5 Genre Tropes the Horror film you’re writing must have | Screenwriting | Bhool Bhulaiyaa

In The Conjuring, they’re told, don’t go into the basement, but obviously they go into the basement.
And in Bhool Bhulaiyaa, she’s told, don’t go on the third floor, but of course she does.

What is this inspiration? Homage? In screenwriting terms, we call it a Genre Trope.

We (Ananya Mody and Akshay Jhunjhunwala), two Bollywood screenwriters, run the screenwriting podcast “Breakdown Besties”, having written shows like Rana Naidu, Mismatched (Netflix), Inside Edge, Wedding.con (Amazon Prime Video), Grahan (Disney + / JioHotstar), Shark Tank India, amongst others.

Now what is a Genre Trope?

It is a recurring scene, a moment, a theme that comes again and again in a genre because it evokes a certain similar feeling from your audiences.

And Bhool Bhulaiyaa (Writing Team: Madhu Muttam, Neeraj Vora, Manisha Korde) uses many horror movie tropes.

- The Forbidden Place - You’re told the haveli is haunted. The third floor is haunted, but guarantee someone will go there.
- Jump Scare - A sudden shocking trigger that will scare you and the characters in the film.
- Foreshadowing - In one of these jump scares, you see Avni’s eyes through a window. It’s diffused, but you have still unknowingly teased the audience that the monster could be her.
- Narrating the Lore - Someone will tell you the backstory of why this haveli is haunted.
- The Red Herring - Misleading by giving clues about who the culprit can be when it’s actually someone else.

So if you are writing a horror film, check if you are delivering what your audience expectations by incorporating these Genre Tropes.

We have broken down all the other screenwriting techniques that Bhool Bhulaiyaa uses in our latest episode. Do check it out bestie.

Видео 5 Genre Tropes the Horror film you’re writing must have | Screenwriting | Bhool Bhulaiyaa канала Breakdown Besties Podcast