Urmila Matondkar on 20 years of Bhoot: ‘It was a role that not many would have dared’

Considered one of Bollywood’s spookiest films, Ram Gopal Verma’s Bhoot - starring Urmila Matondkar, Ajay Devgn, Nana Patekar, Rekha, Fardeen Khan, Seema Biswas and Tanuja - released on May 30, 2003. As the movie completes 20 years of release, Urmila takes a walk down memory lane. 

The horror film became an instant hit at the box office, with Urmila’s performance as a ‘spirit-possessed wife’ being widely appreciated by the audience and critics alike. In 2012, the director released the sequel to Bhoot - a 3D horror film, titled Bhoot Returns, starring Manisha Koirala, JD Chakravarthy, Madhu Shalini and Alayana Sharma. The original film was also dubbed in Telugu as 12 Va Anthasthu and remade in Tamil as Shock.

Urmila - who also won several awards for her role in the film - got a bit nostalgic on Tuesday about the film clocking two decades. The actress reshared Instagram stories from her fans remembering the film. While the first picture showed Urmila speaking on stage after receiving an award for Bhoot, the second image was a collage of snapshots of the actress’ crop-hair look from the movie. The actress also shared a reel of the same, and captioned it: 20 years of “Bhoot”. Thank you for all your love n adulation..it took lots of guys to put myself out there in a role that not many would’ve dared. But I could do it only because of my tremendous trust in all of you 🙏🏻❤️ Reel - @iyanamjad”.

Bhoot narrates the story of a couple - Vishal (Ajay) and Swati (Urmila) - who move into a new apartment. Not long after that, they discover that the apartment is haunted by a vengeful spirit, leading to terrifying events. Eventually, the ghost possesses Swati, sending her into a frenzy. The movie is known for its atmospheric horror, suspenseful storytelling and effective use of sound and visuals.