Ramsay's Bandh Darwaza arrived at the fag end of the horror boom of the 80's in 1990. Though the film managed to do decent business, the horror trend was beginning to grow very stale in India and audiences were mostly looking for something else. That ideas were beginning to dry up completely was highlighted by the fact that this was basically a pseudo Dracula film though it had undertones of black magic and possession and teen rivalries to boot!

The film begins with an ominous shot of a coffin opening up to reveal a cloaked figure with blood stained eyes and sharp fangs - a bloodthirsty vampire by the name of Neola who lives with his disciples in the ruins of the dreaded area known as Kali Pahari. Neola prowls the nights in search of victims to feed his insatiable bloodlust. Meanwhile we are shown that the nearby locality's Thakur (prince) is desperate for an heir to his estate which his pretty wife seems unable to deliver for him. In desperation his wife turns to an evil servant Aruna Irani who has connections with Neola's worshippers and is in fact one of his most ardent worshippers herself. Aruna 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 as his own property. The daughter is duly born (after Neola seduces the Thakur's wife) and Aruna reminds a blissfully happy mother that its time to hand over the tot to its rightful owner 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 at his ruins. As Aruna 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.

Later on we are shown that the Thakur has not remarried but is the proud father of a rather wayward daughter Kamia who has a rather serious crush on a college mate by the name of Kumar. Unfortunately for Kamia, Kumar has eyes only for Sapna and in her frustration at being unable to seduce Kumar despite considerable brazen efforts she turns to black magic for help inspiration. 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 to continue his reign of terror. Neola's priority other than drinking bucket loads of fresh blood is to set the record straight with the Thakur's daughter Kamia who was promised to him in the deal that her mother made with him. 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 before it's too late. This time however it takes more than just a dagger to vanquish the ghastly Neola.

Though the story isn't exactly original this film is one of the Ramsay's most effective efforts due to a number of reasons. Firstly and perhaps most importantly they have discovered in actor Ajay Agarwal a most amazing horror discovery. In an age when one has become accustomed to watching a succession of most unconvincing rubber faced monsters or men in bear suits, Neola is a true monster. His appearance is genuinely frightening and one can hardly recall a more menacing looking monster in any Bollywood horror film. Neola's sheer monstrousness and ability to frighten is of paramount importance to the effectiveness of events on screen. He passes the test with flying colours. The second important factor in the films success is that it doesn't veer off the track into tedious stretches of comedy and though Jagdeep is in the cast, his antics are kept to a bare minimum. Likewise there are "only" four songs which is way below the average for a regular Bollywood production.

Next, the Ramsay's have found some great locations for their Kali Pahari ruins and along with their floating mists and some fairly inspired camerawork have managed to conjure oodles of atmosphere and menace to proceedings. There are sequences where Neola is after some damsel or the other which are actually genuinely rather tense and suspenseful, in no small part due to Neola's awfulness. There is vintage bat with red glowing eyes prop that is a most significant aspect of the story which also lends the film that old world horror charm. There isn't much gore but what blood there is, is effectively used. There is a fine touch from the Ramsays when the vampire is unable to get into a succession of coffins as one has a cross inside, the other a Quran and another an Om thingy. Another rather predictable if charming appearance is made by the BBC #13 Horror Sound Effects tape which is what we used to use for our own home horror movies! The Ramsay's have also liberally lifted long stretches of Harry Manfredini's Friday the 13th soundtrack but managed to incorporate it surprisingly well into the movie.

Bandh Darwaza is an unsung classic from the vaults of Ramsay's horror which contain mostly the most tedious drivel imaginable. This film is the Ramsay's in top form; it moves along at a rollicking pace, the characterization is reasonably good, and the acting bearable for horror genre with old timers Aruna Irani, Raza Murad and Vijayendra turning in strong performances. . The climax is perhaps a bit of a let down all things considered but otherwise Bandh Darwaza must rank as one of the strongest and most effective horror films to emerge from Bollywood in many a year.