I still get chills thinking about the first time I watched Shaitaan. R. Madhavan’s performance as a smiling, polite stranger who slowly takes complete psychological control over a family is terrifying. It strips away all your comfort. You realize that once the black magic takes hold, you are completely helpless inside your own home.
But the best part of Shaitaan isn’t just the home invasion aspect. It is the deep dive into Vashikaran, black magic, and rural Indian occult practices. It taps into those dark village legends we all heard about when we were kids.
If you loved that specific feeling of ancient, supernatural dread, you need to explore the folk horror genre. I spent hours digging through the Netflix India catalog to find the absolute best regional horror films. Here are 8 spine-chilling Indian folk horror movies like Shaitaan that will keep you awake tonight. Every single one is available with a Hindi dub.
| Title | The Vibe | Genre | Estimated Runtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulbbul | Gothic Village Folklore | Creepy & Unsettling | 1h 34m |
| Kantara | Forest Gods & Land Curses | Intense & Aggressive | 2h 28m |
| Kaali Khuhi | Generational Village Curse | Slow-Burn Dread | 1h 30m |
| Virupaksha | Black Magic & Occult Rituals | Extremely High | 2h 25m |
| Kumari | Cursed Bloodlines & Forests | Mythological Terror | 2h 17m |
| Asvins | Ancient Demonic Scriptures | Psychological Mind Games | 1h 50m |
| Ghost Stories | Cannibal Village & Curses | Deeply Disturbing | 2h 24m |
| Roohi | Witchcraft & Demonic Brides | Spooky but Funny | 2h 14m |
Editor’s Top Pick: If you only have time for one movie tonight, press play on Virupaksha. It captures the exact same black magic paranoia as Shaitaan. Watching an entire village lock itself down to survive an invisible, supernatural threat is incredibly stressful. The sound design alone will give you nightmares.
8 Spine-Chilling Indian Folk Horror Movies Like Shaitaan in Hindi
1. Bulbbul
Set in 19th-century Bengal, a young man returns to his ancestral village after years away. He discovers that a demonic woman who lives in the trees is violently murdering the local men. Everyone blames a mythical “chudail” with inverted feet.
Why it’s similar: It leans heavily into regional Indian myths. We all grew up hearing scary stories about tree spirits and witches. This movie brings those exact bedtime stories to life in a very dark, bloody way.
Why you should watch it: The visuals are absolutely stunning. The director washes the nighttime forest scenes in this crazy, saturated red light that makes everything feel like a nightmare. It is a slow, creeping horror that relies on atmosphere rather than cheap jump scares. The ending is incredibly satisfying.
2. Kantara
A greedy landlord tries to steal ancestral forest land from local villagers. He ends up angering Panjurli, a fierce local demigod who protects the forest. The village rebel, Shiva, has to step up and channel the deity’s rage to save his people.
Why it’s similar: It deals directly with rural faith and ancient entities that demand respect. Just like in Shaitaan, the supernatural element is treated as absolute, undeniable fact. When the forest gods get angry, humans are completely powerless.
Why you should watch it: The final 20 minutes are some of the most insane cinema you will ever watch. Rishab Shetty’s performance during the climax is raw, terrifying, and completely unhinged. The heavy use of local Bhoota Kola rituals makes the horror feel incredibly authentic.
3. Kaali Khuhi
A 10-year-old girl travels with her parents to their ancestral village in Punjab to visit her sick grandmother. She quickly realizes the village is cursed. The angry spirits of female infants killed decades ago are coming back for revenge.
Why it’s similar: This movie forces a modern, city-dwelling family to face ancient rural evils. The family is trapped in a remote location, surrounded by strange rituals and locals who know much more than they are saying.
Why you should watch it: It uses heavy fog, decaying houses, and total isolation to build tension. You rarely see the ghosts directly. Instead, you feel their presence in the shadows and the silence of the village. It is deeply depressing but very effective horror.
4. Virupaksha
In the 1990s, a rural village suffers a string of horrific, unexplained deaths. The village priest orders an eight-day lockdown where no one can leave or enter. A young man gets trapped inside and has to figure out who is practicing dark occult rituals before the village is wiped out.
Why it’s similar: If the Vashikaran and black magic in Shaitaan terrified you, this will destroy your nerves. It is entirely about dark spells, curses, and the horrifying consequences of messing with the occult.
Why you should watch it: The pacing is relentless. People are dying in incredibly brutal, supernatural ways right in front of the village. The mystery of who is casting the spells keeps you guessing until the very last second. And yes, the Hindi dub is fantastic.
5. Kumari
A naive young woman marries into an extremely wealthy, aristocratic family living in an isolated forest estate. She soon discovers her new family has maintained their wealth for centuries by sacrificing people to a monstrous, ancient entity living in the woods.
Why it’s similar: It is a classic folklore nightmare. You get cursed bloodlines, forbidden forest boundaries, and dark rituals performed in secret. The feeling of being trapped by a powerful, evil family is very strong here.
Why you should watch it: Malayalam cinema knows exactly how to do atmospheric dread. The production design is gorgeous. The creepy ancestral home feels like a giant cage. The tension slowly bubbles up until all hell breaks loose in the final act.
6. Asvins
A group of YouTubers sneaks into a massive, abandoned mansion in the UK. The house used to belong to a disgraced archaeologist who was obsessed with ancient, dark Indian scriptures. They accidentally wake up a demonic entity that starts playing mind games with them.
Why it’s similar: Like Shaitaan, the horror is heavily psychological. The demonic force doesn’t just attack them physically. It gets inside their heads, shows them their worst fears, and turns them against each other.
Why you should watch it: The sound design will rattle your bones. The movie uses ancient Sanskrit chants and terrifying audio cues to build panic. It feels like a very modern, aggressive take on ancient mythological horror.
7. Ghost Stories
This is an anthology of four different short films. But you are here specifically for Dibakar Banerjee’s segment. A man wanders into a rural village only to find two terrified kids hiding from the rest of the village. The twist? The elders have turned into mindless, cursed cannibals.
Why it’s similar: It takes the concept of rural Indian village horror and pushes it to an extreme, disgusting level. It deals with curses, superstition, and complete societal breakdown in a remote area.
Why you should watch it: It is deeply, intensely disturbing. The village segment feels like a raw, dirty nightmare you cannot wake up from. It is completely different from the glossy, high-budget horror Bollywood usually makes. It gets under your skin and stays there.
8. Roohi
Two bumbling, small-town guys get hired to kidnap a bride. They stash her in an abandoned factory deep in the woods. They quickly realize the girl is possessed by a Mudiyapairi, a legendary witch whose feet face backward.
Why it’s similar: It pulls heavily from North Indian folk tales about witches kidnapping grooms. The entire plot revolves around rural superstitions and village exorcism techniques.
Why you should watch it: Sometimes you need a breather. This movie blends genuine folk horror with silly comedy. Janhvi Kapoor’s demonic makeup is actually very creepy, and the jokes land well. It is a fun, easy watch if you want the folk vibe without the extreme trauma.
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Questions You Might Have About Folk Horror
Is the black magic in Shaitaan based on real rituals?
The concept of Vashikaran (mind control through occult rituals) is a very real part of ancient Indian dark arts. While the movie dramatizes the speed and power of the spell for entertainment, the basic ingredients and chants are heavily inspired by real folklore and rural occult practices.
What exactly makes a movie “Folk Horror”?
Folk horror relies on ancient beliefs rather than modern monsters. Instead of a serial killer in a city, you get cursed land, village sacrifices, and angry local gods in isolated rural settings. It preys on the fear of old traditions and places cut off from the modern world.
Are all these Indian horror movies actually dubbed in Hindi?
Yes. I personally verified every single title on this list. Netflix India offers high-quality official Hindi audio tracks for regional hits like Kantara, Virupaksha, and Kumari. You can enjoy the scares without having to read fast subtitles.
Will there be a Shaitaan 2?
Yes. Ajay Devgn and the producers have officially confirmed that a sequel is in active development. Given the massive box office success of the first film, they are expanding the universe to explore even darker occult themes.
