At 1.30 in the morning, a single-storey bungalow in Malad is abuzz with a cacophony typical of any film shoot. Crew members are pacing up and down the serpentine driveway, using walkie-talkies to stage elements essential for a classic horror scene. To recreate lightning, a few men spark wires under a gelatine sheet fixture. To fake a windstorm, giant fans blow out dried foliage. When the set-up is done and the right ambience created, a witch enters in a little black dress …
Big comeback
To know what happens next, you have to watch Phir se Ramsay , a five-episode web series. The Ramsays are back to haunt you, but this time, they’re on the Internet. For the uninitiated, the Ramsay Brothers pioneered a genre of horror movies, including Darwaza (1978), Purana Mandir (1984) and Veerana (1988), which employed scare tactics and sleaze, including titillating shower scenes. Other staples included haunted haveli s, spooky basements, vampires and white-eyed witches. Bollywood’s bad men, Shakti Kapoor, Ranjit and Gulshan Grover, have been antagonists in some of their films. And stars like Shatrughan Sinha, Parveen Babi and Rakesh Roshan have made appearances in Ramsay films in the early stages of their careers.
Then, sometime in the late ’80s, the Ramsays lost their grip on an evolving audience. So what triggered the resurrection? Shyam Ramsay, one of the seven brothers and co-director of Phir Se Ramsay , says, “After making 35 movies, I decided to make a television show in the ’90s. People told me TV is a step down. That show was the Zee Horror Show and it went on to become a huge hit.” The point, says the 60-year-old, is that he enjoys unleashing horror on newer platforms. “With television, entertainment entered people’s homes. With smartphones and the Internet, entertainment is now in people’s pockets, waiting to be unlocked on a portable screen,” Shyam says. “So when 101 India approached us with the idea of making a classic Indian horror web series, I said why not?”
Circa 2017
Phir se Ramsay is the second horror web series from the youth-centric digital content portal; a few days ago, they premiered the Great Indian Ghost Stories, a collection of stories based on folklore. “We think there’s still an audience for green-eyed ghouls, horny vampires and irritable zombies,” says Cyrus Oshidar, 101 India’s managing director and chief creative officer. “ Phir Se Ramsay is a combination of old and new, sleazy, fun, over-the-top horror. Love it or hate it, you can’t ignore it.”
In that sense, the web series is indeed replete with cult Ramsay references. But the outdated formula has also been retrofitted for contemporary consumption. “The biggest challenge was to evoke nostalgia and yet connect with today’s young internet audience,” says Saasha Ramsay, Shyam’s daughter and the series’ co-director.
“It is like old wine in a new bottle,” adds Shyam. “But there’s freshness to all stories. The idea is to stay relevant to both our fans as well as people who might have never seen a single Ramsay movie.” Accordingly, the series features make-up that’s graphic yet subtle, the visual effects are relatively new-age, and the costumes are modern. “I was expecting a white sari, long hair and ghastly make-up. But there’s none of that,” says Pavitra Punia, who plays the witch’s character. Pointing to her little black dress, black boots, nose rings and chunky bracelets, she says, “I look more like a boho-chic chudail , no?” The TV actor plays a seductress in an episode, while others feature a bar dancer, a Halloween party inside a graveyard, and, of course, zombies and vampires. “All of them are tied together by one thing: the fear factor,” says Shyam. “It’s very important. I remember seeing this horror movie called Darr @ the Mall (2014). The film had a mall, but no darr (fear). One must be careful, or else your content can easily turn into caricature.”
Horror in their veins
On the sets, Saasha’s attempt is to translate this fear factor from the script onto the screen. It’s past 2.30 a.m. She appears tired, but in control. “I started assisting dad when I was 16. Most of my childhood was spent in graveyards. So I am used to working odd hours,” she says, matter-of-factly. “Dad’s shoots were like a family picnic. Some weekends, I would hop onto a bus straight after school. My cousins and I would play inside the graveyards of Panchgani and Lonavla, surrounded by crew members setting up, and women cooking for the entire unit.” Though nostalgic, she is aware of the weight of her last name. “It’s all come to me on a platter, but it’s come with a huge responsibility,” she says between sipping on coffee and supervising the next set-up. “I really hope the series does well.”
For Ramsay senior, content is king and horror is where his heart is. “What love stories meant to Yash Chopra, horror movies mean to me. If our content is good, people will appreciate it,” he says.
The fate of Phir se Ramsay will be known after its release. But, right now, in the Malad bungalow’s lawns, more pressing issues await. The crew has to find a suitcase big enough for ‘the body’ to fit in. A man has reluctantly agreed to give it a shot. Grumbling, he jostles his way in. As soon as he manages to coil up, the suitcase is zipped up. The crew lets out a collective cheer. The man is let out. A few fist bumps later, the shoot resumes. Up next, is a shower sequence.
Phir se Ramsay launches today on www.101india.com
