Unscientific themes eclipse stortelling

With Rashmika Mandanna playing a blood-sucking bethal in her latest spooky thriller Thamma, and Kantara: Chapter 1 celebrating the “trance” moments of believers, Indian cinema seems to be plunging deeper into mystical and supernatural realms. The recent Mirai explored black magic, while Telugu film Virupaksha glorified witches, tantras, and mantras. This raises a pertinent question — has cinema started moving backward instead of forward?

Entertainment Over Logic

“I think audiences are smart enough to understand that these unscientific and irrational ideas are purely meant for entertainment,” says producer Lagadapati Sridhar. “Filmmakers are exploiting paranormal worlds to add shock value — packing their films with jump scares and dark characters to transport viewers into an unknown dimension,” he adds.

A Blend of Faith and Fear

Producer Anil Sunkara, who made the ghost story Ooru Peru Bhairava Kona, offers another perspective. “We added a few references from the revered Garuda Puranam to make our spooky film different, and the audience lapped up those eerie moments. We explored the life of human beings after death, about their souls wandering around if their desires are unfulfilled. Some people believe in such ideas,” he explains.

Post-Pandemic Shift

Another producer, Raj Kandukuri, believes such themes have become a necessity. “After the COVID lockdown, audiences have changed. They now expect magical and mystical twists to justify leaving their homes. Supernaturals, socio-fantasies, horror, and semi-divine movies offer a larger-than-life experience, transporting viewers to new worlds — albeit fictional and sometimes over-the-top. Theatres have seen a surge in audiences.”

Global Horror

Writer Gopi Mohan observes that after exposure to international horror — The Conjuring, Bedeviled, The Call — Telugu Gen Z audiences are now embracing local films with similar petrifying moments. “Films like Maa Oori Polimera 2, Masooda, and Kishkindapuri struck a chord with the audience. Now, one of the biggest Telugu stars, Prabhas, is exploring this genre for the first time in The Raja Saab, directed by Maruthi — known for fun-based horror like Prema Katha Chitram. Viewers are clearly drawn to new-age cinema infused with mythological elements,” he notes.

Faith Meets Fantasy

On invoking gods to fight evil forces, Gopi adds, “Rishab Shetty mastered this genre by blending devotion with heroism, achieving pan-India stardom. Similarly, young actor Teja Sajja has crafted a superhero image with consecutive god-centric films like Hanu-Man and Mirai — and he’s racing ahead.”