Before Ram Gopal Varma, Vikram Bhatt and co took over, Bollywood horror was associated with only one name - Ramsay Brothers. Those who have grown up on movies from '80s and '90s will be familiar with the work of Ramsay Brothers, whose blend of horror and sex managed to bring in the crowds even though no trade experts would want to talk about them. Sadly, Shyam Ramsay, considered as the head of the seven brothers group, is no more. Shyam Ramsay, Known for Directing Cult Horror Films, Dies in Mumbai Hospital.

The director of cult films like Darwaza, Purana Mandir, Veerana, Tahkhana etc passed away early morning of September 18 at the age of 67. His nephew, Keshu Ramsay had confirmed the news to the media outlets. As per reports, the director was suffering from pneumonia and was not keeping well for the past few days.

Ramsay Brothers may not be as prolific these days as they used to be a couple of decades back, mostly because they couldn't adapt themselves to the current cinematic sensibilities. But they held the monopoly of making horror movies in the '80s and early '90s, when other filmmakers were wary of touching the genre. Sure, most of their films are filled with common staples like having a haunted haveli, a Frankenstein-like monster, bad makeup, a chudail, a tantrik (mostly played by Lagaan fame Rajesh Vivek) and a climax set in a temple. Not to mention, some intimate lovemaking sequences. And these movies became quite the cult favourites, including with filmmakers like Ram Gopal Varma. Most of the films were directed by Shyam and his brother Tulsi. Yeti Sighting in India: From Smallfoot to Ajooba Kudrat Ka, Here Are 5 Films That Revolved Around the Mythical Creature.

As we pay respects to the departed director, let's look at the seven iconic movies that the Ramsay Brothers gave us, that you should not miss if you are a fan of cheesy horror.

Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche

Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche

The movie that broke the Ramsay Brothers into fame, Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche came out in 1972 and was a tale of deceit and betrayal. And yeah, it is also about a scientist who returns as a zombie to kill his philandering wife and everyone involved in his death.

Darwaza

Darwaza

Anil Dhawan, director David Dhawan's elder brother, who was last seen in the brilliant AndhaDhun, had collaborated with Ramsay Bros in quite a few movies. The first of which was Darwaza, which was a hit at the box office, and was filled with usual Ramsay ingredients.

Purana Mandir

Purana Mandir

Mohnish Bahl played the lead in this iconic horror movie that also made the supernatural entity Saamri (Anirudh Agarwal) very popular and the face of Ramsay movies. Pradeep Kumar, Puneet Issar, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Satish Shah and Jagdeep are also part of the cast.

Saamri

Saamri

A Ramsay horror movie that too in 3D! Saamri brings back Anirudh Agarwal as the scary monster in a movie named after his famous character, that works as a horror revenge drama.

Purani Haveli

Purani Haveli

Ramsay Brothers' obsession with decrepit buildings and the supernatural beings hidden in the shadows continues with Purani Haveli. Deepak Parashar and Amita Nangia play the leads in the film, which also stars Satish Shah, Vijay Arora, Anil Dhawan and Neelam Mehra.

Veerana

Sahila Chaddha in Veerana

Veerana is most remembered for the beautiful Sahila Chaddha as the possessed girl who kills men in her village. Some popular names in the cast involve Tarzan fame Hemant Birje, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Gulshan Grover, Satish Shah, Vijay Arora, and Vijayendra Ghatge.

Zee Horror Show

Zee Horror Show

One of the earliest shows that were associated with Zee TV, Zee Horror Show is perhaps the first horror series to grace on Indian television. The Ramsay Brothers bring most of their popular trademarks into the show, whose signature tune is still very popular.

Zee Horror Show has some memorable episodes that are still scary like Khauff, Saaya, Dastak, Raat, Darr et al. The show ran for 9 years, though its name was later changed as Anhonee. A couple of years back, the show returned for a sequel, but it didn't work well.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 18, 2019 01:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).