Bollywood Horror Collection – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: India, 1984 (Purana Mandir), India, 1986 (Tahkhana), India, 1988 (Veerana), India, 1989 (Purani Haveli), India, 1990 (Bandh Darwaza), India, 2006 (Aatma)
Directors: Shyam Ramsay, Tulsi Ramsay (Purana Mandir, Tahkhana, Veerana, Purani Haveli, Bandh Darwaza), Deepak Ramsay (Aatma)
Cast: Mohnish Behl, Arti Gupta, Puneet Issar, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Anirudh Agarwal, Sadhana Khote, Satish Shah, Trilok Kapoor (Purana Mandir), Hemant Birje, Kamran Rizvi, Arti Gupta, Preeti Sapru, Puneet Issar, Imtiaz Khan, Sheetal (Tahkhana), Jasmin, Hemant Birje, Sahila Chaddha, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Satish Shah, Rajesh Vivek, Vijayendra Ghatge, Gulshan Grover (Veerana), Deepak Parashar, Amita Nangia, Shubha, Tej Sapru, Sikander Khan, Preeti Sapru, Anil Dhawan (Purani Haveli), Hashmat Khan, Manjeet Kular, Kunika Sadanand, Satish Kaul, Anita Sareen, Anirudh Agarwal, Aruna Irani (Bandh Darwaza), Kapil Jhaveri, Shabana Raza, Ranjha Vikram Singh, Amriena, Mukesh Tiwari, Sadashiv Amrapurkar (Aatma)

Release Date:‎ December 12th, 2023
Approximate running times: 144 Minutes 17 Seconds (Purana Mandir), 123 Minutes 4 Seconds (Tahkhana), 140 Minutes 20 Seconds (Veerana), 145 Minutes 19 Seconds (Purani Haveli), 144 Minutes 54 Seconds (Bandh Darwaza), 112 Minutes 11 Seconds (Aatma)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Purana Mandir, Tahkhana, Veerana, Purani Haveli, Bandh Darwaza), 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Aatma)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Hindi (Purana Mandir, Tahkhana, Veerana, Purani Haveli, Bandh Darwaza), DTS-HD Stereo Hindi (Aatma)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $149.95

"The most successful of the Ramsay’s many films, PURANA MANDIR is something of a legend in Indian film circles. It’s the movie that singlehandedly kicked off the brief mini boom in horror that swept through the Indian film business in the late 1980s. The film benefits enormously from the performance of Anirudh Agarwal as Samri. He is an evil force of nature as he rampages through the film, determined to eliminate every last member of Harriman Singh’s family. The film has some of the very best horror sequences in the entire Ramsay catalog and is a genuine tour-de force for all involved. An essential classic of Indian horror cinema.

Some of their films, such as MAHAKAAL and BANDH DARWAZA, are certainly “inspired by” western sources; however TAHKHANA is very much the Ramsays revisiting their own past. In this case, their breakthrough 1984 film PURANA MANDIR. The cast features a number of the same names and the plot is very similar – a group of kids go back to an old mansion in the countryside to defeat an ancient evil.

The Ramsay’s films are essentially monster movies and hence stand or fall on the effectiveness of the creature at the heart of the story. The evil walking corpse in TAHKHANA is a spectacular beast, with an interesting back story and dramatic demise.

The Ramsay’s films are essentially monster movies and the monster is usually a man in some form. VEERANA featured their first female monster and the film’s combination of suggestiveness, sex and violence got the Ramsay’s into hot water. They were initially refused a certificate and had to recut the film for release. The movie’s real coup is Jasmin, playing the girl who gets possessed by the spirit of the dead witch Nakita. Jasmin came more or less out of nowhere and made few other films, but she makes a real impact here with her jet black hair, white skin and huge, scary eyes. She’s also not shy of showing an inch or two of flesh. And the bathroom scene where she croons along to Bappi Lahiri’s yearning Saathi Tu Kahan Hai is surprisingly hot for its time.

Another hit for the Ramsays, the film contains some of their most intense horror scenes. There are also two monsters! The hairy beast and the giant, horned suit of armour that seems to have a life of its own. Unusually for a Ramsay film, the evil is finally thwarted not by the use of the familiar “AUM” symbol, but by Christian iconography

Essentially the Ramsay’s version of Dracula, BANDH DARWAZA stands out from other Dracula films due to the astonishing performance of Anirudh Agarwal as the king vampire. Genuinely terrifying, he ranks as one of the greats in his portrayal of the evil bloodsucker. Made towards the end of the Ramsay’s cinematic reign of terror – before they moved to TV production, the film is light on comedy and strong on horror. Cinematographer Gangu Ramsay earns his statis as “India’s Mario Bava” with a bravura scene in which the vampire stalks his victim in her house at one point peering at her through a series of red, blue and green glass panes.

Released in Indian cinemas in May 2006, AATMA is the last horror film to date from the famous Ramsay family of film makers. Very much in the style of their 1980s classics but with updated special effects and more explicit love scenes, it delivers all the familiar Ramsay trademarks of intense, horror-based set pieces, thrilling action scenes, vibrant cinematography and sexy dances. Perhaps overlooked on its original, release, in this newly restored version, AATMA is two hours of top class entertainment." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (Purana Mandir, Tahkhana, Veerana, Purani Haveli), 2.5/5 (Bandh Darwaza), 4.5/5 (Aatma)

Here’s the information provided about Purana Mandir, Tahkhana, Veerana, and Purani Haveli's transfers, “Due to climate conditions and the huge number of titles produced there every year, film storage and restoration in India can be problematic.

The Following film has been restored from the best available materials. However, picture and sound still exhibit numerous instances of damage.

We hope this does not detract too much from your enjoyment of the film."

Purana Mandir comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.2 GB

Feature: 38.8 GB

Tahkhana comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.7 GB

Feature: 33.2 GB

Veerana comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 39.9 GB

Feature: 37.7 GB

Purani Haveli comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.3 GB

Feature: 39.1 GB

Here’s the information provided about Bandh Darwaza's transfer, “Due to climate conditions and the huge number of titles produced there every year, film storage and restoration in India can be problematic.

The following film was taken from a standard definition source as the original negative was unusable.

We hope this does not detract too much from your enjoyment of the film."

Bandh Darwaza comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.6 GB

Feature: 27.9 GB

Aatma comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.3 GB

Feature: 31.1 GB

Purana Mandir, Tahkhana, Veerana, and Purani Haveli’s sources are similar; all of these films have very minor debris and emulsion stains, which vary in degree throughout. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look very good, image clarity and black levels are strong, and there are no issues with compression. That said, these four film transfers are noticeable upgrades over their DVD counterparts, also released by Mondo Macabro.

Bandh Darwaza is the only film in this collection that comes from a standard definition source, and though it does not look as good as the other transfers, it is also an upgrade over its earlier DVD release.

Aatma has the best transfer out of the films included as part of this collection.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Hindi - Purana Mandir, DTS-HD Mono Hindi - Tahkhana, DTS-HD Mono Hindi - Veerana, DTS-HD Mono Hindi - Purani Haveli, DTS-HD Mono Hindi - Bandh Darwaza), 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Stereo Hindi - Aatma)

Purana Mandir, Tahkhana, Veerana, Purani Haveli, and Bandh Darwaza each come with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Hindi with removable English subtitles. These audio tracks are in good shape; any distortion is minor and never too intrusive. Dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well-represented, and the score sounds appropriately robust.

Aatma comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Hindi with removable English subtitles. This audio track sounds excellent; the dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for Purana Mandir include an introduction by Indian horror expert Tim Paxton (4 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Extras for Tahkhana include an introduction by Tim Paxton (4 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Extras for Veerana include an introduction by Tim Paxton (6 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Hindi, no subtitles).

Extras for Purani Haveli include an introduction by Tim Paxton (3 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Hindi, no subtitles).

Extras for Aatma include an introduction by Tim Paxton (6 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 9 seconds, DTS-HD stereo with English text, no subtitles).

The Bulk of the extras on the disc with Bandh Darwaza. Extras in this disc include an extensive Ramsay Brothers image gallery with music playing in the background (posters/stills/lobby cards/LP covers/VCD sleeves), an introduction by Tim Paxton (6 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Anirudh Agarwal (15 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Hindi with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Prem Chopra (6 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Hindi film clips), an interview with director Deepak Ramsay (23 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Satish Shah (15 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Gittanjali Elizabeth Singh author/numerologist/widow of music composer Ajit Singh (10 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with producer Priti Vinay Sinha (8 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with film historian, archivist and author Dhruv Somani (15 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Arti Gupta Surendranath (31 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Hindi film clips), a featurette titled Freddy, Jason and Saamri: The Ramsay’s: The Birth of Bollywood Horror (13 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a Mondo Macabro episode on South Asian Cinema (24 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for films clips) and an online lecture by Shamya Dasyupta titled The Cinema of the Ramsay Brothers (37 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Other extras include an 80-page book titled Bollywood Nightmares: A Brief and Convoluted History of India’s Horror Cinema written by Tim Paxton.

Summary:

Purana Mandir: Two hundred years ago, a monster known as Saamri roamed the land, murdering and eating young children. One evening, he is finally caught by the king’s men, who chop off his head and roast the rest of his body in a fire. Before the severed head, Saamri manages to spew out a curse that he is casting over the king and his female descendents, who will become unrecognizable and die during childbirth. A century later, one of the king’s descendants, a young woman named Suman, is having a secret affair with a young man named Sanjay. Her father greatly disapproves of their relationship, and when he is unable to break them apart, he tells them about the family curse. So Suman and Sanjay, with the help of two friends, decided to go to the temple where the curse started and find a way to end it once and for all.

Purana Mandir is one of the most influential horror films ever to come out of India. It is the film where directors Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay establish a formula that they will exploit successfully for the next decade.

In Bollywood horror films, how effectively they employ comedy and musical numbers can make or break a film. Case in point: Purana Mandir, a film that has fewer comedy and musical numbers than most of Shyam Ramsay's and Tulsi Ramsay’s other horror films. That said, when it comes to the musical numbers, they work well with the narrative that is unfolding; they never feel forced.

When it comes to the stylish visuals, they do a phenomenal job creating atmosphere. Another strength of the visuals is their inventive camera techniques and movements, which heighten the mood. Also, there is a solid sound design and an eerie synth score that perfectly captures the mood.

When it comes to the performances, the cast is all very good, especially Anirudh Agarwal’s (Bandh Darwaza) portrayal of Samri, an evil wizard resurrected after 200 years. He delivers a genuinely menacing and creepy performance.

The most surprising aspect of Purana Mandir is the amount of detail that went into the set and costume design. The narrative holds your attention, and for a film that is just under 2 and ½ hours, things move at a good pace. Purana Mandir is a melting pot of genres; there is hand-to-hand action, sword fighting, dancing, singing, and a girl taking a shower in her bathing suit while the water turns to blood. Ultimately, Purana Mandir is a solid example of Bollywood horror cinema, and it deserves its reputation as one of this genre's best films.

Tahkhana: A dying man disowns his son, who practices black magic. Angered by his father's decision, the son kidnaps his brother's two daughters. While trying to rescue the two girls, one of them disappears. Twenty years later, the daughter who was rescued and her friends search for the treasure hidden in the dungeon of the family home.

If you get a feeling of Déjà vu while watching Tahkhana, that is because it reuses sets and locations from Purana Mandir. And though billed as a horror film, Tahkhana is actually never scary. That said, Tahkhana is a film that relies more on atmosphere than jump scares.

Tahkhana is a story about two sisters who haven’t seen each other in years. The family has relics hidden in their dungeon, and the only way to locate them is with two halves of a necklace, each sister holding a half. The most despicable character in Tahkhana is a pervert named Shahkal who rapes or tries to rape just about everyone in the female cast.

At just over 2 hours in length, the narrative moves along with good momentum. That said, the narrative has a few missteps, which are easy to forgive. Also, the monster does not appear until around the halfway point.

The performances are the most disappointing aspect of Tahkhana. Though they work well with the story that unfolds, there is no one performance that stands out. Fortunately, the actresses who portray the two sisters, Sheetal and Aarti Gupta, provided plenty of eye candy. Notably, a musical number in which one of them gets soaked by pouring rain.

From a production standpoint, despite there being more positives than negatives, Tahkhana is a letdown when compared to Purana Mandir. Once again, Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay’s direction is solid. Also, the narrative is a satisfying mix of humor, horror, and musical numbers. Ultimately, Tahkhana is a rare misstep by Tulsi Ramsay and Shyam Ramsay, making it their weakest horror film.

Veerana: After years of being away, a young woman returns to the family home for the first time since her parents' untimely deaths. She quickly realizes that things are not what they seem when she discovers that a witch's spirit has possessed her cousin Jasmine.

Before Veerana, there were no female monsters in Bollywood horror films. Veerana is an iconic character that forever changed Bollywood horror films. That said, the Veerana character is India’s equivalent to Japan’s of a woman with long unkempt hair that covers her face. Veerana’s release was delayed because of issues related to censorship.

Despite the reference to vampires in its title, Veerana: Vengeance of the Vampire, there are no vampires, only a vengeful spirit. And though there is a blending of genres in Bollywood horror films, which might be off-putting to some, the way in which Veerana blends genres is very effective. And nowhere is Veerana more effective than when it comes to supernatural moments. That said, the musical numbers are very good, especially the song and bubble bath sequence.

When discussing the performances, everything starts and ends with Jasmin’s (which also happens to be the name of her character) portrayal of Jasmine, a woman possessed by a witch’s spirit. Her piercing eyes greatly aid her mesmerizing performance. That said, it is a shame that this would mark her final onscreen appearance in a career that only had three films.

Veerana is a riveting tale about possession that does an exceptional job building the impending terror. Veerana is beautifully photographed. Its striking use of color is reminiscent of Mario Bava. Visually, Veerana is a tour de force of style and atmosphere. Its most striking moment is a scene where an adolescent Jasmin is in her room on a swing, and her mother is in the background. Her mother has figured out that all is not well with her daughter. The juxtaposition of the two characters in this scene magnifies the impending danger. Ultimately, Veerana is Shyam Ramsay's and Tulsi Ramsay’s masterpiece.

Purani Haveli: Anita has been living with her uncle since her parents' untimely deaths. Her parents left her an inheritance that her aunt is trying to steal. One weekend, Anita and her friends go to an abandoned mansion. What starts off as a trip for pleasure quickly turns into a weekend of terror!

Purani Haveli is not a good example of genre blending in Bollywood horror cinema. Every time there is a tonal shift from horror to comedy, the narrative loses steam. Also, the bulk of the comedy scenes feel more like padding than narrative enhancements. The narrative is at its strongest when it focuses on Anita's inheritance and the dilapidated mansion where most of the film takes place.

The performances are adequate; no one stands out. And nowhere is this more disappointing than Amita Nangia’s portrayal of Anita. Her performance lacks the charisma that someone like Jasmin brought to Veerana.

From a technical standpoint, there are no areas where Purani Haveli is lacking. Shyam Ramsay's and Tulsi Ramsay’s direction is solid, and the visuals are once again filled with atmosphere. Unfortunately, a poorly constructed narrative and lethargic pacing are things that are hard to overlook. That said, for those who have the patience to make it to the film’s finale, you are in for an extraordinary conclusion. Ultimately, Purani Haveli is a fun film that fans of Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay should enjoy. That said, a better starting point would be Purana Mandir or Veerana for someone who has not seen their films.

Bandh Darwaza: An infertile woman who is unable to conceive a child makes a deal with a demon. She can only keep it if it's a boy; if she has a daughter, the child will remain with the demon in the Black Mountains. Eighteen years later, Lajo’s daughter, named Kamia, is now a woman and looks a lot like her mother. Kamia, like all girls her age, has developed a crush on a young man named Kumar. There is only one problem: he doesn’t feel the same way she does, and he desires the love of a woman named Sapna. It appears that after all these years, evil still lurks at the temple in the Black Mountains. Kamia is unable to make Kumar love her, so she turns to the people of Black Mountain and their mystical magic to help her cast a spell over Kumar.

Bandh Darwaza is a loose reworking of the Dracula character that relies heavily on atmosphere. So, if you are looking for a high body count and onscreen bloodshed, you should look elsewhere. Bandh Darwaza is a different kind of horror film that not only mixes gratuitous sexually suggestive aerobics routines but also comes with several full-blown dance numbers in which the cast members instantly burst into song. If moments like these don’t frighten you, then nothing will.

Bandh Darwaza, I have now seen five horror films directed by Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay. And more than anything, the old saying, "If it ain't broke, don’t fix it", perfectly sums up these films. When they discovered someone who worked, they ran with it and would recycle it with each new film. Case in point: in the synth scores that accompany their films, not only does Bandh Darwaza use music cues from other Ramsay horror films, but one music cue sounds suspiciously like something from Friday the 13th.

Though the acting is, for the most part, nothing to get excited about since most of the performances are merely adequate, Anirudh Agarwal’s (Purana Mandir) portrayal of Nevla delivers a fantastic performance that dominates every moment he’s in.

By the time Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay directed Bandh Darwaza, they were filmmakers clicking on all cylinders. And though they do a great job exploiting their resources, one cannot look past a character watching through a wall that looks like cardboard. Fortunately, things like that are few, and in most areas, Bandh Darwaza excels. Once again, visuals play a significant role, and this time around, they have a Gothic horror vibe. Ultimately, though Bandh Darwaza is not as scary as a conventional horror film, it is still an entertaining adventure that cleverly mixes several genres without diverging too far from its horror roots.

Aatma: A murdered man’s vengeful spirit visits the doctor who performed his autopsy and his wife. In order for this spirit to be at peace, he needs those responsible for this death brought to justice.

Directed by Deepak Ramsay, the son of Tulsi Ramsay, he takes all of the elements that were synonymous with his father's and uncle's horror films and gives them a modern makeover. Notably, when it comes to onscreen carnage, there is an ample amount.

Aatma is a mix of these genres: horror, comedy, romance, and police procedural. Horror moments rooted in the supernatural are where Aatma excels the most. That said, Aatma will give those familiar with Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay horror films a feeling of déjà vu.

Though Aatma is a film with the right intentions, it is an homage to 1980s Bollywood horror cinema. Its execution is not without its shortcomings. It is a film that is overly dramatic, and though it has a few good jump scares, it lacks the atmosphere that is synonymous with Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay’s horror films. A few areas where things come up short are dated CGI and musical numbers that disrupt the narrative. Also, dated CGI and musical numbers that disrupt the narrative are a few areas where things come up short. In the case of the latter, it is not as effective in integrating musical numbers into the narrative as the films of Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay were. Ultimately, Aatma fails to capture the magic that made Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay films so much fun to watch.

Mondo Macabro has done a phenomenal job with films included as part of the Bollywood Horror Collection. These films have never looked or sounded better, and there is a wealth of informative extras, notably the exceptional 80-page booklet. The Bollywood Horror Collection is a must-have purchase for fans of Bollywood horror films, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer