Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali stated that he has thought about directing a horror movie a few times and that it is something he would like to do. He expressed his desire to create a horror film that is more than just terrifying to viewers.
Imtiaz cited Madhumati as his favourite horror film in Hindi and related a story about filming in Madhubala‘s former bungalow. It was allegedly off-limits at night due to rumours.
‘Kismat Bungalow’
Imtiaz Ali recalled Madhubala’s ‘Kismat Bungalow’. He revealed that they wouldn’t allow people to film there at night. People generally wouldn’t want to film there, as they believed it was haunted.
In an appearance on Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast, 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, and people generally wouldn’t want to film there at night because they believed that her ghost haunted the place. Who knows if that was true, but that’s what people believed.”
Wait for Madhubala’s ghost
Imtiaz Ali further continued and revealed that he would shoot them at night and go to the darkest corners of that house alone. He would wait for Madhubala’s ghost to come.
Imtiaz Ali continued, “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, 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.”
A couple of years ago, on Madhubala’s 89th birth anniversary, Imtiaz took to social media to share a picture of the late star and wrote, “I have shot nights at her old bungalow, hoping for her ghost to show up.”