Imtiaz Ali says he wants to make a horror film; shares anecdote on trying to find Madhubala's ghost

In a recent interaction, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, spoke about his inclination towards making a horror film. The Love Aaj Kal (2020) director, while listing his favourite horror films (Madhumati, 1958 and The Exorcist, 1973), said that he would want to make a horror film but with some depth and “not only to scare people.”

Imtiaz also shared an anecdote about shooting in the late actor Madhubala’s old bungalow, which people told him was haunted. At the Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast, when asked why he hasn’t made a horror film yet, Imtiaz said, “I would love to, actually. But I want to have a nice angle. We shouldn’t be only after scaring people.”

Sharing an anecdote of trying to find Madhubala’s ghost in her bungalow, Imtiaz said, “Madhubala used to have a house, it was called Kismat Bungalow. It has been reconstructed now but back in the day, they wouldn’t allow people to film there at night, because they believed that her ghost haunts the place. Who knows if that was true.”

He added, “I shot there quite a bit at night. And I would go to the quietest, darkest corners of that house alone, and I used to wonder if Madhubala’s ghost would come. Although I don’t really believe in spirits, but I remember that feeling. It wasn’t just horror, there was something else. There was a sense of awe and romanticism. This is an interesting combination.”

Madhubala was known for her iconic roles in Mughal-E-Azam (1960), the horror film Mahal (1949) and the comedy Mr. & Mrs. 55 (1955). Imtiaz’s last release was the musical biopic Chamkila.