Tahkhana (तहखाना “Dungeon”) is a 1986 Bollywood Indian horror film directed by Shyam Ramsay and Tulsi Ramsay (Darwaza). It is a tale about two sisters separated at birth and the search for a hidden treasure which is guarded in a dungeon by a bloodthirsty monster.
It stars Hemant Birje, Arati Gupta and Kamran Rizvi, Narendranath, Puneet Issar Imtiaz Khan, Sheetal, Priti Sapru, Trilok Kapoor, Amarnath Chatterji, Huma Khan, Rajindernath and Shamsuddin. The soundtrack music was composed by Ajit Singh with songs sung by Amit Kumar, Anuradha Paudwal and Sushma Shreshtha.
Plot teaser:
Dying Thakur Surjeet Singh bequeaths his entire estate to his son, Raghuvir, disowning the other, Dhurjan, the family’s black sheep, who also indulges in black magic. The latter swears to use magical powers to usurp the estate, and even arranges the abduction of Raghuvir’s daughters, Sapna and Aarti. Mangal and his men manage to apprehend Dhurjan, imprison him in a dungeon, and rescue Aarti.
However, they are unable to locate Sapna, and Raghuvir is killed. Before dying, he informs Mangal that Sapna has one of two pieces of a locket around her neck, while the other is on Aarti’s, and when joined together will reveal the location of treasure buried in a dungeon.
Twenty years later, Aarti and her boyfriend, Vijay, along with several others, attempt to unearth the treasure – not realising that they not only face betrayal from one of their own, but will also release and fall prey to an ageless and indestructible entity…
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Reviews:
“Yeah, the monster looks like a busty Howard Stern with a skin condition and the obligatory comedic sketches are jarringly incongruous, but there is a lot of fun to be had with this picture.
The sets and cinematography are sensational, the music and acting are gleefully camp, the direction is quietly effective and the filmmakers don’t hesitate to knock off main characters with unexpected relish. If you are looking to expand your horror-fiend horizons or if you like a dose of levity with your fright-films, Tahkhana will not disappoint.” Terror Transmission
“A monster movie at its heart, the film wastes little time with unnecessary comedic relief, relying instead on action, thrills and a couple of prerequisite musical numbers to flesh out a familiar story that, at the time, Indian audiences could not get enough of. While rather straightforward in its delivery, there are thankfully plenty of “what the?” moments for those looking for something out of the ordinary to enjoy…” Jason McElreath, DVD Drive-In
“As slow as the monster may stalk, the pace of Tahkhana moves rather quickly, a stark contrast to many of its ilk. Sure, there’s some inconsequential padding tossed into the mix, but it’s almost always amusing, thanks to a cast of characters that are diverse and interesting. It’s also worth noting that the majority of the comedy present actually hits home; that isn’t to say it isn’t goofy and inappropriate as all hell though.” KamuiX, Infini-Tropolis
“Given the nature of Tahkhana’s Big Bad, the whole film feels more like an adventure movie with an added monster than the sort of silly yet loveable and enthusiastic scream fest I by now expect of a Ramsay film. That’s not to say Tahkhana is a bad film; it is entertaining enough. I just don’t think it shows the Ramsay Brothers at their best.” The Horror!?
Related: Darwaza
