What makes a good horror film truly terrifying? It’s not just the blood-curdling screams, eerie silences or sudden jump scares — it’s the invisible architecture behind the fear. The best horror filmmakers know that real terror lies in storytelling, emotion and technical precision. Crafting fear that lingers long after the credits roll demands far more than prosthetics and dim lighting; it requires vision, patience and a deep understanding of human psychology.

As Halloween approaches, BT speaks to directors who have ventured into the dark corridors of horror cinema to decode what makes the genre so challenging and rewarding to create.

For any director, the heart of a horror film is its story. Without it, scares feel hollow. Pavan Kirpalani, who directed Ragini MMS and Phobia, emphasizes that a strong script and invested characters are the foundation. “What makes a good horror film is a good script, a good story and a good theme. You have to invest in the story; invest in the world you’re entering into. Then the scares are just packaging. An action movie without a story is hollow. Once you have characters that you care about, the horror becomes intriguing, and the stakes are higher,” he explains.

Aditya Sarpotdar, director of Munjya and Thamma, believes relatability amplifies fear. “What always works in a good horror film is a relatable set-up. When you fear the unknown, it has to exist in a world you recognise,” he says. Recalling Bhoot directed by Ram Gopal Varma, he adds, “A ghost in a Mumbai apartment was terrifying. I thought... why wouldn’t the ghost be around where I am? That relatability is everything.”

Despite the recent success of films like Shaitaan and Stree 2, directors admit that pure horror remains a hard sell. “It’s difficult to get horror films backed by producers. A horror comedy is easier because it casts a wider net. Straight horror, production-wise and money-wise, is tougher to mount. We are still nowhere close to what the West is doing with it. We are still barely scratching the surface when it comes to horror,” says Pavan Kirpalani.

For director Vishal Furia, passion is paramount. “A filmmaker’s absolute love for the genre is what it takes to make a horror film. Unfortunately, people in India make horror films just to make a quick buck. But then they end up making a shoddy horror film, which is why the genre has not evolved in Bollywood. But if a filmmaker really puts his passion and love into the film, then he can make something interesting out of it,” he states.

When asked if it is a challenging genre to direct, Aditya Sarpotdar says, “Horror is difficult to direct because making the audience enter the world that you’re building depends on many factors, like the way you tell the story, the performances and other technicalities.”

Vishal Furia adds, “When the actor feels scared is when the audience feels scared. Even the person playing the ghost has to be mentally and physically strong. Under layers of prosthetic and constant retakes, performance can suffer. That’s why it’s one of the hardest genres to direct.”

On the other hand, Pavan Kirpalani believes, “A horror movie is easier to make as you’re only striding one tone.”

Once the story is set, horror lives in the craft. Vishal Furia, of Chhorii fame, believes this is a very technical genre. “Every department has to work perfectly. One misstep, and the scene could look funny or pull the audience out. The mood has to be consistent. The DOP, sound designer, prosthetics team, editor — everyone must be in rhythm. One bad lighting cue can kill a scare,” he explains.

Pavan Kirpalani echoes this and adds, “Making a horror film is a technical process. Sound, prosthetics, VFX, camera work, lighting — everything has to align. But most important is, what the character is doing, driven by the story.”