Bhaago Bhoot aaya!

Bhaago Bhoot aaya!

Including the recently released Anamika, two other films, Bhootnath and 1920, have revisited the supernatural genre in Bollywood

Apart from Kamal Amrohi's Mahal (1949) or Ram Gopal Varma's Bhoot (2003), Bollywood industry has not seen any path-breaking ghost film. But that hasn't stopped filmmakers from trying their hand at making a commercially successful supernatural film.

This year Bollywood has three ghost films, though all thematically different, up for grabs. While Anant Mahadevan's Anamika has just released, Vivek Sharma's Bhoothnath and Vikram Bhatt's 1920 are in the pipeline.

Anamika (romantic thriller), is an adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's novel Rebecca (later filmed by Hollywood director Alfred Hitchcock). The film had Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine in the lead roles. Anant's version has Dino Morea, Minissha Lamba and Koena Mitra in it. "I've used the supernatural to add an element of mystery. There is one scene in which Minissha actually sees a ghost but it's happening more in her mind than in reality. The scene is not a 'horror' one," says Anant who insists that he has given his film a subdued treatment.

Bhoothnath, which casts Amitabh Bachchan, Juhi Chawla, has Shah Rukh Khan playing a cameo. The film is about a ghost, who scares people out of the house. However, he happens to take a liking for a boy with whom he becomes friends. "The usual perception about ghosts is that they are dissatisfied souls who roam around to harm people," Vivek says. "Generally, children are made to believe only in angels, as they are kept away from negative ideas. In my film a child becomes friends with a ghost and transforms the latter with his love."

Vikram Bhatt's 1920 however promises to be a skin-crawling spooky film, with a period look. It's touted as the most expensive ghost film made to date. From the Gothic house—which has been used for filming to the music—1920 is set to scare audiences.

"My film is scary but not gory. It is a slick horror film about a house that is waiting for revenge when one chilly winter some people drop in. It is something, which has never been seen by audiences before," explains Vikram.

While filmmakers are getting adventurous about the ghost genre, trade analyst Amod Mehra doesn't seem too optimistic about it. He says, "Out of the three, Bhoothnath might do well since it's children-centric and has big stars. Though there is a supernatural element, it's not scary. Indians might believe in ghosts and angels but they don't want to sit through a film that is entirely about them. It's a difficult genre to reap in profits."