The Ramsay family returns to old haunts
As far as opening lines in films go, none have ever been quite as dramatic as the ones doled out in horror films of the ’80s. Sample this from Veerana, “Yeh hain shaitan ke pujari, kaala jaadu tona karne wale tantric jo apni kaali shakti ke zor se masum zindagiyon ko barbaad kar ke bana dete hain veerana!” The same tantric then goes on to introduce a victim to his tormentor, a blood-sucking seductress, “Naujawan, tumhare garam khoon se aaj Nikita apni pyaas bujhayegi.”
The 1985 horror film by the Ramsay brothers was one of their biggest hits and it symbolised everything their films stood for: fantastical dialogues, thunder and lightning, witches with tacky makeup, sprawling mansions harbouring evil spirits, scantily clad girls being attacked by blood-sucking monsters in hideous masks; with a sprinkling of action, comedy, romance and songs thrown in for good measure.
Shyam Ramsay, who has directed some of the most popular films in this genre — Veerana, Darwaza, Purani Haveli, and also Zee Horror Show for television — is back with his latest offering, Neighbours. Breaking from tradition, this film is set in the city in which a young girl’s neighbours turn out to be a vampire couple. Other things, however, remain the same. While the woman seduces and lures victims into her house, her partner comes in for the kill. Ramsay films have never been complete without a fair dose of sleaze, but Shyam defends this saying, “We were never that bold or vulgar. The girls came from decent families and those scenes were very well shot.” However, he does concede that sex was a requirement. “Horror and sex go together because that is the only relaxation. Hollywood horror films are an hour and a half long, ours are well over two hours. If there was only horror, they would become a drag. So we balance it with seduction and other thrills. At the end of the day, a film has to be entertaining.”
The Ramsay brothers stepped into the horror genre in 1972 with Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche. Their father Fatehchand Ramsay had moved to Mumbai from Karachi following the Partition and opened an electronics store in the city, graduating to making movies when business became slow. He saw success with his second film Rustom Sohrab (1963) and the family decided to stay on with this new business. The entire family was involved in the movie-making process, with the women taking over
Breaking from tradition, Neighbours is set in the city and a young girl’s neighbours turn out to be a vampire couple. Other things however remain the same. While the woman seduces and lures victims into her house her partner comes in for the kill.
support crew duties and the brothers taking up various production roles — “Kumar wrote stories and screenplay, Keshu looked after production, Shyam and Tulsi took over as directors, Arjun looked after production design and Gangu handled cinematography and sound,” Shyam Ramsay explains. Together they dominated the horror film circuit in the ’70s and ’80s.
Then, the times changed. The popularity of low budget horror films spawned a slew of even worse fare, bordering and often crossing into C-grade films, bringing down the whole genre. The same elements that had made these films so popular in the past — the stories of chudails, haunted havelis, elaborate makeup, costumes and masks — began to elucidate a different kind of response. Where they had horrified and thrilled viewers before, they now became a form of amusement. Shyam Ramsay says, “At that time the audience was innocent, now they are very smart. We cannot fool them any more. We have to give a lot more thought to locations, makeup and performances now.” Slicker horror films from the West also made comparisons inevitable, making these films look even more clumsy, outrageous and downright hilarious.
As sensibilities changed, so did technology. Actors no longer need masks or gaudy makeup as graphics and special effects take care of everything. “I used to import masks and makeup from abroad, and in Darwaza these were especially appreciated. But I don’t need to use them any more,” Ramsay said.
The late Keshu Ramsay perhaps sought to distance himself from the genre and began making a series of action films. He made a whole bunch of Khiladi movies, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, Sabse Bada Khiladi, International Khiladi — all with Akshay Kumar. He even tried to launch his son Aryaman as an actor in Family: Ties of Blood. But Shyam maintains his brother was very fond of action films and a close friend of Akshay Kumar, and didn’t intentionally try to break away from the fold.
While another brother Tulsi also nurses hopes of making one more grand horror film that will be an ode to their bygone days of glory, for Shyam the show must go on. He has been joined in the movie-making business by his daughter Sasha, who is an assistant director. After Neighbours releases on 14 March, he will begin work on a sequel to Veerana and if that goes well, more of his past gems will see a revival. He sees no reason to try something different because Ramsay films are a brand. “My audiences and buyers are expecting this from me. Karan Johar makes love stories and if I also start making love stories who will make horror films?”