The wandering 'witch' of the old 'palace', Bollywood's first horror film, broke all the records of earnings as soon as it hit the box office

News Topical, Digital Desk : First Horror Movie in Bollywood:  Indian cinema, known as Bollywood, is famous all over the world for its colorful stories, melodious music and grand film sets. However, behind this glitz, there is also a genre that fills the audience with fear. This genre is that of horror-mystery thriller. 

Horror is at the top of the list of most liked movies in the world. The craze for horror movies in India is also not hidden from anyone. In the last few years, horror movies have been successful at the box office. But do you know which is the first horror movie of Bollywood and when was it released?

Madhubala and Ashok Kumar did the work

The first horror film of Bollywood is Mahal. Made under the banner of Bombay Talkies, the film was produced by Ashok Kumar and Savak Vacha. The film was directed by Kamal Amrohi. Released in 1949, this film is one of the most popular and expensive films till date. The specialty of this film was also its star cast. The superstar of that time Madhubala and Ashok Kumar played the lead roles in Mahal. Lata Mangeshkar sang a song in the film. Mahal gave a completely new experience to the audiences of that time. The film's mysterious story, brilliant cinematography and Madhubala's mysterious beauty made it a classic. The songs of the film, especially 'Aayega Aanewala' are still known for their mysterious tune. The success of this film opened a new path for horror films in Bollywood.

What was the story of the film?

The story of Mahal revolves around mystery and reincarnation. The story begins when Hari Shankar (Ashok Kumar) comes across an old mansion called Mahal. The watchman of the mansion tells him the tragic story of a couple who used to live there. The lover dies by drowning in the river and his girlfriend Kamini ( Madhubala ) also dies soon after. Hari Shankar realizes that the owner of the mansion was an exact resemblance to him. As the story progresses, mysterious events and the apparition of Kamini's spirit begin to haunt Hari. 

The palace collection

Mahal is one of the highest grossing films. However, along with earning, a lot of money was also invested on this film. It is said that Rs 12 lakh was spent on the film in the 40s which is worth crores today. At that time, the film earned double the budget i.e. Rs 25 lakh. It is counted among the classic horror films of cinema. This film is available on YouTube.

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