Imtiaz Ali Hoped To Meet Madhubala’s Ghost, Reveals People Wouldn’t Shoot At Her House Because It Was Allegedly Haunted: “I Would Go To The Quietest, Darkest Corners Of That House Alone…”

Imtiaz Ali is a celebrated filmmaker known for his masterful craft and Sufism. The director, basking in the success of his musical biopic Chamkila, starring Diljit Dosanjh, shared an anecdote involving the legendary Madhubala. Ali revealed that some years ago, he was shooting at Madhubala’s house for a project and came to know about stories of haunting. Imtiaz revealed he shot his film in Madhubala’s house’s deepest, darkest corners in hopes of meeting her ghost. It sounds bizarre, but Hindi cinema folklore believes Madhubala’s house is haunted. But is it true?

Recently, director Imtiaz Ali stated that he has given much thought to directing a horror film. But he doesn’t just want to scare people; he wants his film to have depth. He related anecdotes about filming in Madhubala’s former home, which some thought was haunted by her ghost. Imtiaz revealed that he explored the house’s dark corners alone, despite his lack of belief in ghosts. But to his surprise, during those moments, he experienced a mixture of fear and fascination.

During a podcast interview with Ranveer Allahbadia, Imtiaz stated, “Madhubala used to have a house called Kismat Bungalow. It has been reconstructed now. But back in the day, they wouldn’t allow people to film at night, and people generally wouldn’t want to film there at night because they believed that her ghost haunted the place. Who knows if that was true, but that’s what people believed.” He added, “I shot there quite a bit at night. And I would go to the quietest, darkest corners of that house alone, and I used to wonder if Madhubala’s ghost would come. Although I don’t believe in spirits, I remember that feeling. It wasn’t just horror, but something else. There was a sense of awe and romanticism. This is an interesting combination.”