Why Manichitrathazhu remains the gold standard in horror — Shobana’s Nagavalli still terrifies, 32 years on

It’s the way her eyes frantically dart.
The graceful, yet frenzied, rhythm of her steps.
The fear she somehow manages to instill in you — more than 30 years later.

Nagavalli lives on.

 You still squirm while watching the song and dance, Oru Murai Vanthu Parthaya.

That’s the lasting power of Manichitrathazhu, starring Shobana, Mohanlal, and Suresh Gopi — a psychological thriller, directed by Fazil and written by Madhu Muttam, that has spawned numerous remakes and retellings. Some commendable.

None quite matching the original.

Bollywood turned it into a franchise with Bhool Bhulaiyaa, but truth be told, Nagavalli could devour a dozen Monjulikas for breakfast.

So, turn back time. To the '90s. And lose yourself in Manichitrathazhu.

In this film, a young couple moves into an ancestral mansion rumoured to be haunted. The locals are uncomfortable about it.

But Nakulan and Ganga are rational, logical people. They dismiss the veiled warnings. And, gradually things start going wrong. The relatives, a nervous Unnithan and Dasappan see a woman walking around in the house, her hair dishevelled. It’s Ganga. But is it really, and the answers don’t come easily. We start seeing the story from Ganga’s perspective and revisit the story of Nagavalli, a dancer, who was not allowed to be with her lover, Ramanathan. Is it her spirit possessing Ganga, and that's one of the best tricks that filmmaker Fazil played.

 We experience the same bewilderment as Nakulan. We don’t know what’s real or not. And gradually, as her possession deepens, along with psychiatrist Dr. Sunny Joseph (Mohanlal), we uncover the truth. What unfolds is a gripping psychological thriller that blurs the lines between folklore and mental illness, anchored by Shobana’s unforgettable, National Award-winning performance.

 The film has several standout moments: One being, where  Nakulan is compelled to provoke Ganga, and she shows demonic strength. It’s in that terrifying, possessed gaze — one that no actor in the remakes has ever come close to replicating.

Nagavalli lives.
And Manichitrathazhu still reigns.