Bollywood- Ek ‘Aatmaa’ Katha

by Esha Sahor Lepcha 

The technique of horror film making has always been an interesting topic to research on. It is one of the most difficult arts to present on screen and packaging the film attractively for the audience is an achievement in itself for the film maker. 

Films are the portrayal of the film maker’s thought process. But, what if one has to think horror? Bollywood have set examples of the funniest and the scariest horror films of their times. 

• Kamaal Amrohi’s debut film ‘Mahal’, marked the successful beginning of popular Horror films in the Hindi film industry.

• It is also immortalised by Madhubala’s beauty and Lata Mangeshkar’s first major hit song ‘Ayega Aanewala’.

• The earliest ‘horror’ films in Indian cinema revolved around themes of reincarnation and rebirth. To phrase it right “bhatki hui aatmaa.”  

• In 1976, a star studded shocker hit the screen and it was called ‘Nagin’. This was one of the most popular classic horror films in India.  

• Most of the ghosts in the films are just looking out for revenge. 

• The film starred Bollywood superstars, Sunil Dutt, Jeetendra, Rekha, Reena Roy, Feroz Khan, Kabir Bedi and Mumtaz.

• Nagin follows the bloody revenge of a female ichhadari (shape shifting) snake against a group of people who kill her mate.

• The English horror films became extremely conveniently available with the beginning of the eighties thus the Indian film makers had to think of fruitful ways to revamp the scenario of horror cinema in our country.

• In 1980 Padmini Kolhapure played the possessed child aka Linda Blair in the unnerving ‘Gehrayee’. Probably the best of the ‘Exorcist’ inspired films; Gehrayee has a number of eerie sequences and an uncomfortable atmosphere.

• In a similar vein, Reena Roy and Feroz Khan starred in ‘Jaadu Tona’ as the tormented guardians of Baby Pinky who is possessed by a spirit from a nearby Peepal tree.

• Rajesh Khanna, the super star of the 1970s, takes on the role of a serial killer in ‘Red Rose’ during the 80s, shifting away from his lover boy image.

• The horror film genre continued to remain stuck in a warp which saw films that were made on a shoe string budget, had amazingly awful special effects and repeated all the same people film after film. And yet the films had great entertainment value and at least offered something different from the mainstream.

• The most popular names which believed with lot of conviction in such sort of films were that of Ramsay Brothers.

• Some of the well recognized titles of Ramsay films could be ‘Saamri’, ‘Sannata’, ‘Purana mandir’, ‘Haveli’, ‘Dak Bangla’, ‘Shaitani Ilaaka,’ ‘Veerana’.

• These films travelled along the lines of horror as well as kinky scenes of thinly clad women and sexual portrayals of characters. The films could pass the censor board requirements and they would express as much adult content in the frames as they were being updated by the censor board.
• ‘100 Days’, was however one of the path breaking stories, which was about a secret, hidden under the heap of bones in Jackie Shroff’s life thus leading him to an unfortunate end. Madhuri Dixit looked powerful in her then frail frame of body.

• Gradually these so called Horror films underwent a make over when South Indian film makers like Ram Gopal Verma came into the picture with his very progressive ghost story ‘Raat’.

• The film saw the freshness of relationships and family. ‘Raat’ portrayed how the family stood by strongly even during the times of crisis. The biggest impact on the minds of the viewers was left by the newest element of powerful sound effects and the modern appearance of an Indian ghost.

• Then, the story of a female psycho killer acted by Urmila Matondkar in ‘Kaun’ enthralled the viewers with the gradual act of psychotic terror.

• The Bhatt camp, which came up with their blockbuster horror film, ‘Raaz’ set an example of a musically horrifying story based upon the life of an urban couple.

• ‘Raaz 2’, another musically super hit horror production of the Bhatt camp, revealed a certain truth about not just spirits and ghosts but also delivered the morals of being unselfish and pure hearted.

• Ram Gopal Verma has achieved the stature of one of the best horror film makers of Bollywood.

• ‘Bhooth’ conducted waves of thrill and fear in the minds of the people whereas ‘Vaastu Shastra’ was an excellent example of a good remake of a Hollywood film. (‘Grudge’).

• ‘Phoonk’, cast its spell on the audience and again Ram Gopal Verma proved his Horror.

• 13B had set certain trepidation on the minds of the people regarding the idiot box resting in their drawing rooms. Never know it might just start showcasing some serial which is not just a drama but a tale being told to you with an underlying purpose. Madhavan faced his own horror in the film.

• Therefore, Horror has always been the favorite genre of many and has always managed to catch hold of the breath of millions of fans who are glued to their seats till the end of the ‘ghostly’ movie.