Obsession Director Curry Barker Drops a New Horror Short, Mama Bear, the Same Week Obsession Lands in Hindi

Curry Barker doesn't do quiet weeks.

Just as Obsession gets ready for its Indian streaming debut, the director has gone straight back to where it all started, YouTube, and dropped a brand new horror short called Mama Bear.

Mama Bear: what we know

• Length: about five minutes

• Where: Barker's YouTube channel, That's a Bad Idea

• Released: this Thursday, just in time for Halloween

• Credits: Barker wrote, directed and edited it

As for the plot? Honestly, it's hard to describe, and that's the point. It's short, slick and deeply surreal, with the same unsettling tone and look that made Obsession work. Go in blind. It's five minutes. You've got five minutes.

Why he keeps going back to YouTube

This is the guy who started out making sketches and shorts online with his creative partner Cooper Tomlinson, and turned that into a studio career. Obsession began as a micro-budget indie and became a genuine global hit. Dropping a short on YouTube in the middle of all that isn't a step down. It's a reminder of where his audience came from.

Obsession in Hindi, from today

Now for the desi part. Obsession streams on The Peacock Hub on JioHotstar from 30 October, 7pm, in English and Hindi. It's being billed as Obsession: The Original Uncut Version.

And the Hindi dub has star voices:

• Varun Dhawan as Bear

• Kriti Sanon as Nikki

Kriti has said it's the first time she's voiced another actor's performance, and the recreated restaurant scene has already won her a lot of love online. We wrote about the Hindi dub promo when it dropped.

What's next for Curry Barker

• Anything But Ghosts: a horror-comedy he co-wrote and co-directed with Tomlinson. The two play con men posing as paranormal investigators who run into a real haunting. Bryce Dallas Howard and Aaron Paul also star, with Focus Features distributing.

• A Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot in development at A24.

• An original horror film at Universal with Blumhouse's Atomic Monster.
  

My take

Watch Mama Bear tonight. Then watch Obsession in Hindi and decide whether Varun and Kriti beat the original. That's your Halloween weekend sorted, and it costs you nothing more than a JioHotstar login.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mama Bear?

Mama Bear is a roughly five-minute horror short written, directed and edited by Curry Barker, released on his YouTube channel That's a Bad Idea.

Where can I watch Obsession in Hindi?

Obsession streams on The Peacock Hub on JioHotstar from 30 October 2026, 7pm, in English and Hindi.

Who voices the Hindi version of Obsession?

Varun Dhawan voices Bear and Kriti Sanon voices Nikki.

What is Curry Barker's next film?

Anything But Ghosts, a horror-comedy he co-wrote and co-directed with Cooper Tomlinson, starring Bryce Dallas Howard and Aaron Paul.