Director(s) – Shyam Ramsay (Saboot, Hotel) and Tulsi Ramsay (Telephone, Guest House)
Starring – Karan Shah (No Problem, Inspector Dhanush), Archana Puran Singh (Love Story 2050, The Perfect Murder), and Johnny Lever (Bad Boy, Coolie No. 1)
Release Date – 1994
Rating – 3.5/5
Blu Release – 4/5
When you spend most of your time in horror chats, groups, and message boards you discover a lot of strange and weird movies out there that you would never hear about on your own. During my college years I was turned on to the Turkish and Bollywood parodies of classic films. The most notorious of these is the Turkish Star Wars. However, I was always interested in the Nightmare on Elm St. rip-off Mahakaal, aka The Monster.
This Bollywood parody was the topic of many chats in the Upcoming Horror Movies forums and every time it would spring up in conversation I would be there to talk about. I never did get around to checking it out but I’ve always wanted to. A few months ago Massacre Video announced a blu release of this one and I jumped on it as soon as I could. I know Mondo Macabro had released the DVD sometime ago but I was unable to snag it at the time. I’m glad my first viewing of this one was on blu.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows the beautiful Anita (Singh) who is having nightmares that she is being stalked by a burned man weilding a glove of knives. Her friend has nightmares of him as well and soon dies in her sleep pinning the murder on her boyfriend. Anita’s parents act strange when she tells them about her nightmares and soon a horrible secret is revealed by her father and the monster in her dreams that puts everyone’s lives in danger. **Spoiler Alert**
Holy fuck. When I hit play on this I was not expecting this type of movie. It was such a different pace than the films I’m accustomed to but I fucking loved it. It was like nothing I had seen before but you better believe I’m going to be looking into other Bollywood horror titles.
The acting in this one is very different than what we would see in western films. The film goes through musical numbers, comedic scenes, standard horror scenes, and a lot of times they blend genres. This cast has to be very versatile and dynamic in order to make the scene work. I really enjoyed the characters for the most part but I was not a fan of The Monster. He was very underwhelming and not menacing at all. The inspiration for this film has one of the most iconic performances in slasher history. However, this one has an extremely dull killer that does nothing for the film.
The story for this one is fucking wild to say the least. We have a lot of romance, some catchy musical numbers that I was not expecting, and some seriously moody and atmospheric scenes that makes the horror really pop. The pacing is very inconsistent but there is always something going on to hold your attention. Hell, the movie even has some cheap laughs that I really enjoyed.
Finally, the film has some amazing set pieces that really adds to the film’s look at atmosphere. The scene with the snakes specifically really adds to the ambiance of the film. With that being said, the practical effects are hit and miss. Some scenes have amazing practical effects that catch you off guard while others have what looks like rushed make-up effects that are laughable at best. Overall, Mahakaal is one of the strangest films I have ever seen but I fucking loved it. It was funny, comical, and suspenseful at times. The blu looks amazing from Massacre as well. Regardless, if this is your first time watching or a collector you will want this release for your collection.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Limited Edition Slipcase
Brand New 2k Scan from the Original 35mm Camera Negatives
Uncompressed PCM Audio
English Subtitles
Bollywood Crypt Interview with Deepak Ramsay
Extensive Stills Gallery
Trailers for Other Massacre Video Releases
