Mahal (1949)
- Original title
- महल
- Directed by
- Kamal Amrohi
- Genre
- horror film, ghost film
- Country
- India
- Runtime
- 2h 42m
- Rating
- 5.5 of 10 from 11 voters
- Elsewhere
- IMDb
The catalogue in 3D
The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.
How it feels
An aristocrat moves into an old mansion and starts having visions of a woman who says she was his lover in a past life. The film follows his unsettling experiences as he becomes drawn to this mysterious figure.
atmosphericmelancholicmysteriousdreamlikeslow-burnhauntingromanticeeriegothic
What happens
Mahal (transl. "Mansion") is a 1949 Indian Hindi-language psychological supernatural horror film produced by Savak Vacha and Ashok Kumar under the banner of Bombay Talkies, and directed by Kamal Amrohi as his directorial debut. The film centres on a screenplay written by Amrohi, while its music is composed by Khemchand Prakash. Cited as Bollywood's first horror film, it revolves around an aristocrat (Ashok Kumar) who moves into an ancient mansion, where he gets visions of a mysterious lady (Madhubala) claiming to be his lover in their previous lives. Mahal was produced by Bombay Talkies studio on a modest budget. Amrohi, who made his directorial debut with the film, was turned down by many major female stars before then-fledgling Madhubala was put on the board. The film took a relatively long time filming that earned it a negative reputation in the media. Mahal was released in theatres in October 1949. Despite mixed-to-negative critical reviews, it emerged as one of the biggest hits of the decade as well as the biggest financial success in Bombay Talkies' history. The film launched Madhubala and playback singer Lata Mangeshkar, who had lent her voice to the film's soundtrack, into super-stardom. Mahal has influenced a number of horror films since its release. It was listed in British Film Institute's list of "10 great romantic horror films" and ScoopWhoop's "14 Bollywood Horror Movies That You Just Can't Watch Alone". (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)
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Maaligai (2021)- More like this film, on a shelf you can walk up to.It's the lit case on the top shelf.