Haunting Heroines: 11 female ghosts from films that we just can't get over

Bipasha Basu in Alone (2015)
Bipasha Basu has most likely set the record of being the Bollywood actress who has acted in the maximum number of horror films. But while her Raaz series did have spine-chilling moments, we saw Bipasha in her scariest avatar (as Anjana) in Alone, in which she looks horrifyingly demonic with her fiendish expressions and antics.

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Lili Taylor in The Conjuring (2013)
A happy family comes to stay in their new house which is an abode of witches who have turned into ghosts and who thrive on occult, sacrifice and other dangerous practices. Dubbed as the scariest movie since the The Exorcist, The Conjuring's principal ghost Bathsheba, is macabre, creepy, scary and awfully diabolical!

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Konkona Sen Sharma and Huma Qureshi in Ek Thi Dayan (2013)
While Konkona Sen Sharma plays the witch who ogles at kids and conspires to kill them, it is Huma Qureshi who scares the wits out of you by her last-minute revelation as the film's real ghost (yes, she is called Dayan here, but we choose to ignore the nomenclature as she has all the attributes of a ghost).

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Tia Bajpai in 1920 (2012)
We admit! The make-up, with her chalk face and eyes dripping blood, was OTT and Vikram Bhatt, but Tia Bajpai as Sangeeta still manages to look scary and remains a haunting memory for quite some time after watching the film.

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Daveigh Chase in The Ring (2012)
The plot of the movie weaves around a haunted video tape, that kills anyone who does not show it to someone else within seven days. Samara, played by Daveigh Chase, is considered one of the most evil and creepy characters in history.

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Liz White in the Woman in Black (2012)
Based on Susan Hill's novel of the same name, this film is the story of a ghost who haunts people and instigates them to kill themselves. Liz White, who plays Janet, the woman in black, is fiendish and spooky and her sudden appearance from corners and windows scares you out of your seat!

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Kareena Kapoor in Talaash (2012)
Rosie (Kareena Kapoor), the call girl with that faraway look in her eyes, who gives Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat, played by Aamir Khan, some invaluable lessons for life, was memorable. She did not have blood-shot eyes, dishevelled hair and long nails, but the cold presence of her character and the aura of mystery around her, make her among the most disturbing ghosts of Bollywood. The scene when she suddenly appeared in front of his car making him swerve and go off into the sea, was spine-chilling.

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Vidya Balan in Bhool Bhulaiya (2007)
Avni Chaturvedi, Vidya's character in the film, suffers from a psychological ailment called Dissociative Identity Disorder, which causes her to behave like a dancer, Manjulika, who died after suffering at the hands of a tyrant king. Avni behaves as if she has been possessed by the dancer's restless spirit who is on a trail of vengeance. Balan really nailed the dancer's look and was supremely scary in this film.

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Takako Fuji in The Grudge (2004)
The ghastly Kayako, her deathly appearance in a white dress, eyes scowling from behind her dark tresses, and pale face with fiendish expressions, haunts you for several days after you've seen The Grudge. The film is about a curse that comes into play when someone dies a horrible, violent death.

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Amber Valletta in What Lies Beneath (2000)
The film is about a couple who encounter eerie, haunting events that eventually uncover some secrets of their past. Amber Valletta, who plays the ghost (she was ditched and murdered) is both kind and evil in the film. She saves the wife, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, but is menacing when it comes to her murderer (Harrison Ford). And who can forget that super scary bathroom scene, ever!

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With The Gallows releasing today (July 10), we decided to take a look at several other horror films from Hollywood and Bollywood that feature super scary female ghosts. We don't know if the films were originally inspired by the Gothic romantic tradition started by the famous author Horace Walpole that featured spooky women, haunted houses, and dark secrets, but the fact is, female ghosts on screen are now very much here to stay. Here are some of the scariest avatars we've found.

Linda Blair in The Exorcist (1973)
The Exorcist, starring Linda Blair, has now acquired a cult status in the history of horror films. The story revolves around a teenage girl possessed by a mysterious entity, and her mother, who is seeking the help of two priests to save her daughter.

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