&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Ahead of Rooh, revisiting Emraan Hashmi's long-standing association with horror")
After a long wait of five years, Emraan Hashmi is all set to return to the horror genre with Rooh. On June 23, the makers announced the film with an eerie teaser, sparking a wave of excitement among fans. Over the years, the actor has explored several films that revolved around haunted houses, psychology, cursed spirits, witchcraft and paranormal mysteries. But have you ever wondered why Hashmi is often regarded as one of Hindi cinema's most reliable horror stars? Let's find out.
Hashmi relationship with horror
The actor has had a long connection with horror, which began with Raaz, and he has often described his connection with the genre as a long-running love affair. Though he became a household name through romantic dramas such as Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Zeher and Aashiq Banaya Aapne, true Emraan Hashmi fans know horror offered him something different as an actor.
Over the years, he has spoken about his personal fascination with supernatural stories and revealed that projects like Raaz 2 and Ek Thi Daayan fulfilled a long-standing desire to work in films that genuinely frightened audiences.
)
Raaz: The Mystery Continues Photograph: (X)
It is true that he has taken temporary shifts from the genre, but the actor repeatedly found himself returning to it. According to Hashmi, good stories and filmmakers willing to push boundaries have always drawn him back.
And the arrival of Rooh seems like another chapter in his journey.
Why horror works well for Hashmi?
Hashmi's horror films do not show the protagonists as Bollywood hero who defeats evil with confidence; his characters are rather vulnerable and conflicted, who make mistakes. Whether playing a man haunted by unnatural visions or a character trapped within dark folklore, his performances often focus on fear, guilt, obsession and emotional trauma.
Additionally, you will find a lot more than jump scares in his horror thrillers, such as psychological issues, childhood trauma, possession, paranoia and moral ambiguity.
The actor has previously spoken that horror remains relatively underexplored in India, despite the interest of the audience.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
And yes, how can one forget the secret ingredient: music. The tracks in his films make them stand apart from other projects. Combined with romance, tragedy and supernatural elements, his songs remain with the viewers even after the credits roll. Tracks such as Maahi, Soniyo, Deewana Kar Raha Hai, and Hale Dil are gifts from his horror movies.
Hashmi's horror movies to revisit
Raaz: The Mystery Continues
The classic horror film, released in 2009 and revolved around a painter who has the ability to paint the future. The film also starred Kangana Ranaut, Adhyayan Suman, and Jackie Shroff. It was directed by Mohit Suri.
Raaz 3
This 2012 film was directed by Vikram Bhatt and is about a vindictive actress who casts a dark spell on a rising starlet. Featuring Bipasha Basu, Emraan Hashmi, and Esha Gupta, it has romance, suspense, and the paranormal.
Ek Thi Daayan
This supernatural horror thriller film, directed by Kannan Iyer, starred Hashmi alongside Kalki Koechlin, Konkona Sen Sharma, and Huma Qureshi. It is about a famous magician who plans to marry his girlfriend, but he is secretly scarred by persistent hallucinations of his dead sister and is forced to seek psychiatric help.
)
Ek Thi Daayan Photograph: (X)
Raaz Reboot
Directed by Vikram Bhatt, the 2016 film has Emraan Hashmi, Kriti Kharbanda, Suzanna Mukherjee, and Gaurav Arora. The film shows newlyweds Rehaan and Shaina, who move to Romania after the former is offered a job. Things take a turn when Shaina senses paranormal activity around her.
Dybbuk
A remake of the 2017 Malayalam Film Ezra, Dybbuk tells the story of the spirit in the box that tries to destroy the village for the sake of revenge. The supernatural horror film was written and directed by Jay K, starring Emraan Hashmi and Nikita Dutta.
About Rooh
Directed by Mayank Sharma, Rooh is said to have a strong musical backdrop. The screenplay has been written by Sharma along with Vishal Kapoor, while Vikram Khakhar and Sunny Khanna are producing the film under the Vicked Films banner. It is expected to hit theatres in 2027 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Other details are still under wraps.
