Purana Mandir 1984

Two centuries ago, the royal procession of Raja Harimaan Singh [Trilok Kapoor] of Bijapur becomes stranded near Kali Pahari, where his daughter, Princess Rupali [Vishakha Chotu], vanishes near the lair of the devil-worshipper Samri [Anirudh Agarwal]. The princess wanders into the ruins of an old fortress and is promptly captured by Samri. He mesmerises her, draining her life-force as her eyes turn white and his own eyes gleam blood red. The Raja catches Samri in the act and orders him captured.

During his trial, the rajpurohit (royal priest) suggests burning Samri to purify the soul, but the Raja imposes a harsher sentence: Samri is to be decapitated, the head buried behind the old temple at Kalighat, and the body sealed in a secret chamber within the Raja’s haveli, with the head kept in a strong-box. Samri hurls a curse that echoes across the centuries:

So long as my head is away from my body, every woman in your line shall die at childbirth; and when my head is rejoined to my body, I will arise and wipe out every living person in your dynasty.

Decades pass, the princely states merge into the Indian republic, and the great-great-grandson Thakur Ranvir Singh [Pril?—I mean Pradeep Kumar] now resides in the city. (Note: Ranvir Singh’s life branches from the old royal bloodline and the curse that shadows it.) In the course of history, Ranvir’s wife dies during the birth of their daughter, Suman [Arti Gupta].

In the present day, Suman is a college student with a boyfriend, Sanjay [Mohnish Behl], though the Thakur disapproves of their romance because Sanjay is not of royal birth. Suman remains unaware of the curse, and Sanjay remains steadfast by her side. When the Thakur finally yields to the truth of the legend, it becomes clear that the curse has haunted their family for 200 years, and the couple resolves to confront it.

Driven by love and duty, Suman and Sanjay travel to Bijapur, joined by Anand [Puneet Issar] and his girlfriend Sapna [Priti Sapru Walia]. Back at the haveli, a painting of Raja Harimaan Singh seems to watch over Suman, and the eerie likeness of Samri appears through the painting. Anand and Sanjay break through the wall behind the painting and uncover the strong-box that holds Samri’s head, hoping to put an end to the terror.

But fate has other plans. Sanga [Satish Shah], treasure-hunting in the mansion, stumbles upon Samri’s head and is entranced by its power, forced to bring the head to the body behind the old temple. The head reattaches to the body in a gruesome ritual, and Samri returns, more dangerous than ever, as he begins his murderous rampage to eliminate the descendants of Raja Harimaan Singh.

Chaos and tragedy follow as many townspeople fall at Samri’s hands, and Anand and Sapna meet horrific fates. Durjan [Sadashiv Amrapurkar] has moved the sacred trishul to a different location within the haveli, complicating the plan to confront the demon. The people seek refuge at the temple, performing aarti to Lord Shiva, hoping for divine aid.

Divine guidance arrives for Sanjay, who senses the trishul holds the key to checking the monster. Returning to the haveli with Suman, they discover the weapon—though Durjan had shifted it again—forcing a tense pursuit through corridors of memory and fear. In the climactic moment, Sanjay traps Samri in a coffin and, with the trishul in hand, drags him out to the village square beside the old temple. A hastily built pyre is raised, and Samri is burned alive, breaking the centuries-old curse. In the end, Suman and Sanjay celebrate their victory by choosing to marry, sealing the light after generations of darkness.