist. It is only towards the end that the ghost makes a proper appearance, altering the complete tone of the movie in an astonishing manner.

Even though Bhargavi Nilayam is regarded as Malayalam cinema’s first genuine horror film, the truly terrifying movies didn’t arrive on the scene until 1978. And not just one, but two films that were released in 1978 over a three-month period established a benchmark for the genre in Malayalam cinema.

A Vincent, the same as how he did in Bhargavi Nilayam, did not hold back while making Vayanadan Thamban, starring Kamal Haasan in the titular role, either and introduced a number of novel aspects that marked the explosion of the genre in the language. Vayanadan Thamban doesn’t actually have a ghost. The film is about an old warlock who hunts virgin women to give to a devil in exchange for eternal youth. The plot unfolds over multiple generations and has some genuinely unsettling scenes. Vayanadan Thamban expanded the definition of horror as it is and, in a way, revolutionised the genre, much like Tumbbad did decades later with its emphasis on mythology and black magic. Vayanadan Thamban, sadly, did not receive the attention it deserved since A G Baby’s Lisa (1978), which was released a short while later, effectively turned back time in both good and bad ways.

Lisa established a standard for Malayalam horror movies and can be regarded as the first bred-in-the-bone horror flick with several terrifying scenes. It even has certain sequences adapted from the 1973 Hollywood classic The Exorcist, including the legendary “bed shake” scene. While the exorcism in the 1973 US film was conducted by a pair of Catholic priests, director Baby changed it to a Hindu tantric in Lisa. The movie tells the tale of Lakshmi who becomes possessed by the spirit of Lisa, who was killed while trying to resist a rape attempt by her boss. With an ensemble cast comprising Seema, Bhavani, Prem Nazir, Jayan, Vidhubala, Jose Prakash, Prathapachandran, Philomina and M G Soman among many others, Lisa became a benchmark film in the Malayalam horror genre. (Un)fortunately, because the movie had such a significant influence on popular culture and the genre, many horror movies that came out in the years that followed oddly mimicked Lisa’s making style and frequently even the central narrative.

Post Lisa: The era of copy-pasting

The Malayalam film industry failed to produce even one decent horror film for many years after Lisa. While M Krishnan Nair’s Kalliyankattu Neeli (1979) capitalised on the tired yakshi clichés, it also made “the ghost that approaches men in the guise of seduction and then murders them by biting their necks, puncturing the jugular veins” popular.

In 1981, A G Baby returned with another film titled Karimpoocha, starring Ratheesh and Seema. The bulk of the movie’s scares was lifted from the 1977 American horror film The Car, and Karimpoocha, just like Lisa, featured a ghost of a lady who died while defying abuse.

Sreekrishnaparunthu by A Vincent and Rakshassu by Hassan were the two horror movies that the industry produced in 1984. Sreekrishnaparunthu, starring Mohanlal, was a considerably better movie due to its brilliant technical work and Vincent’s desire to venture into uncharted territories, while Rakshassu was a corny ghost story. The film revolves around Kumaran Thampi, the nephew of master sorcerer Padmanabhan Thampi, who has inherited from his uncle, though unwillingly, all the tantric knowledge. A heedless Kumaran is also a womaniser and once he starts practising tantric magic, Kumaran develops an unquenchable craving for power. The master sorcerer is required by their clan’s rules to maintain complete celibacy, but Kumaran violates this and ends up getting cursed. Kumaran uses black magic to liberate himself but gets into more difficulties as a result. Though an exceptionally well-made film, the film’s sheer hypersexualisation of women is intolerable. The majority of the film’s female characters exist just to seduce Kumaran and the only emotion they have in life is lust.

Both A G Baby’s Veendum Lisa (1987), a spiritual sequel to his 1978 film Lisa, and M Mani’s Pacha Velicham (1985), co-written by renowned dramatist Thoppil Bhasi, had little to contribute and were made using banal ingredients.

The wasted opportunities

Although it failed to delve into the genre further, Malayalam cinema produced some unconventional horror films between 1989 and 1998.

P Chandrakumar’s Kalpana House (1989) was one of the first films to explore a subject beyond the stereotypical yakshi. The film, an unofficial remake of the 1985 American supernatural horror film Fright Night, centered on the story of a vampire and a youngster’s attempts to destroy him. Despite having a unique plot and gothic elements that the industry had never tried previously, the film was filled with regressive scenes that capitalised on the objectification of women. In fact, given the volume of ludicrous situations in the movie, rewatching it now would likely elicit more scorn and laughter than fear. But, Kalpana House paved the way to explore the genre further.

Regrettably, rather than going deeper into the genre, Malayalam cinema went back to the same yakshi stories and made more films such as Brahmarakshass (1990). Although ostensibly a ghost movie, Kamal’s Aayushkalam, based on the Hollywood films Ghost and Heart Condition, lacked any aspects of the horror genre.

The concept of horror was reformed by Fazil’s Manichitrathazhu (1993). An epic psychological thriller, the film narrates the story of a woman with Dissociative Identity Disorder (previously known as ‘split personality’) who develops empathy for Nagavalli, a dancer believed to have lived once but was killed by a patriarch. The movie masterfully examines both horror and psychological elements in tandem and in a magnificent way. Moreover, it demonstrates the profound influence mythology may have on people’s thoughts. The movie went on to become one of the most financially lucrative productions in the history of the industry, and it continues to have an impact on popular culture even today with a remake or an adaptation of it popping up from parts of the country every now and then.

It took the industry five years to make another horror film. Even though Mayilpeelikkavu by director team Anil-Babu was competently constructed, the film had noticeable similarities with many older movies, particularly due to its trite core theme of reincarnation.

Hariharan’s Ennu Swantham Janakikutty, penned by Jnanpith awardee M T Vasudevan Nair, which came out in 1998 was also an unconventional ghost story sans horror. It showcased the relationship between a loner girl and a yakshi.

The age of sickening content

Vinayan’s Aakasha Ganga, though it sent chills down the spines of viewers when it hit the screens back in 1999, turned the clock back by at least a couple of decades and opened the way for quite a few imbecilic horror films. Aakasha Ganga and the movies that came after it both recycled the hackneyed yakshi story with the same mindless elements and tacky visual effects.

Horror movies were the most intolerable during the 2000s, which also represented the lowest point in the industry’s history due to its relentless production of ludicrous content.

K Murali’s Summer Palace (2000), George Kithu’s Indriyam (2000), Rajasenan’s Meghasandesam (2001), Mammy Century’s Bhadra (2001), Benny P Thomas’s E Bhargavi Nilayam (2002), Anil Babu’s Pakal Pooram (2002), P Gopikumar’s Soudhamini (2003), Vinayan’s Vellinakshathram (2004), Fazil’s Vismayathumbathu (2004), V K Prakash’s Moonnamathoral (2006), George Kithu’s Soorya Kireedom (2007), Akku Akbar’s Kana Kanmani (2009), and Viji Thampi’s Chemistry (2009) were some of the most puerile horror films the industry made during this period. Apart from having shoddy visual effects and substandard stories, these movies were also extremely sexist and quite a few of them portrayed tribals as vacuous barbarians.

Even in the 2010s, when the Malayalam cinema industry began to see a paradigm shift, the horror movies it produced were gimcrack. From Shaji Kailas’ Drona 2010, Vinayan’s Yakshiyum Njanum (2010), Dracula 2012 and Aakasha Ganga 2 (2019), Anil Kumar’s Manthrikan (2012), Abhiram Suresh Unnithan’s Yakshi – Faithfully Yours (2012), Priyadarshan’s Geethaanjali (2013), R Factor’s Raktharakshassu 3D (2014), and Mahesh Kesav’s Ghost Villa (2016) to Kannan Thamarakkulam’s Aadupuliyattam (2016), Althaf Rahman’s Neeli, Ranjith Sankar’s Pretham movies (2016, 2018), Sugeeth’s Kinavalli (2018), Jofin Chacko’s The Priest (2021), Tanu Balak’s Cold Case (2021) and Ranjeet Kamala’s Chathur Mukham (2021) – the list never ends. Though Jay K’s Ezra (2017) and Junues Muhammad’s Nine (2019) did manage to get certain things right, they both have a Hollywood air to them and rarely give off the impression of being made locally.

It is the sheer volume of dreadful movies the Malayalam film industry produced during this era that would give one the creeps, not any of these movies’ handling of horror aspects. With the exception of a few excellent works like Sibi Malayil’s Devadoothan (2000), Sanjeev Sivan’s Aparichithan (2004), and Santosh Sivan’s Anandabhadram (2005), the industry didn’t produce many noteworthy horror films due to its over-reliance on emotional drama and habit of concentrating solely on how to release a movie rather than thinking about its making aspects.

Hence, even when films like Devadoothan, Aparichithan and Anandabhadram attempted to bring something new to the table, the industry decided to not sneak a taste and continued savouring filth.

The potential game-changers: Bhoothakalam and Romancham

The refusal of filmmakers to acknowledge and adjust to viewers’ shifting viewing tastes is nothing new. Even those working in the Malayalam film industry, which has been garnering attention on a global scale, are either too stubborn or too scared to experiment.

It is at a time like this that Jithu Madhavan’s Malayalam film Romancham (2023) is receiving rave reviews from all corners. Romancham, a genuine horror-comedy at heart, expertly strikes the ideal balance between the two genres and elicits waves of laughter and fear simultaneously. Centered on a group of bachelors whose ‘harmless’ games with an Ouija board go wrong when they summon an actual spirit, Romancham is a masterclass on how to use an age-old theme and still make a modern-day marvel. Romancham doesn’t have even one unnecessary scene or dialogue in its whole 132-minute running length. Even though the movie revolves around seven bachelors, a haven for filmmakers to infest all their misogyny and sexism, Romancham doesn’t take that road even once. It blatantly refutes the claims of “watch films as films”-ists who brush under the rug overt misogyny in movies about bachelors saying, “These talks are usual among a group of male friends,” and it establishes that humour may be developed without punching down or being demeaning.

While it has a joke or a funny moment every minute or two, it never compromises on the horror themes and handles them maturely without the use of forced jump scares or a ghost figure purely for kicks. Romancham succeeds in giving the audience the chills through the tenants of the house by skillfully capturing the horror they are experiencing, despite the fact that the filmmaker never shows the actual ghost—except for once near the end and that too in an out-of-focus/blurred frame. Accompanied by magnificent background scores and exceptional songs, powerful performances by all who appear on screen, impactful cinematography, meticulous attention to detail, and a masterfully set-up house, Romancham asserts that the genre has not gone stale.

Another masterpiece that does the genre justice is Bhoothakaalam (2022), a psychological horror movie directed by Rahul Sadasivan. It is arguably one of the best horror films that Malayalam cinema has ever made. Even though it doesn’t include a traditional ghost, there are, nonetheless, no words to adequately describe how it manages to make spectators fearful. No loud/creepy background scores, no eerie mansions, no jump scares, no ghosts, no unnecessary flashbacks, no unnecessary dialogues, no too many characters – the film basically revolves around a woman and her young son, who are dealing with mental health issues. Once the woman’s mother passes away, their lives take an unexpected turn, leaving the two alone with their thoughts and insecurities in a cramped, poorly-lit house that is not giving the ‘right vibes’.

Bhoothakaalam is a testament to the fact that viewers are more spooked by those dealing with their inner demons than actual ones. Even though Revathi and Shane Nigam’s outstanding performances are what elevate the movie, Rahul Sadasivan’s grasp of the material and thorough knowledge of it make the solid foundation of the fort.

Bhoothakalam succeeds in creating the impression in viewers that they are also confined inside the house where escape is the most improbable option, much like Jordan Peele’s modern-day classic Get Out (2017), albeit without the socio-political components. Isn’t that a characteristic a great movie should have? Despite the fact that you are aware that they are only movies with predetermined running times, they manage to keep you firmly riveted to the screen and begin to make you feel as though you are a participant in the events depicted therein as much as the actors are. What other genre provides spectators with a greater surge of tremendous excitement than horror?

Now hear this: Prior to its release, Romancham was reportedly turned down by a number of prestigious distributors because it lacked big stars. These distributors are part of the same group that have been up in arms about makers choosing direct OTT releases. Such little films are ignored in favour of those with star casts, which they believe would bring in more revenue. After a lot of failed attempts and deliberations, the makers finally released Romancham in theatres on February 3, 2023. Even a month later, the movie is still doing well. It is breaking all kinds of box office records and is quickly becoming one of the most successful films of all time. It has also entered the Rs 50 crore club, which is a significant thing in the Malayalam film industry because only 10 other movies have ever achieved this milestone. People are even lining up to rewatch the film because of its worth and uniqueness.

Even if this has been mentioned before, it needs to be expressed again and again since the film industry seems to be so egotistical that it acts as if it didn’t hear it. “There is no specific formula that will ensure a movie’s success. There isn’t a formula that people would accept all the time. The only feature that can help a work of art is its quality, period!”

Now that films like Romancham and Bhoothakalam are receiving good responses while the stale formulaic ones are getting booed off, let’s hope that the industry comes to its senses and attempts to make quality horror content. After all, horror is undoubtedly a goldmine that is unlikely to run out anytime soon.