The horror genre is one that has continued to thrive throughout the ages, but it rarely manages to make waves at the major award ceremonies. This could be because it is quite hard for directors to create a cinematic masterpiece while at the same time offer up sufficient scares. Blockbuster horror films are released in a conveyor belt manner, and rarely bring anything ground-breaking to the table. For this reason, fans of the genre should look to other industries for content that is a little less predictable. Bollywood could be considered to be an untapped resource when it comes to horror offerings.
Has The Western Horror Model Become Too Predictable?
There have been a few horrors in recent years that have shaken up the tried and tested model and received plaudits for their innovation. In 2017, Jordan Peele’s Get Out was nominated for Best Picture at the 90th Academy Awards, and Peele won the award for Best Original Screenplay. Unfortunately, the 41-year-old’s directorial debut is one of only six films from the genre to have ever been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.
The horror genre is often overlooked for major awards and is more of a reliable moneymaking machine for Hollywood. Directors can incorporate familiar tropes, and studios know that scare-addicts will flock to the cinemas to watch them. This has been proven time and time again, especially with the slasher genre. Even though films like A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, and Scream all use similar themes, viewers still can’t seem to get enough of them. This is why, along with sequels, a lot of these classics are getting rebooted.
The franchise model in Hollywood has made these films even more predictable as well. Many of the games spread out into other media and some people experience them before even seeing the films. For example, there is a Nightmare on Elm Street slot game, and a Friday the 13th console game. Other notable horror films that have crossed platforms in this way include Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Blair Witch.
Bollywood Could Throw Up Some Surprises
At the moment, Bollywood isn’t following this cross-platform model as much with its films. This means that viewers are more likely to encounter a few surprises when they watch horrors from the region. On top of that, Bollywood movies have a distinctive style that is far removed from what viewers are used to in the west. That makes the prospect of watching a scare-ridden Indian film quite exciting.
For horror fans that want to go back to the early days of Bollywood, there are some classics out there that still hold up to this day. Mahal in 1949 is one of the first Bollywood horror movies and has gone down in history as a classic. Bees Saal Baad in 1962 is another chilling offering that shouldn’t be watched alone. More recently, 2013’s Horror Story has some truly shocking scenes that viewers will not be expecting. In the same year, Ek Thi Daayan was released. The spooky offering from Kannan Iyer focuses on witches and explores what would happen if they existed in society.
Indian Industry Could Soon Follow Model of the West
People who want to experience the Indian horror scene without coming across spoilers from other media should get into them now. This is because the industry in the country could easily go the same way as Hollywood.
One area that Hollywood has permeated with its cross-platform marketing is online slots. Players will often become aware of a picture by first playing its related slot. The online casino industry is starting to blow up in India, with so many casinos for Indian players that they need comparison sites to help them choose where to play. With many casino games to choose from, players may need some guidance. These sites list all the bonuses on offer, along with information about languages and customer support.
With more people joining online casinos every year, operators will be looking to bring in games that will appeal to a wider demographic. They could opt to replicate the successful model from the west and create many slot games based on popular Bollywood offerings.
There are some truly spine-tingling Bollywood offerings out there for horror fans in need of a change. However, it may be wise to get involved sooner rather than later, as the Indian film industry could soon be heading in the same direction as Hollywood.
