Aatma: The Ghost – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: India, 2006
Director: Deepak Ramsay
Writer: M. Salim
Cast: Kapil Jhaveri, Shabana Raza, Ranjha Vikram Singh, Amriena, Mukesh Tiwari, Sadashiv Amrapurkar  

Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 112 Minutes 11 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo Hindi
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.99

"Dr. Aman Mehra leads an enviable life. A successful and much-admired physician, he is married to the beautiful Nehra and lives with her in a splendid villa in the best part of town. Then, one night, just as they are celebrating their first wedding anniversary, the doctor and his wife are disturbed by a late-night caller. Answering the door, Dr. Aman is confronted by a very serious and rather scary-looking man who tells the doctor that he will perform a postmortem the next day on a man called Avinash and that he must write a truthful report about the cause of death. If not, the stranger warns Aman, terrible things will happen.

The next day the doctor is shocked to discover that the man on whom he is to perform the postmortem is the man who came to see him at 1 AM that morning. Four hours after his body was brought into the hospital.

From that point on, Aman’s charmed life turns into a nightmare as events crash around him. He finds himself threatened by gangsters who want him to falsify the post mortem report and he then discovers that the dead man, Avinash, was an expert practitioner of the black arts. Eventually Aman’s wife becomes possessed by the dead man’s avenging spirit. There is only one course of action left to him—an exorcism to free his wife from her spiritual bondage and then to tell the truth about the body in the morgue.

But will Aman have the courage to take on the forces of darkness? And will his family ever be free from the evil that has taken over their lives?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

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

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

Disc Size: 35.3 GB

Feature: 31.1 GB

The source looks excellent; the flesh tones are healthy, the colors are well-saturated, the image clarity and black levels are strong, and there are no compression issues.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release 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 this release 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).

Summary:

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 gives Aatma a first-rate release that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and an informative extra. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Tahkhana: The Dungeon / Purani Haveli: The Monster Wakes – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: India, 1986 (Tahkhana), India, 1989 (Purani Haveli)
Directors: Shyam Ramsay, Tulsi Ramsay (Both Films)
Cast: Hemant Birje, Kamran Rizvi, Arti Gupta, Preeti Sapru, Puneet Issar, Imtiaz Khan, Sheetal (Tahkhana), Deepak Parashar, Amita Nangia, Shubha, Tej Sapru, Sikander Khan, Preeti Sapru, Anil Dhawan (Purani Haveli)

Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 123 Minutes 4 Seconds (Tahkhana), 145 Minutes 19 Seconds (Purani Haveli)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Hindi (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $39.99

Tahkhana: "Two sisters, separated as children, share the secret of a hidden treasure. Years later, their secret falls into the hands of a bunch of sleazy adventurers who are determined to claim the riches for themselves. What none of them know is that the treasure is guarded by a hideous monster, animated by the blood of a vengeful black magician." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Purani Haveli: "A girl takes a group of her friends to visit an old mansion in the country, owned by her family. Unbeknown to any of them, the mansion is haunted by an evil entity. Many years before, the monster was trapped inside the mansion by an elderly man who now acts as its guardian. When he is killed, the evil is released and all who come near the mansion are its potential victims." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (Both Films)

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

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

Disc Size: 34.7 GB

Feature: 33.2 GB

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

Disc Size: 41.3 GB

Feature: 39.1 GB

The sources have 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, both transfers are a noticeable upgrade over Mondo Macabro’s DVD release.

Audio: 4/5 (Both Films)

Each film comes 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. Dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well-represented, and the score sounds appropriately robust.

Extras:

Extras for Tahkhana include an introduction by Tim Paxton (4 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, 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).

Summary:

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.

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.

Mondo Macabro gives Tahkhana: The Dungeon and Purani Haveli: The Monster Wakes their best audio/video presentation to date. Highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Purana Mandir – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: India, 1984
Directors: Shyam Ramsay, Tulsi Ramsay
Writers: Siddiqui M.S. Rahman, Dr. Gurdeep, J.K. Ahuja, Kumar Ramsay
Cast: Mohnish Behl, Arti Gupta, Puneet Issar, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Anirudh Agarwal, Sadhana Khote, Satish Shah, Trilok Kapoor  

Release Date: November 11th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 144 Minutes 17 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

"The film begins two centuries in the past.  Raja Harriman Singh is stranded near the Black Mountain when the wheel of one of his carriages is broken. While they wait for the wheel to be repaired, Hariman Singh’s daughter Rupali wanders off to explore the nearby deserted temple. There she is captured by the evil magician Samri. He sucks out her life force, turning her eyes white as she dies. The Raja catches Samri and orders his death. The monster is decapitated, his body buried in one location and his head kept in another. That way, so it’s believed, he can never be brought back to life. Before he dies, Samri curses Harriman Singh, saying that every female member of his line will die in childbirth.

In the present day, the mid-1980s, a descendant of Harriman Singh is a successful businessman with a teenage daughter, Suman. She has a boyfriend, Sanjay, of whom her father disapproves. She thinks it is because Sanjay is not of royal blood. Finally, he tells Suman of the family curse. He forbids Suman to see Sanjay again. Suman persuades Sanjay and his friends to come with her to the ancient temple in the countryside where the head of Samri was buried. There, she believes, they will be able to lay the curse to rest and she and Sanjay will be free to have a relationship." - 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: 40.2 GB

Feature: 38.8 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 Indian horror expert Tim Paxton (4 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Summary:

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 descendants, 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 are 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.

Mondo Macabro gives Purana Mandir its best audio/video presentation to date; highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

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

Mahakaal – Massacre Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: India, 1994
Directors: Shyam Ramsay, Tulsi Ramsay
Writers: Kafil Azar, Sayed Sultan, Y.V. Tyagi
Cast: Karan Shah, Archana Puran Singh, Johny Lever, Mayur Verma, Reema Lagoo, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Baby Swetha, Minaaz, Sunil Dhawan, Asha Patel, Dinesh Kaushik, Mahabir Bhullar, Kunika Sadanand, Naushaad Abbas

Release Date: March 9th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 138 Minutes 34 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Hindi
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.95

"After the brutal murder of her kid sister, Anita begins to have horrible nightmares where a ghastly monster with an iron glove torments her. Once awake, she finds that the injuries suffered in her dreams have manifested into the physical world. Although her family and friends dismiss her warnings, it’s not long before people around her are picked off one by one by this hideously disfigured being. Can anyone or anything bring an end to the carnage." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand New 2k Scan from the Original 35mm Camera Negatives."

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

Disc Size: 34.1 GB

Feature: 29.1 GB

Though this transfer has source-related imperfections like print debris and emulsion stains, outside a few moments where source damage flares up, most of the time it is minor. 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 of Mondo Macabro's DVD.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM 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 reversible cover art, a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background, and Bollywood Crypt’s interview with Deepak Ramsay (15 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Other extras include trailers for Laboratory of the Devil, Flesh Contagium, Toxic Zombies, and Paranoid Garden.

Summary:

Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay co-directed Mahakaal. They are known for Purana Mandir and Veerana, two of Bollywood horror cinema’s most celebrated films.

A sadistic killer terrorizes a woman and her friends in their dreams.

Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay had a good run of films starting with Purana Mandir and Mahakaal; in the case of the latter, it would mark their final collaboration. Though their initial forays into Bollywood horror remain their strongest, their later films felt more like rehashes trying to recapture what made films like Purana Mandir and Veerana so special.

Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street influence throughout Mahakaal is immediately clear; not only does the killer have razor-bladed gloves like Freddy Krueger, but music cues and scenes are lifted from the first five A Nightmare on Elm Street films. Some of the most blatant examples of Mahakaal copying A Nightmare on Elm Street are its dream sequences. That said, Mahakaal was not the first Bollywood horror film inspired by A Nightmare on Elm Street; Khooni Murda predates it by five years.

Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay always create effective atmospheres in their films. That said, it should not come as a surprise that anything horror-related is where Mahakaal excels the most. Unfortunately, when it comes to humor, the only saving grace is a character who's a caricature of Michael Jackson. In the background, the song Thriller is played during this character's introduction scene.

Genre cinema is known for its tropes; in the case of Bollywood horror cinema, it has at least one trope that has not aged well. Case in point: scenes where a man or a group of men sexually assault women. Also, Bollywood horror cinema is a melting pot of genres; these are not merely horror films; they have action, comedy, romance, and musical numbers. Despite being well-executed moments, the musical numbers unfortunately add nothing to the story that unfolds. Ultimately, despite being a pastiche of the Nightmare on Elm Street films, Mahakaal is a highly entertaining film that fans of Bollywood horror cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

Massacre Video gives Mahakaal a strong audio/video presentation, making this its best release to date, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer