Famed writer–director Kona Venkat says that the depiction of women as evil spirits (pishachas) in Indian cinema draws deep inspiration from Puranas and ancient mythology. “Apart from the commercial angle—where glamorous actresses turning ghosts ensure better audience connect—the concept itself is rooted in age-old lore,” he explains. “Characters like Saakini and Daakini, or local legends about a woman in a white saree appearing at midnight, or a girl spotted near a dilapidated well, all originate from myths deeply ingrained in our culture. Viewers in villages and smaller towns relate to such tales far more than urban audiences, as they genuinely believe in these myths.”
The trend, he adds, continues to thrive as leading actresses embrace spine-chilling roles. “When audiences see Rashmika Mandanna revealing her evil side in the Hindi movie Thamma, or Sonakshi Sinha in the upcoming socio-fantasy Jatadhara, their expectations naturally soar. If the content matches the hype, such films mint gold at the box office—just like Stree 2, where the audience believed the wordings like ‘Vo Aayegi’ on the wall and connected to women being abducted by a headless creature in a small town called Chanderi,” he notes.
Kona Venkat believes that women consistently outshine their male counterparts in this “business of sending shivers down the spine.” Their “menacing looks, eerie behavior, and unsettling presence” captivate audiences across theatres in India. “There’s a direct connection between myth and reality in the case of female-centric horror. Ghost stories often revolve around women—even in real life. So, when top actresses play such roles on screen, the believability increases, and filmmakers smartly exploit that,” he observes.
Having earlier scored success with the female ghost-based film Geethanjali, starring Anjali, Kona points to a continuing trend. “A woman turning into an evil force gives a film a powerful twist. Many Korean horror films feature actresses delivering bone-chilling performances. Recently, Samyuktha Menon excelled as a black-magic practitioner in Virupaksha, ringing up sales. She joins the elite league of actresses like Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah, Nayanthara, and Hansika Motwani, who have taken ghost stories mainstream with their memorable spine-chilling act,” he adds.
Summing up the trend, producer Anil Sunkara, who cast Varsha Bollamma as a ghost in his recent release Ooru Peru Bhairavakona, concurs. “We blended mythology with ghost elements to strike a chord with the masses. Our story connects to the Garuda Purana, which explains why certain spirits linger after death and how vengeance remains unresolved.”
He concludes, “When mythology meets mystery, audiences believe—and that’s what makes horror timeless.”