The Ramsay Brothers were the undisputed rulers of horror moviedom in Bollywood through 1970s and ’80s. The low-budget films they churned out were marked by sleaze and scares, which found a lot of takers, and they went on to develop a cult following. From zombies to vampires, werewolves to snowmen, the Ramsay Brothers have included all kinds of deathly characters in their storylines. What’s a better time than Halloween to revisit — or be introduced to — the six most popular horror movies made by the Ramsay Brothers!
Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche (1972)
Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche is the first horror movie made by the Ramsays. It was India’s first zombie film and went on to become a huge hit, prompting the Ramsay Brothers to make more movies in this genre. The premise of this film is simple. A dead man comes back to life to take revenge on his unfaithful wife who had killed him. What follows is a tale of gore, horror and thrills.
Watch it on: YouTube
Purana Mandir (1984)
This was a game-changer of a film as it went on to become the standard template for Bollywood horror movies in the 1980s and early ’90s. A devil worshipper, Samri was beheaded by a king 200 years back but cursed the king's family before dying. As he is resurrected from the dead, he is determined to kill Suman (Aarti Gupta), a descendant of the king. Suman’s boyfriend Sanjay (Mohnish Bahl) puts up a fight against Samri to protect her. From the heroine taking a shower at midnight to the signature tune, which even made it to the Zee Horror Show, Purana Mandir became a cult classic. Ajay Agarwal’s Samri is one of the most dreaded ghosts in the history of Hindi cinema.
Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video
Veerana (1988)
Veerana is an erotic, supernatural thriller about Jasmin (played by Jasmin), a beautiful young girl possessed by a vengeful spirit. She wanders around lonely places to seduce and kill people. Many years ago, her father Mahindra Pratap and his younger brother Sameer had killed Nikita, an evil witch, who came back from the dead to possess her. A blend of sex and horror, this film is remembered for Jasmin’s seductive performance.
Watch it on: YouTube
Purani Haveli (1989)
A young couple travelling across a forest come across a mansion and decide to spend the night there. A monster attacks the couple sleeping outside the mansion and kills them. The monster is then trapped in the dungeons by a man, using a crucifix. The rest of the film follows the story of a businessman and his family who buy this palatial building. The evil spirit of the monster would not let the new owners live in peace. Thus begins a series of killings. Like all Ramsay Brothers productions, Purani Haveli thrives on the atmospherics and eerie background score to engage viewers.
Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video
Shaitani Ilaka (1990)
This film ticks all the boxes that masala horror movies made by Ramsay Brothers followed. An evil sorceress hunts for newlywed brides for a demon (conveniently named Shaitan). A couple fights against the sorceress in order to stop the demon, who is all set to come out of his hideout to continue his hunting spree. In the age of OTTs, Shaitani Ilaka might feel dated and predictable, but the film reinforces the idea that Indian myths and lore can be a good source for horror films.
Watch it on: ZEE5
Bandh Darwaza (1990)
Lajjo (Beena Banerjee), the wife of a local chieftain, is unable to conceive. As the family pressurises her husband Thakur Pratap Singh (Vijayendra Ghatge) to remarry, Lajjo seeks the help of an ancient vampire to become pregnant. Nevla, a Dracula ripoff, sleeps in a coffin by day and transforms into a Falcon at night to hunt humans from the neighbouring villages. As Lajjo unleashes the devil, Nevla must be stopped from harming the innocent women in the village. Ajay Agarwal’s portrayal of Nevla was menacing in this supernatural drama.
Watch it on: YouTube
