Filmmaker Tulsi Ramsay passed away on Thursday evening. He was 77.
Best known for helming horror films like Hotel, Purana Mandir, Tahkhana, Veerana and Bandh Darwaza, Tulsi also directed the TV series The Zee Horror Show.
Tulsi Ramsay’s nephew Amit Ramsay said, “Tulsiji experienced some pain in his chest, and he had a heart attack. So he was taken to Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. He passed away yesterday after he was brought back home. He was 77-years-old.”
Tulsi’s longtime associate Govind Yadav added, “Tulsiji passed away on Thursday evening. His funeral will happen today around 2 pm. He was not keeping well from some time now.”
#RIP Filmmaker Tulsi Ramsay, known for horror films, passes away.
— Film History Pics (@FilmHistoryPic) December 14, 2018
(1981) Directors Tulsi and Shyam Ramsay during the shoot of Hindi Horror Film ‘Dahshat’; with Om Shivpuri who turns into a “blood thirsty monster” every night. pic.twitter.com/8eUHj8Ui9k
Hearing through the grapevine that the legendary Tulsi Ramsay is no more. One of the prolific Ramsay clan, the fathers of the Hindi horror boom of the '80s, Tulsi Ramsay's work came to define Indian horror for the world. This is a great loss. pic.twitter.com/WRF6rE0aTK
— A Random American (@HatefulJosh) December 14, 2018
RIP King of Cult horror films - Mr. Tulsi Ramsay. He's directed several movies in the Horror genre during the 80's and 90's. Movies such as Purana Mandir, Tahkhana, Veerana, have acquired a cult following over the years. His contribution will always be remembered and valued. pic.twitter.com/vSYg5VSyuC
— Pune International Film Festival (@piffindia) December 14, 2018
#TulsiRamsay directed several movies in the horror genre during the 80s and the 90s passed away on December 13 at the age of 74.https://t.co/HrPMwhEMF9 pic.twitter.com/iiFnWZJpQO
— Newsroom Post (@NewsroomPostCom) December 14, 2018
Rest In Peace #TulsiRamsay The Indian Roger Corman The father of Indian horror films. Loved all your films growing up. Thanks for the exciting ride. Om Shanti 🙏 pic.twitter.com/HbM6AqtSFl
— Rajiv B Menon (@crypticrajiv) December 14, 2018
Tulsi Ramsay and his six brothers, together known as Ramsay Brothers in the Hindi film industry, started a mini cottage industry of small-budget horror films with scripts which wasted no time on non-essentials: the humans were just an excuse for the parade of colourful, crass otherworldly creatures.
In an interview with Stardust in 2014, Tulsi had said, “People want a complete thaali. You have to add everything to the film, a little bit of action, romance, song and even sex. You can’t have a completely dark film. They need a break from the horror too.”
Zee Horror Show was also directed by Tulsi Ramsey. Zee TV was launched in the early 90s and this horror show became one of their flagship products. In many ways, this show started the trend of horror episodics on Indian TV. It was only after Zee Horror Show’s success that other channels jumped on the bandwagon.