Nagin (1976) :
Brief Review -
Didn't know my childhood fascination was actually the best fantasy horror film of Bollywood in the last 5 decades. Nagin is about to turn 50, and in these 5 decades, I don't really think any film has come close to it when it comes to a proper commercial mythological fantasy horror saga in Bollywood. We were very late to pick the mythological and fantasy elements into the horror genre than Hollywood, who did it way back in the 20s with silent movies and then in the 30s with talkies. Rajkumar Kohli's filmography has been forgotten, deservingly, but two of his works in the fantasy horror genre, Nagin and Jaani Dushman, will forever be the best in this category. We hardly have horror classics with ghosts or revenge theories. Today, we have Tumbbad and some of those classics like Mahal and some 60s stuff to argue, and Ramsay's works were not on that level, even though they are very popular to date. Kohli's Nagin may be that one film that I wouldn't call a classic but would definitely call a film to be remembered and certainly the best commercial horror film since ages. It was a super hit in the initial run and then re-release. I can imagine the fear, the fascination, and the mystical nostalgia people must have felt back in the 70s, when Bollywood was heavily riding on masala movies. Reena Roy looks so freaking hot in her first appearance only, and then throughout the film with those grey eyes, lipstick, and dark eyelids. Besides being a fascinating fantasy flick, Nagin is such a stimulating and sexy film. There is so much spice and glamor in it. There are flaws too that one can easily notice today, but they are forgivable. It comes out as such a frightening entertainer, just like Jaws was in Hollywood around the same time. People used to pay to get scared back then. Imagine the fun of doing so for yourself. Thank you, Kohli Saab, for this evergreen horror fantasy that has come a long way through 5 decades and almost 3 generations.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
