Starring - Jasmin (Divorce, Sarkari Mehman), Hemant Birje (Adventures of Tarzan, Kabrastan), and Sahila Chaddha (Sau Saal Baad, Naaasamajh)
Release Date - 1988
Genre - Horror/Comedy
Tagline - "Sex, blood, and hairy monsters in a feast of Bollywood horror!"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
A few years back I was introduced to Bollywood horror by Mondo Macabro and Massacre Video. I've always been open to international titles but a lot of my time was spent on Italian giallo and Japanese splatter. It wasn't until I watched Mahakaal, or the Bollywood Freddy Krueger, that I knew I had been missing out. Since then I had snagged the Bollywood collection from Mondo Macabro and watched several of the ones I could find on streaming. These are truly unique films that I can't put into words how amazing they truly are. A few weeks back I was sent a few new releases from Mondo Macabro to review. Among those films was the 1988 Bollywood horror film Verrana. Like always, I want to thank Mondo Macabro for sending this one over!
The film follows a young woman who is possessed by the soul of an evil witch that was killed after draining the blood from several locals.
I knew nothing about Veerana before I tossed it in but I knew if it was half as fun as Mahakaal then it would be worth it. This movie did not disappoint. From the musical numbers, to the effects, and even the humor I was not expecting, delivers. I really enjoyed this one and can see myself revisiting it a few more times before the year is over. The acting in this one is inconsistent but not bad. We have some serious performances that are extremely serious and make the horror aspects of the film feel really creepy. On the other side, we have some extremely campy and comical acting that I was completely expecting. It was performances like this that made me fall in love with Bollywood horror especially with the horror releases from the 80s. The story for this one is a bit more bold than the other Bollywood horror films that I've previously seen. It's not overly complicated but it does have a lot going on at times. We have an evil witch, a cult, a possessed woman, a complex family subplot that I never fully understood, and some laughs that almost feel out of place but was still very enjoyable I really like this mix, especially with the typical Bollywood musical numbers, but I would have liked to see a bit more of a straight forward story with a little more emphasis on the cult. Finally, the film has some great make-up effects and some beautiful sets. I loved the look of the witch and the scenes when the was possessed. The make up effects are great and really stand out with the film. I would have loved some memorable gore but I knew I wasn't getting that going into it. Overall, Veerana is a must see for Bollywood horror fans. I may not be adding this to my October rotation but I can see myself revisiting this one a few more times. I highly recommend it.
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