Kohraa - Hindi Film 1964

Kohraa (1964) is a Horror Thriller Bollywood movie released on 08 July 1964 and produced famous Singer and Music Director Hemant Mukherjee. 

Biren Nag directed his second movie after super successful Musical Thriller Bees Saal Baad (1962). Biren Nag earlier worked as Art Director in films like CID (1956), Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960) and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) under Guru Dutt productions.

There is one more film with the same name Kohra released in 1993, featuring Arman Kohli and Ayesha Jhulka in the lead roles.  

Kohraa (1964) Star Cast

Kohraa (1964) features Biswajeet and Waheeda Rehman in lead roles. They were also in the lead role in Bees Saal Baad, debut movie of Biren Nag as a Director.

Lalita Pawar, Tarun Bose, Madan Puri, Asit Sen, Abhi Bhattacharya, Sujit Kumar, Shaukat Azmi, Tehlma, Manmohan Krishna and Badri Prasad played supporting role in the movie.

Kohraa (1964) Movie Plot

Poonam (Thelma) is wife of a very rich man Amit Kumar Singh (Biswajeet). She always adorns her like a newly wedded wife even if while her husband is outside the town.

Poonam received a letter from your ex lover that states to meet him in the evening. However, on the same day someone shots three bullets to make her dead.

After around one year of death of Poonam, Amar Singh meets Rajeshwari (Waheeda Rehman) and falls for her. Rajeshwari too reciprocated positively and they soon get married too.

After marriage, Rajeshwari meets House Keeper “Dai” Maa (Lalita Pawar) who always compares Rajeshwari with late Poonam. Even in parties or local get together everyone talks about Poonam. 

Dai Maa also informs Rajeshwari about the mysterious death of Poonam. She also informs that confesses that she cannot forget Poonam and remains a bit bitter toward Rajeshwari. 

In the meantime, Amit plans a business trip and goes out of town for a few weeks. Rajeshwari remains alone in the big mansion and starts experiencing some mystic encounters. The house appears haunted with the memories of deceased Poonam. 

Initially, Rajeshwari gets shocked but soon recovers from the upset and decides to investigate the mysterious death of Poonam. However, he shockingly comes to know that Amit has killed his wife Poonam after knowing about her extra marital affair with Ramesh (Tarun Bose). It is now believed that Poonam wants to take revenge for her premature death.

Police starts a fresh investigation in the matter and Ramesh becomes an eye witness who saw Amit hiding the dead body of Poonam in jungle.

Kohraa (1964) Music and Soundtracks

Hemant Kumar who produced the movie himself composed the background music and soundtracks for the movie. Kaifi Azmi penned the lyrics of all songs.

Jhoom Jhoom Dhalti Raat – Sung by Lata Mangeshkar

O Bekaraar Dil – Sung by Lata Mangeshkar

Raah Bani Khud Manzil – Sung by Hemant Kumar

Ye Nayan Dare Dare – Sung by Hemant Kumar

Kohraa (1964) Movie Review

After Bees Saal Baad (1962) Hemant Kumar decides to produce Khohraa (1964), another Horror Thriller helmed again by Biren Nag. Druva Chatterjee who also wrote the screenplay for Bees Saal Baad wrote screenplay of Kohraa. 

However, the screenplay of Kohraa was a lazy one and the entire screenplay works like the name of movie Kohraa meaning mist. The movie goes without pace and creates no suspense, which was a main and powerful element in Nag’s previous film. 

The screenwriter has not established certain things. It is beyond imagination why the face of Poonam became unrevealed throughout the movie. 

Unlike Bees Saal Baad reasons for closeness between the lead pair was completely missing. It is strange that Rajeshwari agrees to marry Amit only after a single meeting, which is not common in present days.

Further, unlike the previous one, the director failed to carve out the full potential of Biswajeet and his character remained bowed down in the entire film.

A good Suspense Thriller first needs a tight script and better directions. However, Druva Chatterjee and Biren Nag both fails to maintain their amazing work in Kohraa. They both fail miserably in their respective department. 

The film dejectedly falls short does not create any curiosity about the killer. Slow moving movie stretched out unnecessarily. The director also fails to establish the reason for the trifle role of Sujit Kumar.

Having so much negativity there is certain pros that make the movie watchable. First of all the songs which beautifully sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Hemant Kumar. However, these songs do not lead the movie anywhere and merely make some good moments for the movie.

Acting Review

Biswajeet did not get much screen space and the director failed to take full potential of his acting talent. Waheeda Reman was good enough as usual. Lalita Pawar remains the hidden gem in the movie and get most of the screen space along with Waheeda Rehman and Biswajeet.

Moreover, Manmohan Krishna and Abhi Bhattacharya impress in their short role as Prosecution and Defense Advocates, respectively.

Sujit Kumar was there for a single scene similarly Madan Puri remains there for 2-3 short scenes. Asit Sen also gets a single scene in Police Station. The screen writer does work properly on the roles of each characters and hence it became one of the weak point of the movie.

However, the Story was good and had every latent for converting it into a good script. The movie ran flat for more than 1:45 hours without establishing where to lead.

Climax of Suspense Thriller movies should be shocking, unrevealing and enthusiastic. However, the real killer appeared with a very casual approach and made it more degenerated. 

The movie could become a good one but the meager screenplay did not allow even Biren Nag to convert the same into a good one.

Kohraa (1964) Ratings

Khoraa (1964) is a Suspense-Thriller and IMDB provides a rating of 6.1 out of 10 to the movie. However, Bollywood Product rates it as 4 out of 10 because of its lose script, lazy direction and lethargic pace.

Kohraa (1964) Movie Highlights

• Kohraa did not get commercial success as Biren Nag’s previous Thriller Bees Saal Baad (1962) but should be seen for extraordinary work by Biren Nag.

• Biren Nag could not enjoy the success of Kohraa as such he dies soon after the film releases.

• Thelma played the character of Poonam however; her face remained hidden throughout the movie.