Jay Alani at MBIFL 2027: A closer look at the man investigating the paranormal

Most people who report a paranormal experience are looking for an explanation. Some believe they have encountered a spirit; others struggle to reconcile what they experienced with what they know about the world. Jay Alani has spent more than 15 years examining such accounts, entering locations associated with hauntings and investigating claims that have few straightforward answers.

An investigator, filmmaker, podcaster and author, Alani has conducted more than 1,500 paranormal investigations across the world. His work has taken him into a field where personal testimony, cultural beliefs and the limits of available evidence frequently intersect. The challenge is not merely to document what someone claims to have experienced, but to examine the circumstances surrounding it and consider what might explain it.

Beyond the ghost stories

That approach distinguishes Alani's stated method from an uncritical acceptance of supernatural claims. While paranormal investigators often use cameras, sensors and other technical equipment, he combines scientific tools with intuition. Psychology, folklore and the cultural context of an experience also inform his work. His stated objective is to promote paranormal awareness while challenging blind faith and superstition.

In India, where beliefs about spirits, possessions and haunted places are woven into popular culture, these questions carry particular weight. An unexplained sound, a disturbing dream or an experience interpreted as a haunting can acquire different meanings depending on the beliefs of the person experiencing it. Investigating such claims requires attention not only to the reported event but also to the person describing it and the explanations available to them.

Alani runs India's only paranormal awareness helpline, extending his work beyond investigations at specific locations. His podcast, Paranormal Reality, has attracted more than 20 million hits, while Haunted Talks, which he has hosted, is described as India's first live paranormal talk show. His work has also appeared on platforms including Gaana, Dish TV and Pratilipi, and he is working on a documentary series with Brut India.

When the unexplained becomes a story

For Alani, the subject offers more than material for a frightening story. It opens up questions about perception, memory, cultural conditioning and the human tendency to seek explanations for experiences that appear to defy reason.

These questions find a literary expression in The Haunted Doorway, co-authored by Alani and Neil D'Silva. The book brings together unsettling accounts shaped by paranormal narratives, folklore, mythology and psychological interpretations, examining stories of hauntings and possessions without reducing them to straightforward tales of supernatural encounters.

Readers have responded to precisely this intersection of horror and inquiry. In one review, a reader highlights stories such as The Demonic Doll, The Red Lady's Ghost and Qarinah, The Wonder Witch of Dreams, describing how the psychological insights woven into the narratives lingered long after the book was finished. The reviewer also praises the authors for challenging common myths and superstitions while drawing on research-backed explanations.

Frightened by the plot, yet..

Another reader, drawn to horror since childhood, points to the book's exploration of the relationship between paranormal experiences and psychological conditions. The possibility that trauma, stress or the complexities of the human mind might shape an apparently supernatural encounter adds another layer to the stories. The book's use of Indian, Arabian, European and Western folklore also gives its accounts a wider cultural range.

At the heart of this approach is a question that also underpins paranormal investigation: how does one examine an experience that may be deeply real to the person describing it without automatically accepting their interpretation of its cause? The question leaves room for investigation while resisting the temptation to turn uncertainty into proof.

Alani's earlier book, Haunted, published by Penguin in 2019, was promoted as India's first non-fiction horror book. His writing, like his audio work, draws on the appeal of real-life cases while exploring the psychological and cultural dimensions of the stories people tell about the unexplained.

From the field to the film set

Increasingly, however, his work is moving towards film and other forms of immersive storytelling. As founder of The Paranormal Company, which is India's first paranormal start-up, Alani is developing projects that bring together investigation, cinema and technology. His upcoming projects include Winston Villa, The Paranormal Boy, Numinous and Monster Café.

He has also secured film deals based on his investigations, with projects in which he is expected to portray himself and contribute to the creative process.

A different kind of storyteller at MBIFL

At the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters in January 2027, Jay Alani will bring a world rarely explored on a literary festival stage, drawing on his experiences as an investigator, author and filmmaker. His session offers an opportunity to hear from someone who has spent years at the centre of stories that most people encounter only through books, films or whispered conversations.

For those intrigued by the unexplained, curious about the making of horror, or simply unwilling to look away from a good mystery, Alani promises a conversation that could linger long after the festival ends. After all, some stories are frightening because of what they reveal. Others are frightening because of what they leave unanswered. Which kind will you take home from MBIFL 2027?

The Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL) 2027 will be held from January 28 to 31 at Kanakakkunnu Palace, Thiruvananthapuram.

ALSO READ | MBIFL ’27 unveils new visual identity; 500+ writers, artists to join eighth edition