Hey there, movie buffs! If you’ve ever felt that chill down your spine while watching a ghost flick in a dark theater, you’re not alone. In recent years, horror movies have been scaring up massive success at the Indian box office. But what’s behind this spooky boom? Enter the “Conjuring Effect” – inspired by the blockbuster Hollywood franchise The Conjuring, which has shown how supernatural thrills can pack theaters worldwide, including in India. Let’s break it down in simple terms: why horror is ruling Indian cinemas, how The Conjuring plays a role, and what it means for the future.
What’s the Conjuring Effect?
Picture this: dim lights, eerie music, jumpscares that make you spill your popcorn, and stories about ghosts, possessions, and paranormal investigators. That’s the magic of The Conjuring series, based loosely on real-life ghost hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren. Since the first film in 2013, it’s spawned spin-offs like Annabelle and The Nun, raking in billions globally.
In India, Hollywood horrors like The Conjuring 2 (2016) became the highest-grossing one in the genre, earning ₹83 crore. This success showed filmmakers that Indian audiences love a good scare – especially stories with supernatural twists, family drama, and high-stakes battles against evil spirits. It’s influenced Bollywood and regional cinema to amp up their horror game, blending Western-style chills with Indian folklore and myths. Think less about cheap jump scares and more about atmospheric tension that keeps you hooked.
Fast forward to 2025: The latest installment, The Conjuring: Last Rites, just shattered records in India with a ₹60 crore opening weekend, making it the country’s No. 1 horror release ever. It even outperformed big Indian action films like Baaghi 4 and The Bengal Files. This proves the effect is real – horror isn’t just surviving; it’s thriving.
Horror Takes Over the Indian Box Office
2024 was a monster year for Indian horror films. Forget the big action blockbusters; horror quietly (or should I say, creepily?) dominated. Together, these films earned over ₹1,740 crore worldwide, beating out heavyweights like Pushpa 2: The Rule and Kalki 2898 AD. That’s huge for a genre that used to be seen as niche or low-budget.
Here are some standout hits from 2024 that show the trend:
- Stree 2: This horror-comedy sequel starring Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao was the biggest Bollywood film of the year, pulling in ₹857 crore worldwide. It mixed laughs with scares, based on urban legends, and broke records by entering the ₹200-crore club in just four days.
- Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3: Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, and Madhuri Dixit teamed up for this ghostly adventure, earning ₹389 crore. It clashed with another big release but still came out on top as the second-highest grosser in Bollywood.
- Shaitaan: A supernatural thriller with Ajay Devgn and R. Madhavan, it made ₹213 crore worldwide. It’s a remake of a Gujarati film about black magic and possession – sounds familiar to Conjuring fans, right?
- Munjya: Made on a tiny ₹30 crore budget, this CGI-heavy horror-comedy earned ₹125 crore. No big stars, but catchy songs and folklore-based scares turned it into a sleeper hit.
- Regional Gems: Films like the Malayalam Bramayugam (₹58.2 crore) and Tamil Aranmanai 4 (₹98 crore) proved horror works across languages, drawing from local myths. Even the re-release of 2018’s Tumbbad crossed ₹50 crore, flipping from flop to hit.
These aren’t just random wins. Many echo The Conjuring’s style: possession stories, haunted houses, and a mix of fear with emotional depth. Hollywood hits like Conjuring and Annabelle have inspired Indian directors to experiment, leading to franchises like the Maddock Supernatural Universe (Stree, Munjya, etc.).
Why Is Horror Winning Hearts (and Wallets)?
So, what’s making horror the king of Indian theaters? It’s simple:
- Low Cost, High Returns: Many horrors are made on small budgets but deliver big thrills. Munjya cost ₹30 crore and earned over four times that – pure profit!
- Audience Love for Thrills: Post-pandemic, people crave excitement and escapism. Horror provides that adrenaline rush without needing massive stars or VFX-heavy action.
- Word-of-Mouth Magic: Good scares spread fast. Films like Shaitaan grew through positive buzz, pulling in families and young crowds to multiplexes.
- Cultural Twist: Indian horrors blend global influences with desi elements – think witches from folklore in Stree or black magic in Shaitaan. This makes them relatable yet fresh.
- Hollywood Boost: Success of films like The Conjuring in India (with dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil, etc.) has built a fanbase, encouraging local makers to up their game.
Plus, with streaming platforms, re-releases, and sequels, the genre keeps evolving. No wonder it’s outpacing other categories!
The Future Looks Scarily Bright
As we head deeper into 2025, the Conjuring Effect shows no signs of fading. With The Conjuring: Last Rites already a smash hit and more Indian horrors in the pipeline (like sequels to Stree and others), expect more chills ahead. Whether it’s Hollywood imports or homegrown haunts, horror is proving it’s not just for Halloween – it’s a year-round winner.
What do you think? Have you caught any of these films? Drop your favorite horror story in the comments. Stay spooky!