Page 34 - Seniorstoday Nov 2024 Issue
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horror universe. When stars like Ajay manner. In Stree 2, when a demon attacks
Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Madhuri Dixit, the same town, the people can only think
Vidya Balan, Tabu, Varun Dhawan, of inviting the unnamed Stree from the
Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor attach earlier film to fight him. Woman power
themselves to horror movies, the audiences never worked so well outside of the horror
are bound to follow. genre.
Films like Raat and Bhoot made by Ram The new Bollywood horror films are just
Gopal Varma in the past, the low budget mildly scary, not all out terrifying like the
schlock of films like 1920 made by Vikram Dracula movies, the simpler Chucky The
Bhatt, and the Raaz franchise by Mukesh Doll films, the nightmare-inducing The
and Mahesh Bhatt, have made way for Exorcist, the Blair Witch Project, or The
a sophisticated style of storytelling and Ring from Japan.
shooting that appealed to audiences that There have been studies to examine just
had been exposed to better quality content why horror films (books and serials too)
on OTT during the pandemic. are popular. In a piece in Harvard Business
The change in audience taste seems to Review, Haiyang Yang and Kuangjie
have come after the lockdown—if they go Zhang wrote, “One reason we consume
out to the cinema to watch a film, which is horror is to experience stimulation.
a pricey proposition these days, they have Exposure to terrifying acts, or even the
to get their money’s worth. Also, today’s anticipation of those acts, can stimulate
horror comedies are aimed not at adults, us — both mentally and physically — in
but at young audiences, who enjoy the opposing ways: negatively (in the form
chills, thrills, laughter and catharsis of of fear or anxiety) or positively (in the
these movies. form of excitement or joy). For instance,
watching a horror video simultaneously
Image Courtsey: dnaindia.com activates both types of stimulation, with
the most pleasure experienced at the most
fearful moment. The biochemical inside
our bodies also changes when we consume
horror. Fright can trigger the release
of adrenaline resulting in heightened
sensations and surging energy.”
They add, “Consuming horror in a group
The horror comedy took root in 2007, is a great way to bond and connect with our
when Bhool Bhulaiyaa starring Akshay friends and family. Research suggests that
Kumar and Vidya Balan, was released—a such bonding is linked to oxytocin which is
Hindi adaptation of Priyadarshan’s 1993 often released when we are in frightening
hit, Manichitrathazhu. It took years for situations. This hormone facilitates feelings
the genre to be universally appreciated of closeness and affinity among the group
by audiences and critics alike. Along with members.”
the usual good winning over evil trope, This is, of course, seen in the way horror
Stree made a case for respecting women—a movies are enjoyed more in groups—
message conveyed in a light-hearted laughing and screaming in terror are
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