A Night of Fright 3 to spook Bengaluru this weekend

Halloween goes beyond dress-up parties at A Night of Fright 3, taking place on October 31 at Chamundeshwari Studios on Millers Road. The event by city-based media company, Bollywood Crypt, features horror film screenings and talks about the genre.Running from 2pm to 10pm, A Night of Fright 3 will bring together filmmakers such as Prosit Roy (director of Pari from 2018 and the 2020 series Pataal Lok) and Vishal Furia (known for Chhorii 2021 and its 2025 sequel), writer and director Yogesh Chandekar (whose credits include Munjya and Tumbbad 2), and American film historian and author Tim Paxton.The program includes an introduction to folk horror by Tim, a curation of folk horror short films by Yogesh and feature film screenings that include Vishal’s 2017 film Lapachhapi and a “mystery film” by Prosit, who is looking forward to being in Bengaluru at a gathering of like-minded horror film buffs.He says, “Being in a room full of people who share the same curiosity, who enjoy being unsettled and challenged, is always exciting. It is wonderful to see a genre that we often treat as niche being celebrated with such passion.”Yogesh, for his part, says it is heartening to see fans turning up to celebrate the genre. “Horror has consistently brought audiences to theatres and still, Indian studios, especially in Bollywood, are reluctant to commission fresh and edgy narratives in the genre.” With the curation of short films he has put together, Yogesh believes fans are likely to be surprised, “by the endless possibilities folk horror has to offer, even while being thoroughly entertained.”Tim says he grew up celebrating Halloween and is “intrigued” to be part of a film festival-style event that focuses on folk horror. “Having grown up in a household that celebrated Halloween, monsters, ghosts, the supernatural, and cinema, meeting like-minded folks at this festival will be fun,” the writer says.Sandesh Shenoy, founder of Bollywood Crypt, began putting together A Night of Fright 3 about two-and-a-half months ago, calling this the biggest edition of the Halloween event series. Shenoy spoke with Yogesh, Vishal and Prosit while on a trip to Mumbai, and when he found out Tim would be in India around the same time, he added him to the lineup as well. “I thought Tim was a wonderful addition to the mix since he witnessed the Flower Power era and his mom was a wiccan,” Sandesh says.The process of finding these guests also reinforced Sandesh’s belief that there were still filmmakers passionate about “darker cinema.” He adds, “There are very few directors such as the guests on the A Night of Fright 3 line up who believe in the genre and have been doggedly pushing such scripts to production houses in the hope of making genre films.”As someone focused on preserving and pushing Asian and Indian horror, fantasy and science fiction across films, TV series, books and more, Sandesh is all praise for the newer wave of Indian horror films. “Movies such as Tumbbad, Pari, Bramayugam, Kumari and Lapachhapi, have made a mark at the box office and also brought a freshness to the genre. They have given many younger filmmakers hope that pure horror movies work. The fact that they are being made in different corners of India and have been hitting great box office numbers shows that the genre is still quite relevant here,” he explains.The focus on folk horror stories took shape when Sandesh met Yogesh and their discussion turned to the upcoming Tumbbad 2 film. Yogesh said he had been doing a lot of research on Konkani folklore while writing the script for Munjya as well. Vishal’s Lapachhapi too, draws from folk stories in the Konkan region, with all the common threads leading Sandesh to pick folk horror for a Halloween film festival. “India is so rich in its folklore and mythology, and some of these tales are so ghastly they fit perfectly in the horror genre,” he says.With over 10 short films being screened, the founder says he is personally excited about rewatching works such as Arcana by Portuguese animator and filmmaker Jeronimo Rocha, Palace of Horrors by Mumbai filmmaker Ashim Aluwalia, Haunted by Al Karisi: The Childbirth Djinn, by Turkish director, Can Evrenol and Mother of Toads by South African director Richard Stanley.Vishal hopes that through the screenings, people will learn about the processes, thought and science behind making a horror film. “After listening to us, they may get motivated to make their own short or feature films,” he says.Prosit adds, “I hope people take away the understanding that horror is much more than scares and shocking visuals. At its best, horror holds up a mirror to our deepest fears, our insecurities, and the darker corners of human nature. The images might stay with you for a night, but the ideas and emotions should linger much longer.”“Events such as these reveal the appetite and potential for quality horror in our country,” Yogesh says. “It encourages storytellers like us to keep pushing beyond listless horror comedies and formulaic horror slop.”A Night of Fright 3 takes place on October 31, 2026, from 2pm onwards at Chamundeshwari Studios, Vasanth Nagar. Tickets from ₹1,100 onwards available on Urbanaut.