Mahal

Mahal, 1949 Director: Kamal Amrohi Music Director: Khemchand Prakash Lyrics: Nakshab Playback: Zohrabai Ambalawali, Lata Mangeshkar, Rajkumari Cast: Ashok Kumar, Madhubala, Vijayalaxmi, Kanu Roy, M. Kumar Translation included. Kamal Amrohi makes his directorial debut with this horror-mystery, widely considered a masterpiece of Indian cinema. The film centers on Shankar (Ashok Kumar), a handsome young lad who buys an old abandoned mansion rumored to have a dark and mysterious past. He quickly notices his resemblance to the portrait of the former owner. Soon afterwards he is approached by the ghost of the former owner’s mistress, Kamimi (Madhubala), who orders Shankar to either die or marry her reincarnation, a servant’s daughter named Asha. Shankar soon becomes obsessed with the ghost, so much so that his friend, Shrinath (Kanu Roy), worries about his mental health. His friend arranges for Shankar to marry the beautiful Ranjana (Vijayalakshmi). Shankar’s obsession only