From the early stages of film making fantasy ghost related movies are favorite subjects. Malayalam industry has produced its first real horror movie in the year 1964 in the name of Bhargavinilayam. Our religious belief and fantasy stories had been subject of many malaylam horror movies. Another horror movie is going release soon, let us check some of the remarkable horror movies made in the Malayalam film industry.
1. Bhargavinilayam
Bhargavinilayam was the first horror movie in Malayalam, which indeed was not much terrific. The movie had a soft and romantic touch, even though the story spread a horror in it. The songs in the movie were more notable and still remain evergreen. The movie narrated the story of a novelist who comes to stay at a haunted house and realizes that a ghost (pretham) exists there. The novelist tries to find the story of the ghost, Bhargavi, and he writes a story about her.
Cast: Prem Nazir, Madhu, Vijaya Nirmala
2. Lisa
Lisa was one of the most scaring horror movies made in Malayalam. The movie changed the style of horror films in Malayalam. Dreadful films were made less in Malayalam, but Lisa was one among those. Seema had played the title role in the movie and as the movie was a successful hit, director Baby created the second part ‘Veendum Lisa’.
Cast: Prem Nazir, Jayan, Seema, Vidhubala, Jayabharathi
3. Yakhshagaanam
Yakshagaanam was a movie directed and starred by actress Sheela. The movie was remade in Telugu and Tamil and it was again made in Tamil recently as ‘Aramanai’. It has a famous song ‘Nisheedhinee Nisheedhinee’ sung by S. Janaki.
Cast: Sheela, Madhu, Adoor Bhasi, Thikkurissi Sukumaran Nair
4. Sreekrishnaparunthu
A horror filled superstitious movie which shook all audiences, that was Sreekrishnaparunthu. Mohanlal played the role of a tantric, Kumaran, and he had done his part extraordinary. Kumaran hails from a very popular traditional tantric family. He falls into negative deeds and worships negative spirits. He finally dies due to his ill works and mantras.
Cast: Mohanlal, Pavithra, Bindu Desai, Jagathy
5. Yakshi
In 1968, K.S. Sethumadhavan made Yakshi, by inspiring from the novel written by Malayatoor Ramakrishnan with same name. Satyan and Sharada played lead roles in the film which depicted the story of a college lecturer, Sreenivasan whose face was disfigured by acid, in an experiment at college lab. He loses all hope in life and started research about ghosts. He accidently meets a beautiful woman, Ragini, and she falls in love with him. They get married, but he started doubting her to be a ghost (yakshi). He finally kills her and surrenders to police.
Cast: Sathyan, Sharada, Sreelatha Namboothiri, Adoor Bhasi
6. Aakasha Ganga
Aakasha Ganga, which was released on 1999 tells the story about a ghost named Ganga. Late actress Mayoori has done this role. It tells the love affair of Ganga with a member of a royal family but his family kills her. She was pregant at the time of death and she comes back to take revenge against each men of this royal family. Divya Unni, Riyas and Mukesh also acted in this movi e.
Cast: Divya Unni, Mayoori, Riyas, Mukesh
7. Vellinakshatram
Vellinakshatram was a horror movie starring Prithviraj, Meenakshi and Taruni Sachdev in lead and double roles. Vinayan directed the movie which narrated the story of Vinod, who marries Aswathy, from royal family, but she dies mysteriously during delivery. When their daughter Ammu grows up, Vinod finds a girl (Indu) to take care of her. He falls in love with Indu and later his relatives finds that Vinod, Indu and Ammu has past life relation and Indu and Ammu has reborn to take revenge on a member in royal family.
Cast: Prithviraj, Jayasurya, Meenakshi, Jagathy, Taruni Sachdev, Karthika