Films based on Indian folklore

Bhooth Bangla is a 2026 Indian Hindi-language comedy horror film directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Akshay Kumar, Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor under Balaji Motion Pictures and Cape of Good Films. The film stars Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Jisshu Sengupta, Rajpal Yadav, Tabu and Wamiqa Gabbi.

The Maddock Horror Comedy Universe, abbreviated as MHCU, is an Indian shared universe consisting of Hindi-language supernatural comedy horror films created and produced by Maddock Films. All films in this universe are based on Indian folklore.

2005 film by Roohullah

1988 film by Mansoor Khan

Chandramukhi () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language psychological comedy horror film written and directed by P. Vasu. It is a remake of Vasu's Kannada film Apthamitra (2004) which itself was based on the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu (1993). The film stars Rajinikanth, Prabhu and Jyothika along with an ensemble supporting cast, including Vadivelu, Nayanthara, Nassar and Sheela. It revolves around a woman who has dissociative identity disorder that affects a family, and a psychiatrist who intends to solve the case while risking his life.

2007 Indian film directed by Priyadarshan

Mayabazar () is a 1957 Indian Hindu mythological film directed by K. V. Reddy. The epic was produced by Nagi Reddi and Chakrapani under their banner, Vijaya Productions. Produced by Telugu cinema, it was shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil, with a few differences in the cast. The story is an adaptation of the folk tale Sasirekha Parinayam, which is based on the characters of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. It revolves around the roles of Krishna (N. T. Rama Rao) and Ghatotkacha (S. V. Ranga Rao), as they try to reunite Arjuna son Abhimanyu (Telugu: Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Tamil: Gemini Gane

Tumbbad is a 2018 period folk horror film directed by Rahi Anil Barve and Anand Gandhi, and written by Mitesh Shah, Adesh Prasad, Barve, and Anand Gandhi. It stars Sohum Shah in the lead role as Vinayak Rao, and follows the story of his search for a hidden 20th century treasure in the Indian village of Tumbbad, Maharashtra.

2003 film by Ram Gopal Varma

2017 Tamil film directed by Pushkar-Gayathri

1984 film by Umesh Mehra

2018 film by Amar Kaushik

Manichitrathazhu () is a 1993 Indian Malayalam-language epic psychological horror film directed by Fazil, written by Madhu Muttam and produced by Swargachitra Appachan. The film stars Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi and Shobana. It also features Thilakan, Nedumudi Venu, Innocent, Vinaya Prasad, K. P. A. C. Lalitha, Sridhar, K.B. Ganesh Kumar, Sudheesh.

Duvidha () is a 1973 ghost movie directed by Mani Kaul, based on a Rajasthani story of the same name by Vijaydan Detha. The film stars Ravi Menon and Raisa Padamsee in lead roles. The film was critically acclaimed and won the director the National Film Award for Best Direction and Critics Award for Best film at the 1974 Filmfare Awards. This film was remade in 2005 as Paheli, starring Shahrukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee in the lead roles.

1976 film by H. S. Rawail

1977 film by Manmohan Desai

2022 Indian film

2021 film directed by Hardik Mehta

2024 film directed by Aditya Sarpotdar

2018 film

Nagamandala (; ) is a 1997 Indian Kannada-language drama film, directed by T. S. Nagabharana and written by Girish Karnad. Produced by Srihari L. Khoday with music by C. Aswath, It is an adaptation of a 1988 play by Karnad with the same name which is based on a local folk tale and ritual. It stars Prakash Raj and Vijayalakshmi in the lead roles. The film depicts a romantic plot between a woman and a snake in the disguise of her uncaring husband.

1972 Tamil film directed by K. Thankappan

1970 Indian film by B. Vittalacharya

Kariyavar is 1948 Indian Gujarati film written and directed by Chaturbhuj Doshi. It was produced by Chimanlal Desai under banner of Sagar Movietone. It was based on the story by Shayda which itself was based on a folklore of a stepwell. The soundtrack was composed by Ajit Merchant.

2012 film by Ram Gopal Varma

2012 film

2016 film by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

1956 film

1931 film

Punyakoti (), also released as A Truthful Mother, is a 2020 Indian Sanskrit-language animated film directed by Ravishankar Venkateswaran. Ilaiyaraaja composed the soundtrack of the film. It is the first animated film in Sanskrit.

1947 Tamil film directed by T. R. Sundaram

Bhediya: Jungle Mein Kaand (; ) is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language comedy horror film directed by Amar Kaushik. Produced by Dinesh Vijan from a story and screenplay by Niren Bhatt, it stars Varun Dhawan alongside Kriti Sanon, Abhishek Banerjee, Deepak Dobriyal and Paalin Kabak. The plot of the film is inspired by Arunachal Pradesh folklore about a Yapum, a shape-shifting werewolf, who wants to protect the jungle, even if they have to kill somebody. This marks the second collaboration between Dhawan and Sanon since Dilwale (2015). It is the second installment in the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe.

1957 film

1969 film

1942 Telugu film directed by C. Pullaiah

2013 film by Kannan Iyer

Mayalamari () is a 1951 Indian Telugu-language fantasy adventure film, produced by A.N.R.Gopala Krishnan under the Aswini Pictures banner and directed by P. Sridhar. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Anjali Devi, with music composed by P. Adinarayana Rao. The film was simultaneously released in Tamil as Maayakkari (1951).

1956 Tamil film directed by Dasari Yoganand

Singhasan ( Throne) is a 1986 Indian Hindi-language action film written, directed, edited, and produced by Krishna under his Padmalaya Studios banner. The film stars Jeetendra, Jaya Prada, Mandakini in lead roles, with music composed by Bappi Lahiri.

1933 film by Debaki Bose

film directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh

1932 Gujarati language film directed by Nanubhai Vakil

1932 film by Abdur Rashid Kardar

1990 film by K. Raghavendra Rao

1948 Indian film directed by F. Nagoor and Joseph Thaliath Jr and produce by Citadel Film

2016 film by Param Gill

1997 Telugu film directed by K. Raghavendra Rao

Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is a 2025 Indian Malayalam-language superhero action film written and directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salmaan for Wayfarer Films. It stars Kalyani Priyadarshan and Naslen, with Sandy, Chandu Salim Kumar and Arun Kurian in other significant roles. In the film, Chandra, a mysterious woman, comes to Bengaluru to fight the evil. Her life changes after she meets young Sunny and his friends, and gets entangled with a corrupt cop Nachiyappa and an organ-trafficking ring associated with him.