| Mahal | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Mahal_1949_film_poster.jpg) Film poster | |
| Directed by | Kamal Amrohi |
| Written by | Kamal Amrohi |
| Screenplay by | Kamal Amrohi |
| Story by | Kamal Amrohi |
| Produced by | Ashok Kumar Savak Vacha |
| Starring | Ashok Kumar Madhubala |
| Cinematography | Josef Wirsching |
| Edited by | Bimal Roy M. Shanker R. M. Tipnis |
| Music by | Khemchand Prakash |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Bombay Talkies |
Release date |
|
Running time | 165 min. |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindustani |
| Budget | est. ₹9 lakh (est. ₹12.1 crore as of 2016)[1] |
| Box office | est. ₹1.45 crore (est. ₹198 crore as of 2016)[2] |
Mahal (transl. "Mansion") is a 1949 Indian Hindi-language psychological supernatural horror film produced by Savak Vacha and Ashok Kumar under the banner of Bombay Talkies, and directed by Kamal Amrohi as his directorial debut. The film centres on a screenplay written by Amrohi, while its music is composed by Khemchand Prakash. Cited as Bollywood's first horror film, it revolves around an aristocrat (Ashok Kumar) who moves into an ancient mansion, where he gets visions of a mysterious lady (Madhubala) claiming to be his lover in their previous lives.[1][3]
Mahal was produced by Bombay Talkies studio on a modest budget. Amrohi, who made his directorial debut with the film, was turned down by many major female stars before then-fledgling Madhubala was put on the board. The film took a relatively long time filming that earned it a negative reputation in the media.
Mahal was released in theatres in October 1949. Despite mixed-to-negative critical reviews, it emerged as one of the biggest hits of the decade as well as the biggest financial success in Bombay Talkies' history. The film launched Madhubala and playback singer Lata Mangeshkar, who had lent her voice to the film's soundtrack, into super-stardom.
Mahal has influenced a number of horror films since its release. It was listed in British Film Institute's list of "10 great romantic horror films" and ScoopWhoop's "14 Bollywood Horror Movies That You Just Can't Watch Alone".[4][5]
- ^ a b Roshmila Bhattacharya (6 May 2013). "Testing times for Madhubala". Pune Mirror. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
BoxOfficewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
upperstall2was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Blyth, Michael (22 May 2015). "10 great romantic horror films". BFI. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ Kurian, Danny (16 May 2015). "14 Bollywood Horror Movies That You Just Can't Watch Alone". www.scoopwhoop.com. Retrieved 8 December 2020.