Ahead of Bhoot Part One The Haunted Ship, an important question: where did the desi ghost go?

This Friday will see the release of Vicky Kaushal’s upcoming film, Bhoot Part One The Haunted Ship. When the trailer of the film arrived a few weeks back, one got to see a glimpse of the ghost in the film. While it is still not clear who that could be, a guess is that it is a girl with whitened face, bloodshot eyes, huge nails and unkempt hair. Also, this ghost crawls on walls. Watching it, the first thing that came to mind is where did the white-sari clad desi ghost go? Looking at the glimpse of Bhoot Part One The Haunted Ship’s ghost, one is compelled to think that the imprint of The Conjuring is there for all to see. This phenomenon hasn’t come from out of the blue — Vikram Bhatt’s films all feature ghosts that show the ‘Conjuring-fication’ of the desi ghost. Think Ghost (2019), 1921 (2018) and Raaz Reboot (2016) and you will get the drift.

In Sadhana and Manoj Kumar starrer Woh Kaun Thi?, the 1964 hit, the proverbial ‘white-sari’ ghost can be seen. In that film too, Sadhana is a human being masquerading as a ghost. In one particular scene, Sadhana enters a cremation ground, even as Manoj Kumar’s character is witnessing the turn of events.

In Bimal Ray’s Madhumati, the desi ghost makes several appearances —a young man and his compatriot are forced to take shelter in an old mansion, after their car breaks down and they are caught in pounding rain. A glance at a portrait brings back memories from the young man’s previous birth. He recounts how his lady love, a village belle named Madhumati, had jumped to her death, trying the escape from the clutches of the ruthless man, whose portrait he finds in the mansion. As the story winds its away, the ghost of Madhumati makes brief appearances. Vyjayanthimala, appearing in a triple role of Madhumati, Madhvi and Radha, is a ghost in one of the avatars.

Many more suspect thrillers were made in the 1960s — Bees Saal Baad, Kohra, Gumnaam — all of which flirted with ‘atmosphere’ of horror and succeeded in doing so. As cinematic sensibilities undergo change, it is fascinating to see how the idiom and cultural context too undergo a change. Are these rooted in sensibilities of a land? Are they genuine creative exploration? We will leave that for you to decide.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

Source: Read Full Article