From Aparichithan To Varathan: Nine Malayalam Horror Movies Available For Streaming

Starring actors such as Prithviraj, Fahadh Faasil and Aishwarya Lekshmi, these well-made films are perfect for a watch or two, if you like horror with a dash of humour, writes Soumya Varier.

Boredom is one word that many will associate with 2020. The year of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen people struggle with being cooped up at home, and streaming services are a coping device for many. We've done lists of romances, thrillers and action films. Now, let's check out nine horror movies that also come laced with humour. If you're all alone, watch these and keep looking around if you're really alone. It helps that they star actors such as Mammootty, Prithviraj, Fahadh Faasil and Aishwarya Lekshmi.

Bhargavi Nilayam (1964)

Available on: YouTube

Based on Vaikom Muhammed Basheer's short story Neela Velicham, Bhargavi Nilayam is about the warm relationship between a novelist (a young, thin moustached Madhu) and a ghost Bhargavi (Vijaya Nirmala), who was killed by her cousin (PJ Antony). Madhu, Prem Nazir and Adoor Bhasi's performances are among the film's highlights.

Aparichithan (2004)

Available on: YouTube

Aparichithan follows a group of three college friends Minu, Sima and Devi (Kavya Madhavan, Karthika and Manya), who are thrown out of their rented house after they fiddle with an Ouija board. A spirit ends up following them. Mammootty makes an extended appearance, adding some humour to the proceedings.

Vellinakshatram ( 2004)

Available on: YouTube

The song 'Pineapple Penne' (Pineapple girl) is one of the takeaways from this film, apart from 2000s heartthrob Prithviraj, who plays Vinod, a heartbroken husband. The film revolves around the paranormal incidents that occur around Vinod's daughter Ammu (played by the late child actor Taruni Sachdev), eventually unravelling her mother's family secrets.

Ananthabhadram (2005)

Available on: Disney+Hotstar.

This dark-fantasy film is based on an eponymous novel by Sunil Parameswaran, and directed by Santosh Sivan. When Ananthan, played by Prithviraj, returns to his ancestral village to fulfill his dead mother's wish to light the lamps at Shivakavu, local black magician Digambaran (a brilliant Manoj K Jayan) opposes him. The film stands out for its excellent frames and songs, and great performances by Kalabhavan Mani and Kavya Madhavan.

Akam (2011)

Available on: MX Player

Based on Malayattoor Ramakrishnan's psycho-thriller novel Yakshi, Akam is written and directed by Shalini Usha Nair. The story is about Srini (Fahadh Faasil), an architect who begins to suspect that his wife Ragini (Anumol) is a yakshi. The lead characters take the viewer on a whirlwind of a journey by delving into Srini's psyche. The shots are beautifully composed by cinematographer Christopher John Smith.

In Ghost House Inn (2010)

Available on: Disney+Hotstar

A sequel to 2 Harihar Nagar and In Harihar Nagar, this film revolves around four friends Mahadevan (Mukesh), Govindankutty (Siddique), Appukuttan (Jagadish) and Thomas Kutty (Ashokan) and their experience of living in a haunted house. The comic timing and silliness of the characters are the main highlights of the movie.

Ezra (2017)

Available on: Disney+Hotstar

After buying a Dybbuk box on a whim, Priya (Priya Anand) and her husband Ranjan (Prithviraj) experience paranormal activities in their home. Watch it for the actors' engaging performances, especially their intense transformation in the end.

Varathan (2018)

Available on: Disney+Hotstar

Another couple faces a major fear, but the horror is not supernatural, but has to do with the attitude of people around them. Priya (a fantastic Aishwarya Lekshmi) and her husband Abin (Fahadh Faasil) relocate to her childhood home, when she feels that people are constantly gawking at her. There's an accident, an intrusion into their home, and a fair bit of thrill before peace prevails.