5 Indian Horror Stories And Urban Legends That May Give You Nightmares For Days
As I began watching the trailer for the supernatural horror film It Lives Inside, I thought it would be another classic high school story — you know, the protagonist discovering their true identity while battling a Freddy-Krueger-esque killer or being haunted by an Annabelle-like spirit — but I was sorely mistaken.
From the producers of Jordan Peele's Get Out and starring Never Have I Ever's Megan Suri, the film follows the struggle between Sam, an Indian American high-schooler, and a pishach, a flesh-eating demon from Hindu mythology — something I grew up hearing stories and legends about from my Indian grandparents. Turns out, It Lives Inside writer and director Bishal Dutta based the film on his experience immigrating to the US from India as a 4-year-old, Indian folklore, and even a family story his grandfather told him.
In his director statement, Bishal elaborated, "After I moved to North America from India at the age of 4, a lot of my social education came from watching American horror films. I always wondered, what were families like mine doing while Bruce the shark tore through Amity's waters, while Freddy Krueger slashed teenagers in the dreamscape, and while Jack Torrance chased his son through the maze-like halls of the Overlook?"
His statement continued, "As it developed, It Lives Inside formed its own dual identity much like mine. On one hand, it is a love letter to the community and culture that raised me, while on the other, it is a visceral experience that is designed to instill the same raw terror in its viewers that my favorite horror films instilled in me."
Needless to say, this story hit me personally and emotionally. Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Bishal about the horror stories that informed our childhoods — from popular Indian myths to the pishach that inspired his film. So, here's a breakdown of the five beings from South Asian folklore we discussed that will definitely keep you up at night:
1.Let's start by discussing the demon in the room, the pishach. It's a shapeshifting and flesh-eating demon that originated from Hindu mythology. As Sam learns in It Lives Inside, a pishach can become invisible and even manipulate the mind to drive you to the brink of insanity. "Don't go to sleep with a bad feeling in your heart," Bishal shared, as these creatures pry on negative human energy.
The weaker you are mentally and emotionally, the more likely you are to be a target. After watching It Lives Inside, I sleep with the lights on and a mason jar. Just watch the movie, and you will see why.
2.Next, Bishal spoke about his childhood in Assam, where he heard stories of the baak. As he explained, "[A baak] is a shapeshifter that lives in swamps and will draw you in while you are traveling at night."
The next time you decide to go night fishing, be warned that fish might not be the only thing you may encounter. I recommend watching The Lighthouse if you are looking for a sea monster tale similar to the baak.
3.According to the legends, a churel is an extremely hideous witch who can shapeshift. She lures men into the woods to absorb their life force to make herself beautiful. She's giving Mother Gothel from Tangled meets The Blair Witch Project — but Bishal revealed that you could identify these witches by their "backward feet."
Once a churel absorbs a man's beauty, he's left looking like an unrecognizable, older version of himself. So if you're ever in doubt about meeting a churel, check their feet.
4.If you've seen or read Harry Potter, you might notice the connection between Voldemort's snake, Nagini, and this next creature, the naagin. It's a half-human, half-snake creature that can shapeshift into different species. Like Bishal, I first heard of the naagin from my grandparents and was always told you could recognize one by its 1) ability to be statuesque for extended periods, 2) infrequent blinking, and 3) particularly alluring beauty.
The naagin's ability to shapeshift is also similar to Sirius Black's ability to transform into a dog or Professor McGonagall's ability to turn into a cat. (Sorry for the overload of Harry Potter references.)
Growing up in a South Asian household, I've come to understand that a naagin isn't as sinister as the other creatures Bishal and I discussed — but you should still never make a naagin angry because it might be the last thing you do.
5.Last but not least, Bishal and I discussed the Nale Ba legend — said to be based on true events from a village in Bengaluru, India. In English, "nale ba" translates to "come tomorrow." As the story goes, an evil spirit would knock on the doors of villagers at night while saying their names in a familiar voice. If the villagers opened the door, they would be killed and put back into bed. In hopes of preventing the spirit from knocking, the villagers began writing "nale ba" on their doors.
While the village originally began a criminal investigation into the killings, they never caught anyone (or anything), and it soon became a paranormal nightmare.
However, the spirit would allegedly go away if it saw "nale ba" on the door — giving the legend its infamous name. So, if you ever hear a familiar voice at night, it's best to ignore it and go back to sleep.