Bandh Darwaza

AKA:	Closed Door, The

Release Date:

1990 India

Running time:

145' (cover 145') - Source: DVD (RC 0/NTSC)

Rating:

UK: 15; US: NR

Main Crew:

Director: Tulsi Ramsay & Shyam Ramsay (The Wilderness 1988; The Old Temple 1984)
Producer: Ramsay Films Combine
Score: Anand Chitragupth / Milind Chitragupth
Writer: Dev Kishan / Shyam Ramsay
Director of photography: Gangu Ramsay

Cast:

Summary:

Neola (Anirudh Agarwal), a bloodthirsty vampire, who lives with his disciples in the ruins of Kali Pahari, prowls the nights in search of victims to feed his insatiable bloodlust. The nearby locality's Thakur/Prince, Pratap Singh (Vijayendra Ghatge), is desperate for an heir to his estate which his pretty wife seems unable to deliver for him. In desperation his wife turns to Mahua (Aruna Irani), an evil servant who has connections with Neola's worshippers and is in fact one of his most ardent worshippers herself. Mahua swears to the wife that she will conceive once she visits Neola's ruins at the Kali Pahari but the condition is that if the wife bears a son she may keep it but if it's a daughter than the child must be turned over to Neola. The daughter is duly born (after Neola seduces the Thakur's wife) and Mahua reminds a blissfully happy mother that its time to hand over the child to Neola. The mother refuses to comply upon which she has to face the wrath of an incensed Neola who orders the wife to be poisoned and for the girl child to be handed over to him. As Mahua makes off with the child having murdered the mother, the Thakur follows her back to Neola's ruins to confront the monstrous creature face to face. After a struggle he manages to vanquish the blood thirsty Neola by stabbing him in the heart, but as he dies Neola swears to take his revenge in the most horrible manner.
The Thakur has not remarried but is the proud father of a rather wayward daughter, Kamia, who has a serious crush on college mate Kumar (Hashmat Khan). Unfortunately for Kamia, Kumar has eyes only for Sapna, and in her frustration at being unable to seduce Kumar, she turns to black magic for help. She is introduced to the dark world of black magic and voodoo through the disciples of the dead Neola, who is resurrected from his slumber by his worshippers. Neola's priority is to set the record straight with the Thakur's daughter. Kamia is turned into Neola's main disciple-cum-love-slave, and it is her duty thereafter to find her master fresh victims for him to satisfy his vile lust. Now it is up to Kumar and Sapna, along with the Thakur, to wrest Kamia away from the clutches of the monstrous Neola and destroy the beast once and for all. This time however it takes more than just a dagger to vanquish the ghastly Neola...

Note:

- "Bandh Darwaza" is the Indian version of Dracula (though the filmmakers never explicitly refer to their monster as a vampire), with localized mysticism and superstition thrown in: this black cape wearing, fanged creature is neither suave nor seductive, it's a monster that is repulsed not only by the Christian crucifix, but also by a symbol of the Hindu god Shiva, and the Moslem Koran. It can only be truly destroyed by burning it's bat-shaped idol.
- The Ramsay family are India's most famous makers of horror movies. Their horror output became much more popular when they invented their own demon "star", Saamri (for Purana Mandir 1984). "Bandh Darwaza", released in 1990 towards the tail end of the Indian horror cycle, was the last serious Ramsay horror movie for a couple of years.
- There are only four songs during the film, which is way below the average for a regular Bollywood production.

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