Veerana: Vengeance of the Vampire – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: India, 1988
Directors: Shyam Ramsay, Tulsi Ramsay
Writers: J.K. Ahuja, Shyam Ramsay, Omar Khayyam Saharanpuri, Safi Ur-Rahman
Cast: Jasmin, Hemant Birje, Sahila Chaddha, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Satish Shah, Rajesh Vivek, Vijayendra Ghatge, Gulshan Grover 

Release Date: September 9th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 140 Minutes 20 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Hindi
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.99

"In Veerana: Vengeance of the Vampire, a local landowner’s daughter is possessed by the spirit of a dead witch and becomes a bloodsucking seductress. On the next moonless night, she will be used in a hideous ritual to raise the evil witch from her tomb." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Brand new 4k transfer from film negative, digitally restored."

Veerana: Vengeance of the Vampire comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 39.9 GB

Feature: 37.7 GB

The source has some 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, this transfer is a noticeable upgrade over Mondo Macabro’s DVD release.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Hindi with removable English subtitles. The audio is 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.

Extras:

Extras for this release 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).

Summary:

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. Bollywood horror films' blending of genres may be off-putting to some, but Veerana effectively combines these genres. 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 Veerana 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 and Tulsi Ramsay’s masterpiece.

Mondo Macabro gives Veerana: Vengeance of the Vampire its best audio/video presentation to date; highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer