Kafan (1988)

The Bohra brothers were among the numerous also-rans during the great horror boom of the 1980’s, churning out a steady stream of low-budget shockers in an attempt to cash in on the public’s appetite for ghosts, demons and assorted creatures of the night. Kafan was one such effort, directed by Dhirendra Bohra and produced by brother Virendra. The cast is packed with familiar horror veterans including Raza Murad, MacMohan, Javed Khan, Huma Khan and Jamuna.

The film opens with a solemn voice-over informing us that existence itself is little more than an eternal battle between the forces of good and evil. On one side stand noble souls such as the Maha Tantrik, dedicating their lives to helping mankind. On the other lurk the usual collection of depraved scoundrels who have pledged allegiance to the Lord of Darkness himself.

We are then introduced to five devoted Satanists who, after years of loyal service to the forces of evil, are finally ready for promotion. In order to ascend further up the ladder of wickedness they must sacrifice a young virgin in a black magic ritual. Upon completion they will supposedly acquire enormous supernatural powers and begin their inevitable march towards world domination.

As career plans go, it is certainly ambitious.

The narrator also informs us that whenever evil has emerged throughout history, forces of good have inevitably risen to oppose it. In this case the unsuspecting pawn in the cosmic struggle is a beautiful medical student blessed—or cursed—with a condition known as “intuition.”

The Satanists eventually settle upon a young maid as their sacrificial victim. Unfortunately, two members of the group find her rather too attractive and decide to rape her the night before the ceremony. Consequently, when the ritual takes place the victim is no longer a virgin and the entire enterprise goes catastrophically wrong.

From this point onwards all manner of diabolical events begin unfolding.

The dead girl’s spirit returns and gradually takes possession of Neelam, who begins behaving in increasingly bizarre and alarming ways.

Though Kafan is undeniably a confused jumble of ideas, it somehow manages to remain remarkably entertaining throughout. Much of its success stems from the fact that, unlike many Bollywood horror films of the period, it remains firmly focused on horror. Romance and comedy are relegated to the sidelines while the emphasis stays squarely on thrills, chills and supernatural mayhem.

The background score is wonderfully eccentric and contributes enormously to the film’s feverish atmosphere. The special effects are deliciously wild and occasionally resemble something out of a Coffin Joe nightmare. The possessed Neelam dispatches her enemies using death rays that appear to have been scratched directly onto the film stock itself, producing effects that are simultaneously ridiculous and strangely effective.

The entire production has a manic energy about it.

The swirling smoke, hyperactive camera movements, bizarre lighting effects and relentless soundtrack combine to create an atmosphere that often feels as though the film itself has consumed some dangerous substance before shooting began.

It is cheap.

It is tacky.

It is completely formulaic.

And yet it is also tremendous fun.

One of the film’s greatest strengths is the near total absence of the elements that usually sabotage Bollywood horror. There are no endless comedy diversions featuring Jagdeep, Narendranath, Paintal or any of their spiritual descendants. Songs are kept to a minimum and the story rarely wanders away from its central premise for long.

Another welcome surprise is that the film’s madness is rooted largely in local mythology, black magic traditions and indigenous folklore rather than serving as yet another pale imitation of imported western horror.

Javed Khan is suitably dreadful as the male lead but veteran scream queen Jamuna demonstrates once again why she became such a familiar face within the genre. Raza Murad turns in a solid performance as one of the Satanists while MacMohan provides dependable support throughout.

Kafan may possess a microscopic budget, a highly derivative plot and very little star power, yet somehow it succeeds where many bigger productions fail. It races along at a frantic pace, remains consistently entertaining and never forgets that audiences have turned up to see horror rather than endless comedy tracks and romantic distractions.

The best thing about Kafan is that it discards many of the elements that traditionally drag Bollywood horror down. There are very few songs, no painful comedy subplots and remarkably little outright plagiarism.

Instead what we get is a gloriously deranged, ultra-cheap, home-made rollercoaster ride through the wonderful world of desi horror.

Highly recommended.