Bollywood is undergoing a massive cinematic shift, as supernatural folklore and mythological epics officially take over the box office. For years, Indian cinema relied heavily on realistic family dramas, formulaic action films and Western-inspired thrillers. However, a major cultural resurgence driven by heavy visual effects, a hunger for rooted storytelling and successful franchise-building has turned ancient myths and local ghost stories into Bollywood’s most lucrative goldmine.
Vvan: Force of the Forest, headlined by Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia is a mythological folk-horror thriller. A rare creative collaboration between Ektaa Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms and TVF, the film is directed by Panchayat fame Deepak Kumar Mishra.
Naagzilla is an upcoming high-scale fantasy-comedy creature feature starring Kartik Aaryan. Presented by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and directed by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba of the Fukrey franchise, the film blends VFX-heavy action with shape-shifting Ichhadhaari naags living hidden among modern humans.
Both projects are being seen as prime movers at the box office, signalling a renewed revival of the mythological genre after the record-breaking success of Hanuman Ansh.
Pioneered by production houses like Maddock Films, Bollywood has built its own “MonsterVerse” rooted deeply in regional Indian myths. Films like Stree, Bhediya exploring Arunachal Pradesh’s Yapum wolf legend and the vampire-thriller Thama have proven that Gen Z and wider audiences crave localised, atmospheric stories over generic superhero tropes.
Instead of standard historicals, filmmakers are now scaling up to massive, pan-Indian, multi-part spectacles. High-profile releases like Nitesh Tiwari’s highly-anticipated Ramayana starring Ranbir Kapoor and Hombale Films’ Mahavatar Narsimha represent a grand new era where ancient texts are given the Hollywood-scale VFX treatment.
On the revival of the mythological-supernatural genre, Ektaa Kapoor, co-producer of Vvan, says the trend is omnipresent. “Making films about our rich cultural heritage is in our cinema’s DNA. Trends may come and go, but the love for our mythology and the holy scriptures will never go out of date. The folklore and narrative of Vvan are inspired by the real Van Devi Temple located in Bihta, near Patna in Bihar.”
Umesh Kumar Bansal and producer Prerna Arora have officially joined hands with creator, co-producer and writer Keerthan for an untitled epic mythological fantasy starring Kiran Abbavaram in the lead.
Speaking on the perennial popularity of the mythological genre, Prerna Arora says, “Fifty years ago, Jai Santoshi Maa had outdone Sholay at the box office. Today, Hanuman Ansh is the biggest hit. Cinema will always return to our cultural roots.”
Highlight: Instead of standard historicals, filmmakers are now scaling up to massive, pan-Indian, multi-part spectacles.
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