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WOHI BHAYANAK RAAT
This one differs from other bad horror movies in that it's a
Bollywood horror movie. This means many large-scale musical numbers, much over
the top melodrama, a two-and-a-half hour running time and a painfully low
budget. In other words, this is one seriously deranged flick!
The Package
Released in 1986, WOHI BHAYANAK RAAT (THAT SAME
HORRIFYING NIGHT) was written and directed by Vinod Talwar, one of the Hindi
film industry's premiere horrormeisters. It's about as good as these films get,
meaning the Hindi--or "Bollywood"--film industry isn't exactly known for its
genre fare. After all, it's a little difficult scaring audiences when you've got
a micro-budget and a musical number every ten minutes or so, both factors being
Bollywood staples.
This film also follows the Bollywood party line with
its two-and-a-half hour running time (most Bollywood flicks run two-and-a-half
to three hours) and compulsive genre-hopping (there's horror, obviously, but
also Kung Fu action, slapstick comedy and a sappy romance). Where it differs
from Bollywood tradition is in the none-too-subtle sexual overtones and graphic
violence…Indian films are governed by censorship that makes the old Hayes Code
look like the French ratings board, and this film broke several taboos. Needless
to say, it was a big hit in its homeland.
The Story
On a stormy night (we know because we see several
inserts of cheesy lightning flashing in a cartoon sky) a pregnant woman stops
off at an old castle. A bad move, as it turns out, since the castle is haunted
by a centuries-old vampire who a). possesses the woman's newborn baby,
b). psychically decapitates her companions, and c). takes a stroll.
From there, our anti-hero goes to discos and causes
women to fall under his spell (he zaps ‘em with cartoon rays shot from his
eyes!) and then takes them back to his castle where (it's implied) he rapes them
and drinks their blood. Eventually, though, he comes upon an unwitting young
woman who turns out to be the reincarnation of a centuries old lover
(reincarnation is a major theme in Bollywood), much to the consternation of her
boyfriend.
The Direction
As expected, it's all extremely cheesy,
particularly in the astonishingly primitive special effects--note the way in
which the vampire transforms from a good looking stud into a "scary" monster: by
simply dissolving from one incarnation to the other. Also note the many
obtrusive zooms in and out (a device that went out with the seventies in most
countries, but apparently not in India). The acting, of course, is uniformly
awful.
For all that, Vinod Talwar manages to pull off some
memorably intense set pieces, in particular a disturbing bit with a bikini-clad
woman dragged around by her hair (a scene that caused quite a stir when the film
was originally released) and an attempt by the antagonist to run down the
heroine with a car. Of course, that two-and-a-half hour running time is a mite
annoying, but for true bad movie buffs, this is required viewing.
Vital Statistics
WOHI BHAYANAK RAAT (THAT SAME HORRIFYING NIGHT)
Director: Vinod Talwar
Producers: S.R. Talwar, Vinod Talwar
Screenplay: Vindod Talwar
Editor: Tara Singh
Cast: Rohan Kapoor, Neeta Puri