Bollywood fables: Hindi filmmakers take a fancy to folklore for mass connect with audiences

Hindi filmmakers are increasingly turning to folk tales and spinning stories based on these legends passed down over generations to widen their audience base. Karan Johar’s upcoming Kartik Aaryan-starrer Naagzilla: Naag Lok Ka Pehla Kaand and Maddock Films’ horror movies Chamunda and Thama, besides its big hit Stree 2, are all based on local, cultural stories and folk tales popular among specific communities and regions.

Experts said the need of the hour for the theatrical business to flourish is to reach out to small-town audiences. And while many of these stories may not seem nuanced on paper, they make for compelling storytelling for mass-market viewers. The plot of Stree was based on Naale Baa, a folk legend popular in Karnataka. 

“It seems like a smart move since people of a particular region are already aware of these tales that have been passed down as oral history and these are likely to appeal to a broader audience. The need of the hour for Bollywood is to make films that appeal to the masses,” film producer Shariq Patel said.

A film like Naagzilla (scheduled for release in August 2026), Patel said, not only taps into supernatural, horror and folk elements that have been part of children’s tales but is also a theme that has succeeded with hits like Naagin (1976) and Nagina (1986), besides Ekta Kapoor’s television series. Calling it a step in the right direction, Patel added that Hindi films need to start speaking to audiences beyond those in top-tier cities and multiplexes.

As brands and franchises bring returns for the theatrical film business, it only makes sense to spin new stories like Chamunda and Thama that can be connected to the broader horror comedy universe that includes Stree, according to experts. The fact that these are also based on folklore only means that they can connect easily with the common viewer.

Urban, elitist themes

“It is refreshing to see filmmakers pick up these subjects because they are different from the elitist themes commonly seen in Bollywood. Theatrical cinema needs to travel wide and deep and get better results across villages and premium properties,” independent exhibitor Vishek Chauhan said.

The common strategy adopted by Hindi filmmakers over the past few years has been to speak to segmented audiences with urban, elitist themes, which led to reduced footfalls and was further aggravated by covid, when viewers discovered OTT in a big way. Producers are now keen to bring older, commercial sensibilities back, Chauhan added.

Many of these films based on mythology or folklore will also allow for visual effects, making the cinematic experience more immersive and better suited to the big screen.

“New technology can help make visual effects in these folk tales and creature films seem more believable. The attempt, quite clearly, is to add new sets of audiences, especially from smaller towns and villages, and bring forth an experience never seen before. Otherwise, there aren’t that many stories being told for mass-market audiences,” said Yusuf Shaikh, business head of feature films at production and distribution firm Percept Pictures.

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