New Mumbai Lab Seeks 15 Writers to Ditch Ghost Tropes

The Indian film industry is dominated by ghost stories and horror-comedies, but a new program aims to break that cycle. Platoon One Films is launching a screenwriting lab designed to push the genre toward more serious storytelling.

The company will select 15 writers for a three-month online program. Each participant will bring an original horror screenplay to develop during the course. The lab focuses on original genre scripts rather than adapting existing material.

Mentoring sessions will occur on weekends and involve both group discussions and individual script reviews. The faculty will include seasoned screenwriters and directors from India and other countries. Platoon One has not yet released the names of the mentors, but it plans to announce them in the coming weeks.

Founder Shiladitya Bora said the program exists because she was tired of watching films that were neither scary nor funny. She noted that the country has a rich storytelling culture that is underutilized in mainstream horror. Bora believes the genre allows filmmakers to explore difficult social and metaphysical ideas that are hard to express through dialogue alone.

The lab will require writers to use horror as a lens to examine society and the human mind. Participants will learn how to build suspense and atmosphere effectively. The goal is to move beyond predictable supernatural beats and tap into local myths and folk tales.

After the three-month program ends, participants will pitch their projects to producers and industry figures through Platoon One’s network. This step could lead to financing and eventual production. The company aims to create films that resonate with audiences in places like Seoul and São Paulo, not just within India.

Platoon One Films is an independent production and distribution company that also handles international sales and creative development. The lab is part of its wider effort to help Indian horror travel to global markets.