What is the connection between the full moon and werewolf? Do such shapeshifting creatures exist? Though scientific thinkers dismiss such theories as mere product of imagination, no one can deny that nature has hidden many secrets from the world that are yet to be revealed and lycans or werewolves are one of them. Recently I was watching the 2023 Bollywood movie on Werewolf – Bhediya starring Varun Dhawan. The premise of the story is set in jungles of Arunchal Pradesh where the local people are very protective about their forests. According to local legends, the forest is been guarded by a beast like creature called ‘Vishanu’. Unknowingly, the hero is bit by a werewolf in the dark forest. The wolf bite unleashes the hairy monster in him and on full moon he becomes the blood lusty predator hungry for human blood. Before the movie Bhediya, there were countless movies on werewolves in Hollywood which include the 1994 movie – Wolf starring Jack Nicholson and the 80’s flick – an American werewolf in London. Notably, the best werewolf movie was ‘The Wolfman’. In literature too, there are stories on werewolves. One of them was the short story – Werewolf written by author C.A. Kincaid. The legend and tales about werewolf are highly famous in foreign nations. But in India, it is very unheard of.
Author C.A.Kincaid brings you the story of an Indian Werewolf based in Sehwan, Upper Sind. Two British Officials on a trip to Upper Sind, come face to face with an Indian werewolf. The werewolf in this short story is a cook with cannibalistic nature. It is been said that the cook in the previous birth was a butcher who preyed on humans. When his actions were revealed, he was killed by the public and buried in a fortress, The butcher in his next birth becomes a cook. By day, he is a Khansama and by night he turns into a bloodthirsty werewolf. How the British Officers manage to save their lives from the werewolf forms the rest of story. I found the story on Indian werewolf very interesting, Even the 2010 movie – The Wolfman had Indian connection to it. In the movie it is been shown that the protagonist is bitten by a werewolf based in Hindukush, India. So, do werewolves really reside in forests of India? According to historical sources, a werewolf was responsible for death of 600 lives in Uttar Pradesh. It is been said that the werewolf hunted people in villages and had become a national threat for the British Police Officers in 1878.
Was it a werewolf or just a wolf is a subject of debate. By facts, no one has ever seen a werewolf. C.A. Kincaid’s short story – Werewolf gives us a hint on existence of werewolves in the world. Even Rudyard Kipling’s short story – The Mark of the beast is based on werewolf. Since I have fondness for supernatural stories, the legend of werewolves fascinated me to explore the origin behind it. If you hear a howl on a full moon light, beware. A wolfman may be around the corner, waiting for his prey.