New Indian Horror Lab Aims to Push Genre Past Ghosts and Comedy Hybrids (EXCLUSIVE)

A new screenwriting lab in India wants to steer the country’s horror films away from ghost stories and horror-comedy hybrids. Independent outfit Platoon One Films will pick 15 writers for a three-month program built around original genre scripts. The Platoon One Horror Lab will run entirely online, and each of the 15 participants will bring an original horror screenplay to develop. Sessions will take place on weekends and will be led by seasoned screenwriters and directors from India and other countries. The format mixes group mentoring, discussions on craft and individual sessions on each script, so that writers get ongoing feedback as their drafts evolve. When the lab wraps, participants will get the chance to pitch their projects to producers and other industry figures through Platoon One’s network, which could lead to financing and, eventually, a shoot. The company will name the program’s mentors and faculty in the next few weeks. “We can talk about much bigger, philosophical and metaphysical ideas through horror, and sometimes it is far more powerful than simply expressing them through dialogue,” said Shiladitya Bora, founder of Platoon One Films. “What attracts me to the genre is often the messaging beneath the surface. Horror allows you to explore things that are difficult to confront directly.” The company said much of India’s mainstream horror keeps returning to the same supernatural staples and predictable beats, even though the country’s myths, folk tales and local beliefs offer far richer material. The lab will push writers to use the genre as a lens on society and the human mind, and to learn how suspense and atmosphere are built. “I wanted to start this lab because I feel we need to understand the genre better and bring genuinely good horror stories to our audiences,” Bora said. “Frankly, I was getting tired of watching horror-comedies that were neither scary nor funny. We have such a rich storytelling culture, and I believe there is so much more we can do with horror.” Platoon One’s wider goal is to help Indian horror travel. The company pictured tales that might start in an Indian hamlet yet still frighten viewers in Seoul or São Paulo. “I see this as an opportunity to help create the next generation of writers and filmmakers who can take Indian horror to a whole new level,” Bora said. Platoon One Films is an indie production and distribution company that also handles international sales and creative development.