IIHS City Scripts panel discussion in Bengaluru: Why we crave horror stories?

Writers Rakesh Khanna, TG Shenoy, Khayaal Patel, and Jayaprakash Satyamurthy discuss horror writing in India at IIHS’ City Scripts event in Bengaluru

We all scream. We all have those moments where a shiver races down our spine, a primal reaction to the shadows that lurk just beyond our sight. Why are we drawn to horror? This question was at the heart of the ‘Words Woven in the Dark: Horror in Indian Writing’ panel discussion at this year’s three-day City Scripts festival organised by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) in Bengaluru last weekend.

One of the panellists, Rakesh Khanna, author, publisher, and co-founder of Blaft Publications, suggested that horror is not just about entertainment; it is a way to confront and understand our deep-seated anxieties.

“In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that long ago that humans lived in constant fear of predators. Cave bears, sabre-toothed tigers – these monstrous creatures could snatch you up any night,” he explained, “We, as a species, had to be hyperaware of them, their habits, how to avoid them, maybe even outsmart them. Now, those beasts are gone. But what if a part of our brain, once laser-focused on danger, still craves that stimulation? Perhaps we crave these horror stories, these bumps in the night, because there’s a void left by those ancient threats. We, inherently, need to fill it with something. So we create monsters, ghosts, all these things that keep that primal part of us ticking.”

The hour-long discussion also featured science fiction columnist TG Shenoy as well as authors Jayaprakash Satyamurthy (who has self-published short story collections, Come Tomorrow and Shelter From The Storm, and the novella , Strength of Water) and Khayaal Patel (whose books include Tarikshir: The Awakening and The Zamindar’s Ghost), who joined via video call.

Shenoy, meanwhile, explored the idea that we are innately drawn to the things that scare us. “We’ve always been drawn to death, what lies beyond it – that’s where the whole ghost thing comes in. We crave that knowledge, even if it means confronting the darkness and the fear it evokes.”

“It’s like a love-fear relationship. On one hand, there’s a part of me that actually enjoys the fear. It’s a thrill, that feeling of impending doom. Deep down, I know that it’s all just stories. But another part wants to keep the lights on all night, just in case,” he said, chuckling.

Khayaal agreed with his co-panellists about our innate attraction to horror. “We’re just wired to explore the unknown, good or bad. It’s like this primal urge to open every door, press every button—we must see what happens. We’re built to explore, to push boundaries. But also this fear of the unknown that’s just as deeply ingrained.”