1. NH 10 (2015)
After viewing “NH10,” you’ll be tormented for a few days by the horrific performance by the debuting producer Anushka Sharma. The story centres on a couple who travels outside of Delhi and experiences tragic, life-altering occurrences. The violence and honour killings committed by local thugs practically everywhere in India are subtly brought to light in this action thriller. You are on the edge of your seat because of the plot’s unrepentant gore and grisly mood.
2. Sadma (1983)
At the beginning of her career, Sridevi gave one of her best performances in Sadma. The movie is a delicate treatment of the illness retrograde amnesia and centres on a woman who, after suffering a head injury, regresses to her youth. Kamal Hassan, a sympathetic schoolteacher who ends up saving Sridevi, portrays the suffering alongside Sridevi. The lead actors’ outstanding performances provide the film with its strength. It is endearing to see how softly Hassan and Sridevi’s romance develops. You want to care for the characters and the subject equally because of the tenderness with which filmmaker Balu Mahendra handles both.
3. Anjaam (1994)
While watching the film, one can’t help but tremble as the story of vengeance and horrible killings unfolds. The role of a psychopath lover is expertly portrayed by Shah Rukh. He is seen beating one of the characters’ skulls with a bat, slicing his wrists, and acting irrationally towards his heroine. As a result of a string of homicides, we also witness Madhuri Dixit being struck in the womb. Unavoidably, you experience fear.
Also read: 10 Disturbing Movies on Netflix That Will Definitely Make You Feel Uncomfortable
4. 15 Park Avenue (2005)
The film investigates the effects schizophrenia has on her family as a whole after telling the narrative of a girl who has the illness. Shabana Azmi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Soumitra Chatterjee, Waheeda Rehman, Dhritiman Chatterjee, and Rahul Bose are just a few of the talented actors who appear in this film. The movie tackles the question of perception versus reality with a delicate theme and mature handling of the same. Additionally, it takes into account how a person with a mental illness could perceive normalcy differently than someone without one.
5. Talvar (2015)
The crime thriller, one of Meghna Gulzar’s best directions, came to life very honestly. The film is based on the real-life double murder case of Aarushi Talwar and servant Hemraj Banjade. The narrative style of the story follows a similar style to Rashomon, portraying the perspective of the people involved. It revolves around the fusion of two genres – police procedural and crime drama – and boldly interweaves the darker sides of reality. This is one of the most disturbing Bollywood movies in recent times.
6. Shaitaan (2011)
The fantastic movie “Shaitaan,” which was directed by Bejoy Nambiar, portrays the evil that resides inside everyone of our minds. Throughout, the movie alternates between being a psychological thriller and a terrifyingly genuine imagination. Five wealthy spoiled brats in their 20s who lack direction in life and are submerged in a sea of drug and alcohol abuse are the centre of the story. They set out to make some money using illegal means, but they eventually fall victim to their own trap and kill one another in the process. a disturbing film that makes you reflect and wonder.
7. That Girl In Yellow Boots ( 2010)
A story with an ending you’ll wish you could forget, Kia Makarechi of The Huffington Post said. “An unsettlingly realistic portrait of unimaginable pain.” A British woman who travels to the interior of India in quest of her father serves as the film’s main character. She ends up learning things she didn’t want to learn as a result of becoming caught in a strange, daunting system in a place that is utterly foreign to her. The movie’s content is completely at odds with what its charmingly innocent title suggests, and it stars Naseeruddin Shah and Kalki Koechlin.
8. Sangharsh (1999)
The excellent acting of Ashutosh Rana alias Lajja Shankar Pandey as a character who is a religious zealot dressed in a saree illustrates the terrible mentality and hypocrisy of society. The movie’s narrative centres on a string of mysterious kidnappings of young children. A thorough inquiry reveals that Lajja sacrifices the kids to the gods in order to become immortal. The attempt to depict this horrible behaviour had a strong effect and stuck in the viewers’ minds and makes it one of the most disturbing Bollywood movies of all time.
9. Ugly ( 2013)
As implied by the title, the movie is based on the psychology of greed and selfishness in humans. The darkest hues are applied to Anurag Kashyap’s characters when he is at his best. As the movie goes along, the scene just gets muddier and worse. The suspense thriller is based on several dysfunctional people who exist in the world, including an up-and-coming heroine who connives with her lover to start a new life with a lot of money, an alcoholic mother who wants her kidnapped daughter back while fending for herself, and her blackmailing.
10. Bandit Queen (1994)
The real-life dacoit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi is the inspiration for Shekhar Kapur’s biographical action-adventure film “Bandit Queen,” which he also wrote, produced, and directed. When the movie was first released, the Censor Board vigorously opposed it because of its overabundance of violent images. Even just acknowledging that the tragic events really did occur makes us feel shivers down our spines.
The Bollywood industry has produced several disturbing films over the years that have left audiences shaken to their core. They serve as a reminder that cinema is a powerful medium that can challenge and provoke our deepest fears and emotions. While these movies may not be for everyone, they are an important part of the Indian film legacy, and their impact cannot be denied.