The 1949 Hindi psychological supernatural horror film Mahal, starring Ashok Kumar and Madhubala in the leading roles, is often considered as India's first horror film. The movie follows an aristocrat (Ashok Kumar) who moves into a centuries-old mansion, only to be haunted by visions of a mysterious woman (Madhubala) who insists they were lovers in a past life. Produced by Bombay Talkies, Mahal marked the directorial debut of Kamal Amrohi. Despite received mixed reviews from the critics, the film became a blockbuster as it grossed Rs 1.45 crore against its modest budget of Rs 9 lakh.

Mahal was inspired from Ashok Kumar's real-life incident

For Mahal, Ashok Kumar drew inspiration from his own real-life experience in 1948. While shooting at a hill station, he claimed to have seen a headless

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