{{Short description|2025 Indian television series}} {{Confused|Khauff}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}} {{Use Indian English|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox television | image = Khauf poster.jpg | caption = Promotional release poster | genre = Horror<br>Thriller | based_on = | writer = Smita Singh | director = {{ubl|Pankaj Kumar|Surya Balakrishnan}} | presenter = | starring = {{plainlist| * Monika Panwar * Rajat Kapoor * Abhishek Chauhan * Geetanjali Kulkarni * Shilpa Shukla * Chum Darang }} | theme_music_composer = | open_theme = | end_theme = | country = India | language = Hindi | num_seasons = <!-- or num_series --> | num_episodes = 8 | list_episodes = | producer = {{ubl|Sanjay Routray|Sarita Patil}} | location = | cinematography = Pankaj Kumar | editor = | camera = Multiple-camera | runtime = 43–50 minutes | company = Matchbox Shots | network = Amazon Prime Video | first_aired = {{Start date|2025|04|18|df=yes}} | last_aired = | related = }}
'''''Khauf''''' ({{Translation|Fear}}) is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language horror thriller<ref>{{cite web |title=Khauf |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/khauf-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdi5mzq4 |website=BBFC |access-date=6 August 2025 |language=en}}</ref> television series written by Smita Singh and directed by Pankaj Kumar and Surya Balakrishnan.<ref>{{cite web |title="Monika Panwar – A Perfect Fit for the Chilling Role in Khauf!", Says acclaimed cinematographer turned director, Pankaj Kumar |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/ott/monika-panwar-a-perfect-fit-for-the-chilling-role-in-khauf-says-acclaimed-cinematographer-turned-director-pankaj-kumar-1872135 |website=Deccan Chronicle |language=en |date=10 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Khauf Promises a Gripping, Suspense-Filled Experience Like No Other! Writer and Creator Smita Singh Describes the Show as 'Raw and Real'. |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/khauf-promises-a-gripping-suspense-filled-experience-like-no-other-writer-and-creator-smita-singh-describes-the-show-as-raw-and-real-1873021 |website=Deccan Chronicle |language=en |date=15 April 2025}}</ref> Produced under Matchbox Shots, starring Monika Panwar, Rajat Kapoor, Abhishek Chauhan, Geetanjali Kulkarni and Shilpa Shukla.<ref>{{cite web |title='Khauf': Prime Video announces release date of upcoming suspense horror series |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/khauf-prime-video-announces-release-date-of-upcoming-suspense-horror-series/article69426050.ece |website=The Hindu |language=en |date=8 April 2025}}</ref> The series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 18 April 2025.<ref>{{cite web |last=Niyogi |first=Agnivo |title='Khauf' on Prime Video to 'Logout' on ZEE5: Films and shows hitting OTT this weekend |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/from-khauf-on-prime-video-to-logout-on-zee5-films-and-shows-hitting-ott-this-weekend-photogallery/cid/2094437 |website=Telegraph India |language=en |date=16 April 2025}}</ref> The series is a partial and unofficial remake of the South Korean psychological horror series, ''Strangers from Hell''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Halloween 2025 OTT Watchlist: Khauf To Chhorii 2, 6 Spooky Shows And Films To Not Miss On Prime Video |url=https://zeenews.india.com/photos/entertainment/halloween-2025-ott-watchlist-khauf-to-chhorii-2-6-spooky-shows-and-films-to-not-miss-on-prime-video-2978109 |access-date=2026-03-24 |website=Zee News |language=en |quote=The series is a partial and unofficial remake of the South Korean psychological horror series, Strangers from Hell.}}</ref>
==Synopsis== {{multiple issues|section=yes| {{AI-generated|date=May 2025|section=yes|certain=no}} {{More plot|section=yes|date=October 2025}} }} The series begins with a woman named Anu returning to the hostel after her work shift and is seen walking a narrow and desert lane. While approaching the gate, a laser red light is cast upon her from the forest and she becomes agitated and starts screaming for the guard. Madhu moving to Delhi from Gwalior. She has come to Delhi to be with her boyfriend, Arun and to get a fresh start after getting sexually assaulted at her college annual day by unknown masked men. Madhu sees Delhi as a chance to leave those memories behind. She is helped by her friend Bella and her boyfriend Nakul, whom she feels that the latter might be her assaulter. She feels uncomfortable to live in the flat in which her boyfriend shares with other male friends. It happens that Bella sends Madhu the location of the hostel, which Nakul found earlier and so on the day, she decides to visit the hostel with Arun. Pragati Working Women Hostel is a rundown government facility run by Warden, Gracie Dungdung where she is allotted the room 333. After much deliberation, she finally moves to the hostel and is met with extreme hostility by the other girls in the same wing, who never leave the hostel to go out. They warn her to not move to the hostel and leave while she can. She feels the presence of something supernatural and brushes it off while suspecting Nakul of being one of the men who assaulted her. Madhu starts to doubt her own sanity as strange things start occurring in the hostel room.
== Cast == * Monika Panwar as Madhu * Rajat Kapoor as Hakim * Abhishek Chauhan as Arun * Geetanjali Kulkarni as Constable Ilu Mishra * Shilpa Shukla as Dr. Shohini Varma * Chum Darang as Svetlana * Asheema Vadaan as Anu/Preeti * Rashmi Zurail Mann as Nikki * Priyanka Setia as Rima * Riya Shukla as Komal * Gagan Arora as Nakul * Shalini Vatsa as Warden Gracie Dungdung * Arista Mehta as Kiara * Talib Mehdi as Inspector Inder Bhatia * Satyam Sharma as Jeeva * Delzad Hiwale as Babban
==Episodes== {{episode table |overall= |title= |airdate= |prodcode= |episodes={{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 1 | Title = Ladies Hostel | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|04|18|df=yes}} | ProdCode = 108085 | ShortSummary = }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 2 | Title = Stalker | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|04|18|df=yes}} | ProdCode = | ShortSummary = }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 3 | Title = Venom | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|04|18|df=yes}} | ProdCode = | ShortSummary = }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 4 | Title = Fever | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|04|18|df=yes}} | ProdCode = | ShortSummary = }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 5 | Title = Possessed | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|04|18|df=yes}} | ProdCode = | ShortSummary = }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 6 | Title = Trap | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|04|18|df=yes}} | ProdCode = | ShortSummary = }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 7 | Title = Happy New Year | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|04|18|df=yes}} | ProdCode = | ShortSummary = }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 8 | Title = The Reverie | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|04|18|df=yes}} | ProdCode = | ShortSummary = }} }}
== Production == On 19 March 2024, the series was announced by Amazon Prime Video.<ref>{{cite web |title='Citadel: Honey Bunny' to 'Mirzapur 3', all titles in Prime Video's 2024 slate |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/citadel-honey-bunny-to-mirzapur-3-all-titles-in-prime-videos-2024-slate/article67969985.ece |website=The Hindu |language=en |date=19 March 2024}}</ref> The post-production was completed in 2024.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ramachandran |first1=Naman |title='Tumbbad,' 'Ship of Theseus' Cinematographer Pankaj Kumar Makes Feature Directorial Debut With Film Bazaar-Selected Tribal Epic 'Konyak' (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/tumbbad-pankaj-kumar-konyak-film-bazaar-1236222249/ |website=Variety |date=25 November 2024}}</ref>
== Release == The teaser was released on 20 March 2024<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mall |first1=Saurabh |title=OTT Release Khauf: B. A. Pass फिल्म की हीरोइन ने किया कमबैक, इस वेब सीरीज में दिखेगा… |url=https://www.patrika.com/ott-news/ba-pass-film-heroine-shilpa-shukla-entered-through-khauf-web-series-8781508 |website=Patrika News |language=hi |date=20 March 2024}}</ref> and the trailer was released on 11 April 2025.<ref>{{cite web |title='Khauf' trailer: Monika Panwar's search for freedom turns into a nightmare |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/trailer-of-prime-video-upcoming-horror-series-khauf-out/cid/2093600 |website=Telegraph India |language=en |date=11 April 2025}}</ref>
The series was made available to stream on Amazon Prime Video on 18 April 2025.<ref>{{cite web |title=Original series Khauf releases on Prime Video on April 18 |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/entertainment/original-series-khauf-releases-on-prime-video-on-april-18/ |website=The Tribune |language=en |date=13 April 2025}}</ref>
== Reception == Abhimanyu Mathur writing for ''Hindustan Times'' gave the series 3 out of 5 stars and observed that "regardless of its faults, ''Khauf'' holds up well. It is an important show, and more importantly, a well-made one, which expertly introduces real-world issues in the world of horror, without sermonising or preaching, or compromising on the spooks and thrills."<ref>{{cite web |last=Mathur |first=Abhimanyu |title=Khauf review: Monika Panwar steals the show in slow-burn horror where patriarchy haunts, men are scarier than monsters |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/khauf-review-monika-panwar-steals-the-show-in-slow-burn-horror-where-patriarchy-haunts-men-are-scarier-than-monsters-101744983917596.html |website=Hindustan Times |date=18 April 2025}}</ref> Shubhra Gupta from ''The Indian Express'' rated the series 3/5 stars and said that "The series works best when its women, with all their pain and their messy back stories, are on screen, doing their thing."<ref>{{cite web |last=Gupta |first=Shubhra |title=Khauf review: Psychological horror show digs deep, builds dread |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/khauf-review-psychological-horror-show-digs-deep-builds-dread-9951174/ |website=The Indian Express |date=18 April 2025}}</ref> Archika Khurana of ''The Times of India'' gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and writes in her review that "For fans of psychological horror with a social conscience, Khauf offers plenty to think about — even if it doesn't always chill to the bone."<ref>{{cite web |last=Khurana |first=Archika |title=Khauf Season 1 Review : A psychological horror that doesn't quite haunt all the way |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/khauf/season-1/seasonreview/120247950.cms |website=The Times of India |date=18 April 2025}}</ref>
Rahul Desai of ''The Hollywood Reporter India'' praised the series and said "''Khauf'' is the kind of show that Indian streaming was always supposed to champion — it's ambitious, original, inventive, messy and an eerily layered reminder of how supernatural stories are rooted in the fear of natural living."<ref>{{cite web |last=Desai |first=Rahul |title='Khauf' Series Review: A Masterful Blend of Natural and Supernatural Horrorser1|url=https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/reviews/streaming/khauf-series-review-a-masterful-blend-of-natural-and-supernatural-horror|website=The Hollywood Reporter India |date=18 April 2025}}</ref> Udita Jhunjhunwala of ''Scroll.in'' said that "its incessant and bloody violence, the misogyny and denigration of women, and the sheer hopelessness it conveys, Khauf is unsettling and exhausting."<ref>{{cite web |last=Jhunjhunwala |first=Udita |title='Khauf' review: A relentlessly dark tale of human and demonic possession|url=https://scroll.in/reel/1081336/khauf-review-a-relentlessly-dark-tale-of-human-and-demonic-possession|website=Scroll.in |date=18 April 2025}}</ref> Shubham Kulkarni of ''OTT Play'' gave 4 stars out of 5 and said that "What happens when a properly cooked script meets a bunch of supremely seasoned actors? Shows like Khauf are born and they teach how 'content' is done without an algorithm".<ref>{{cite web |last=Kulkarni |first=Shubham |title=Khauf Review: Patriarchy haunts more than a ghost in this meticulous horror drama |url=https://www.ottplay.com/review/khauf-review-patriarchy-haunts-more-than-a-ghost-in-this-meticulous-horror-drama/739b4388be312n |website=OTT Play |date=18 April 2025 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>
Vinamra Mathur of ''Firstpost'' rated 3/5 stars and said "''Khauf'' isn't just a run of the mill horror drama. It flirts with the idea of what it feels and takes to be a woman in 2025, the perverted world filled with promiscuous men, and battling loneliness in an unknown city with strangers all around. The title has more meanings than one."<ref>{{cite web |last=Mathur |first=Vinamra |title='Khauf' web-series review: Rajat Kapoor and Monika Panwar's horror-thriller digs deeper and keeps you engaged|url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/khauf-web-series-review-rajat-kapoor-and-monika-panwars-horror-thriller-digs-deeper-and-keeps-you-engaged-13880748.html|website=Firstpost |date=18 April 2025}}</ref> Shreyas Pande of ''Cinema Express'' rated 3/5 stars and said that " In Khauf, there is an ambition to do better, the dread is real, the atmosphere thick—but just when it should have all come together, it fades into fog. What begins with a promise of chills ends with barely a shiver."<ref>{{cite web |last=Pande |first=Shreyas |title=Khauf Series Review: An inventive horror-drama which loses steam in the finale|url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/hindi/review/2025/Apr/18/khauf-series-review-an-inventive-horror-drama-which-loses-steam-in-the-finale-2|website=Cinema Express |date=18 April 2025}}</ref> Rishil Jogani of ''Pinkvilla'' also rated 3/5 stars and commented that "Khauf is a compelling addition to the horror-thriller genre, distinguished by its psychological depth and emotional resonance. While it falters slightly with pacing and occasional clichés, its strong performances, atmospheric dread, and focus on personal trauma make it a standout."<ref>{{cite web |last=Jogani |first=Rishil |title=Khauf Review: Monika Panwar and Rajat Kapoor led psychological horror-drama masterfully blends supernaturalism with personal fears|url=https://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/reviews/khauf-review-monika-panwar-and-rajat-kapoor-led-psychological-horror-drama-masterfully-blends-supernaturalism-with-personal-fears-1383098|website=Pinkvilla |date=18 April 2025}}</ref>
Troy Ribeiro of ''Free Press Journal'' writes that "''Khauf'' is a gripping horror series where haunted hostels, buried trauma and emotional scars collide—delivering a chilling exploration of fear, silence and survival through a richly atmospheric and psychologically intense narrative".<ref>{{cite web |last=Ribeiro |first=Troy|title=Khauf Review: Monika Panwar Anchors Khauf, A Haunting Tapestry Of Trauma, Terror And Ghosts That Never Leave|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/khauf-review-monika-panwar-anchors-khauf-a-haunting-tapestry-of-trauma-terror-and-ghosts-that-never-leave|website=Free Press Journal |date=18 April 2025}}</ref> Shachi Chaturvedi of ''Mid Day'' said in her review that "''Khauf'' isn't just about a haunted room, it's about what haunts women every single day—the fear of existing. If a show like ''Khauf'' goes unnoticed, meaningful storytelling will be lost. With the weekend approaching, grab your popcorn, grab the tissues (you'll need them), and get ready for a show worth your time."<ref>{{cite web |last=Chaturvedi|first=Shachi|title=Khauf series review: A spine-chilling drama where men haunt more than ghosts|url=https://mid-day.com/entertainment/web-series/article/khauf-series-review-rajat-kapoor-chum-darang-monika-panwar-hits-where-it-hurts-23521797|website=Mid Day |date=18 April 2025}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb title|31898201}} * [https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Khauf/0JGL8Y3ISW13ENHIFNVJFSEWCG ''Khauf''] on Amazon Prime Video
{{Amazon Prime Video original series}} {{Portal bar|India|Television}}
Category:2025 Indian television series debuts Category:2025 Indian television series endings Category:Amazon Prime Video original programming Category:2020s Indian television series Category:Indian horror fiction television series