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This horror thriller, which was released 45 years ago, will send chills down your spine, director was advised not to make this film, has IMDb rating of 6.9, movie is…, lead actors were…
In the world of Indian cinema, some films seem to carry an eerie aura, not just on screen but even behind the scenes. One such horror movie, made over four decades ago, was surrounded by strange warnings and inexplicable events. However, the makers decided to move forward, ignoring the superstitions, only to experience several bizarre incidents during production. Which film is this?
The film we are talking about is 'Gehraayi,' a horror thriller that was released in 1980 and is considered one of the earliest Bollywood movies to delve into the theme of black magic. Directed by renowned horror masters, Shyam and Tulsi Ramsay, the film was heavily inspired by Western horror cinema, especially The Exorcist, and adapted those terrifying elements to an Indian setting. It revolved around a young girl who becomes possessed after dabbling with supernatural forces, and her family's desperate attempts to save her. What was the storyline?
The cast of Gehraayi included Anant Nag, Deepak Parashar, Padmini Kolhapure, Kapila, Indrani Mukherjee, Shyam Ramsay and Late Amrish Puri in a cameo role. What set the film apart was its explicit depiction of tantric rituals, demonic possession, and spiritual conflict—rare in mainstream Indian films of that era. Interestingly, after the film's release, stories surfaced about how cast and crew members encountered mysterious accidents and unexplained problems during the shoot, further fueling the fear around the project. When makers were warned by Tantriks
During a chat with Bollywood Crypt, director Aruna Raje said, 'While writing the story, she met tantriks and sorcerers. She said, one important thing is that we should not do these things ourselves, that is because we do not know the result. Everyone warned us not to make this film. Incidents will happen to you. We were not superstitious, so we thought we were only making a film; we made the film, but things went wrong.'
Aruna further told, 'A few years after making Gehraayi, she got divorced from her husband and her daughter died of cancer at the age of 9. Not only this, but soon after the release, the audience started complaining to her that strange and scary things were happening to them. For this, they used to ask for phone numbers from her and each one of them who was involved in this project. How did Gehraayi open the doors for other notable films?
Despite all this, Gehraayi made its mark. Though not a commercial blockbuster, it went on to become a cult classic among horror fans and received rating of 6.9 on IMDb. It opened the doors for more Bollywood films to explore the darker realms of mysticism and superstition. Later movies like Raat, Tumbbad, 13B: Fear Has A New Address, and most recently Shaitaan also tackled themes involving the supernatural and black magic, but Gehraayi remains one of the first to venture into that realm, and with a chilling legacy attached.
