Purana Mandir

<p>The film opens 200 years ago, with the royal procession of Raja Harimaan Singh of the sultanate of , stranded near the (the Black Mountain). The Raja is concerned because his daughter, Princess Rupali, has disappeared near the lair of the devil-worshipper Samri. The princess wanders into the ruins of an old fortress and is promptly captured by Samri. He attacks by mesmerising her, then sucking out her life-force which turns her eyes white. During this process, Samri’s eyes gleam blood red. Raja Harimaan Singh catches Samri in this act and orders him captured. Samri is put on trial, where his terrible litany of crimes is read. He has performed various heinous acts to please his demonic spirit masters and enhance his own evil powers. While the (royal priest) suggests Samri to be burned alive as it was believed that fire purifies the soul, the Raja proposes another sentence—Samri is to be decapitated, with the headless body to be buried behind the old temple at Kalighat and the head secured in a strong-box to be kept at a secret chamber in the Raja’s (mansion). Samri casts a curse upon the Raja: “So long as my head is away from my body, every woman in your line shall die at childbirth; and when my head is rejoined to my body, I will arise and wipe out every living person in your dynasty.” Decades pass away and the princely states merge into the Indian republic after ends, and the great-great-grandson of Raja Harimaan Singh, Ranvir Singh, now resides in the city. Samri is long gone, but not forgotten. His evil legend is passed from father to son in the Harimaan Singh clan. Ranvir Singh’s wife died during the birth of their daughter, Suman. In the present day, Suman is a college student and has a boyfriend, Sanjay. When the Thakur learns about their relationship, he disapproves of their relationship, mainly because Sanjay is not of royal birth. Suman is unaware of the ancient curse and resolute in her love, and Sanjay is steadfast in standing by her. They try to confront the intractable Thakur and the latter succumbs and reveals the curse which has been terrorising their families for 200 years. Suman leaves her home in the middle of the night and convinces Sanjay to accompany her to Bijapur. They are accompanied by Sanjay’s friend Anand with and his girlfriend Sapna. The has a painting of Raja Harimaan Singh; this painting shifts its gaze when Suman looks at it; and the eerie likeness of Samri appears through it. Anand and Sanjay smash the wall behind the painting and uncover the strong box that holds Samri’s head. Misinterpreting the head to be potentially that of a brave soldier who incurred the king’s displeasure, they head back with the intention of sealing the wall the next day. Sanga stumbles upon Samri’s head while treasure-hunting in the mansion. The head mesmerises and puts Sanga into a trance, forcing him to bring the head to the body behind the old temple. The head rejoins the body in a gruesome ritual, making Samri whole. Samri begins his murderous rampage to eliminate the descendants of Raja Harimaan Singh. Misunderstandings and tensions claim the lives of many townspeople and Anand and Sapna meet horrific deaths at the hands of Samri. Thakur Ranvir Singh arrives, but he does not know how to defeat the bloodthirsty Samri. People seek refuge at the temple as Samri cannot enter that holy ground. They perform to Lord Shiva. Divine guidance comes to Sanjay; the trishul holds the key to check the monster. Sanjay and Suman return to the haveli to seek the trishul and offer a battle to Samri. Durjan had moved the trishul to a different location within the haveli itself. After a series of tumultuous events, Sanjay manages to trap Samri in a coffin and, with the in hand to check the monster, drags him out to the village square (next to the old temple). There, they construct a hasty pyre and burn Samri alive once and for all. Then, Suman and Sanjay get married. Soundtrack is produced by . The complete soundtrack is as follows: Made on a budget of , collected a total gross of . It was a successful at the box office. It stood the second-highest film after 1984’s . was released on by as a with the 1990 film (also directed by the Ramsay brothers), as the . In 2023, Mondo Macabro released on as part of the boxed set, which also includes the Ramsay brothers-directed films (2006), , (1989), (1986), and (1988).</p>