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9 Best Kannada Horror Movies 2024: From Priyamani starrer Chaarulatha to Vishnuvardhan's Aptharakshaka
Experience the fear and thrill of Kannada horror movies which are bound to make your adrenaline spike and keep you on the edge of your seat!
Be it old or new Kannada movies, there has always been a special place for the genre of horror in the industry. These horror movies which are enriched in suspense and thrill make it as entertaining as it can be.
The horror movies list not only includes old horror movies but also the ones that are the latest on the list. So, here are the best Kannada horror movies you can stream today.
9 Best Kannada horror movies
1. Chaarulatha (2012)
- Cast: Priyamani, Skanda Ashok, Saranya Ponvannan, Seetha, RN Sudarshan
- Timeline: 1 hour and 57 minutes
- Where to watch: ZEE5
A suspenseful and mystery-filled tale that is sure to keep you on your toes is the Kannada film Chaarulatha starring Priyamani in the lead role. The film features the story of two conjoined twins, Chaaru and Latha who fall in love with the same person, Ravi.
It is further revealed that Ravi only loves Chaaru, which infuriates Latha. Unable to mediate the rift between them, their mother decides to surgically separate them, which leads to Latha dying on the deathbed. Years later, Chaaru is haunted by her spirit making her life worse with more mysteries and suspense hidden in their lives being unfolded.
The suspenseful and thrilling horror flick directed by Pon Kumaran is actually based on a Thai movie called Alone which featured Thai-German pop singer Marsha Vadhanapanich in the lead role.
2. Shhh! (1993)
- Cast: Kumar Govind, Kashinath, Suresh Heblikar, Megha, K Praveen Nayak, Goturi
- Timeline: 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Where to watch: Eros NOW, Jio Cinema
A well-written and cult classic horror movie in Kannada cinema is the 1993 film Shhh! starring Kumar Govind, Kashinath, Suresh Heblikar, and many more in key roles. The film features the story of a film crew led by Kashinath who arrives at an estate called Onti Mane Estate to shoot their next film.
However, the crew initially experiences several mishaps on their way and also starts to experience supernatural elements after arriving at the estate. The haunting events take matters to the worse when the estate owner’s brother-in-law also goes missing. The rest of the mysteries of the estate further set up the movie.
The enthralling horror flick is written and directed by actor-filmmaker Upendra who also makes a cameo appearance in the film. The film is also credited with being a trendsetter in Kannada thriller movies.
3. Namo Bhootatma (2014)
- Cast: Komal Kumar, Iswarya Menon, Anaswara Kumar, Gayathri Iyer, Harish Raj, Ali
- Timeline: 2 hours and 36 minutes
- Where to watch: Sun NXT
Not all horror movies are underlined with suspense and thrill but sometimes with just fun and comedy. Here's a horror-comedy movie like that called Namo Bhootatma. The film features the story of a man who inherits a bungalow to his name. He further renovates the bungalow and turns it into a hotel. But things turn wrong as customers who begin to arrive at the hotel invariably end up dead, making him wonder if the bungalow is haunted.
The film stars Komal Kumar in the lead role with actors Iswarya Menon, Anaswara Kumar, Gayathri Iyer, Harish Raj, and many more playing key roles. It also features Telugu comedian Ali in a prominent role. The film also has a sequel called Namo Bhoothathma 2 which was released in 2023.
4. 6-5=2 (2013)
- Cast: Darshan Apoorva, Krishna Prakash, Vijay Chendoor, Pallavi
- Timeline: 2 hours and 14 minutes
- Where to watch: YouTube
If you love watching found footage kind of movies, then this Kannada horror movie is definitely for you. The film 6-5=2 features the story of five friends Ramesh, Naveen, Shekar, Prakash, Deepa, and Soumya who hail from Madhya Pradesh and Bengaluru and plan for a trekking trip in an unknown mountain in the Western Ghats.
On their trip, they encounter a fatal trekking accident inside a deep forest which further develops the plot of the movie. The film is directed by K S Ashoka in his debut venture and is inspired by the 1999 American film indie film The Blair Witch Project, making use of found footage to tell the story.
5. Kalpana (2012)
- Cast: Upendra, Lakshmi Rai, Saikumar, Shruti, Umashree, Sathyajith, Achyuth Kumar
- Timeline: 2 hours and 43 minutes
- Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar
Another horror comedy movie that is bound to be a treat for viewers is the 2012 film Kalpana. The film revolves around the life of Raghava who is a stereotypical unemployed guy who also has an extreme fear of ghosts, so much so that he doesn’t even step out of his house after sunset and sleeps with his mother.
Unknowingly, Raghava and his friends play cricket in an abandoned field that is said to be haunted. Though everything seems to be normal, strange things start to happen inside his house, making everyone senseless and scared. The film stars Upendra Rao in the lead role with actors Lakshmi Rai, Saikumar, Shruti, Umashree, Sathyajith, Achyuth Kumar, and many more playing key roles in the film.
6. Kataka (2017)
- Cast: Ashok Raj, Spandana Prasad, Shlagha Saligrama, Bala Rajwadi, Madhav Karkada
- Timeline: 1 hour and 47 minutes
- Where to watch: Sun NXT
If a thrilling and exciting Kannada horror movie is what you need today, then here is the 2017 flick Kataka. The film features the story of Kumar, who decides to leave the town he lives in and start a school for the less fortunate children in his native village.
Though things seem to be going normal, his life takes a turn for the worse when his daughter touches a cursed object. Many obstacles form in his life which makes up the rest of the film. The film is written and directed by KGF’s music composer Ravi Basrur who also handled the editing and music. The horror movie also has actors like Ashok Raj, Spandana Prasad, Shlagha Saligrama, Bala Rajwadi, and many more playing key roles in the film.
7. Shivalinga (2016)
- Cast: Shiva Rajkumar, Vedhika, Shakthi Vasudevan, Sadhu Kokila, Urvashi, Ashok, Avinash, Vinaya Prasad
- Timeline: 2 hours and 21 minutes
- Where to watch: Sun NXT
If we're talking about Kannada movies, then how to not include the superstar Shiva Rajkumar’s movie in the list? The thrilling horror flick features the story of a CID officer who reopens a murder case that was reported to be a suicide. As he dives deeper into the mysteries surrounding the case, mysterious things start to take place in his own life as well which drags his wife into the mess.
The film directed by P Vasu features Shiva Rajkumar and Vedhika in the lead roles with an additional cast of actors like Shakthi Vasudevan, Sadhu Kokila, Urvashi, Ashok, and many more. The film was also remade in Tamil with the same name starring Raghava Lawrence and Rithika Singh in the lead roles.
8. Aptharakshaka (2010)
- Cast: Vishnuvardhan, Vimala Raman, Sandhya, Bhavana Ramanna, Avinash, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy
- Timeline: 2 hours and 29 minutes
- Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar
Another tale spinning across the infamous Nagavalli is the 2010 Kannada horror film Aptharakshaka. The film is the sequel to 2004’s Apthamitra which features the story of a classical dancer, Saraswathi who is awarded the painting of Nagavalli as a prize.
Soon after, her family starts to receive immense misfortune which makes them seek the help of Ramachandra Acharya and Dr Vijay. The film features Vishnuvardhan in his 200th Kannada film and was also a posthumous release. The film also had an additional cast of actors like Vimala Raman, Sandhya, Bhavana Ramanna, Avinash, and Lakshmi Gopalaswamy in key roles.
9. U Turn (2016)
- Cast: Shraddha Srinath, Roger Narayan, Radhika Chetan, Dileep Raj, Skanda Ashok
- Timeline: 2 hours
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
If a well-written supernatural horror thriller is your cup of tea, then surely stream this gem of a movie. The film U Turn features the story of a young intern reporter who is working on an article based on accidents that occur over a flyover in Bengaluru. However, things take a shocking turn when the offenders are suspiciously dying as each day passes which makes her dig deeper for the truth.
The film features actors Shraddha Srinath, Roger Narayan, Radhika Chetan, Dileep Raj, Skanda Ashok, and many more in key roles. The movie was also remade into several languages including Malayalam, Hindi, Sinhala, Filipino, Bengali, and even as a bilingual Telugu-Tamil flick with Samantha Ruth Prabhu in the lead role.
The many entertaining and suspense-filled Kannada horror movies that are mentioned above are some of the many flicks that are available for streaming on select OTT platforms. Check them out and spend a restful night with them.
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