Aruna-Vikas basically refers to the wife-husband team of Aruna Raje and Vikas Desai, who worked together in a big way (including writing, directing and editing) over 3 feature films – Shaque (1976), Gehrayee (1980) and Sitam (1982). Sometime after this, they divorced and while Vikas was for most practical purposes never heard of again, Aruna directed sporadically – Rihaee (1988), Bhairavi (1996), Tum (2004) – but her solo “woman director” output never produced any truly interesting material.

But still, they have in Shaque and Gehrayee two bonafide indigenous examples of the noir and horror genres, respectively. I haven't seen their last collaboration Sitam, apparently about the history of an asylum inmate, but these 2 are discussion-worthy:

SHAQUE aka SUSPICION

Shaque is a noir whodunit where the mystery is secondary to the gray shades and emotional states its characters go through. Vinod Khanna and Shabana Azmi play a married couple (with a son) whose domestic bliss is shattered when the wife receives a note alleging that her husband's sudden rise to prosperity is the result of a robbery-murder for which another man was wrongfully imprisoned. Her repeated attempts to probe the truth are inter-cut by conflicts with the husband, where he fervently begs her to not rip apart the trust in their relationship.

Shaque's strength is is a brilliant screenplay, with scenes flowing naturally and beautifully dovetailing into each other. The changing dynamic of the close-knit family, the rust of suspicion corroding its foundation, is depicted in a perfectly credible manner; this is solid noir territory. The film also aesthetically incorporates the sensual aspect of marriage, being neither cloyingly bashful nor crude (although the scene where husband and wife make love on the verandah while the police drive up to their shack may not sit well with everyone). While not particularly slick in its look, Shaque moves with vim and is shot with a certain grittiness that aids the immersion factor. The supporting cast of characters is also mostly interesting, the highlight being an excellent turn from Utpal Dutt as an unconventional blackmailer.

With a few last-minute deus ex machina elements the film serves up its denouement, a chase sequence in a tenement. But like all good noirs, it does not rely on climactic twists to prove its worth.

GEHRAYEE aka DEPTH

Not to be confused with the cheesy Feroz Khan starrer Jadu-Tona, Gehrayee was another Exorcist-inspired Indian horror film, quite possibly the best of the lot.

While the bulk of homegrown horror cinema at the time was content to loiter about in creaky cobwebbed feudal mansions with glaring animal trophies, Gehrayee brought horror into the contemporary middle-class home. The victim of the possession is a teenage girl, the apple of the family's eye. Her father (Shreeram Lagoo in an discomfortingly believable performance) acts like a benevolent monarch who does whatever he feels is fit for his loved ones, casting aside their own opinions in that regard. The opening of the film also fore-shadows that some of his other autocratic acts may be responsible for the tragedy that befalls the girl.

The first part of the film makes for a gradual but steady build-up to the main event. When it comes, almost unannounced...WHAM! That particular scene had me absolutely petrified as a kid, and even now sends a solid jolt to the solar-plexus. Padmini Kolhapure who plays the girl was a genuine teen at the time, and between this film and Insaaf ka Tarazu (and later becoming sis-in-law to Shakti “I piss on your havan” Kapoor), I am filled with admiration and astonishment that she didn't end up a crack-addicted schizophrenic. The other great moment is when Amrish Puri as a wiry crazy-eyed tantrik promises to cure the girl but attempts instead to put her up as virgin sacrifice. The story tracks the means, both scientific and religious, that the harried family members adopt to cure the girl and the conflicts arising therein.

Gehrayee remains effective by eschewing any extraneous effects – no tacky make-up or stock footage of lightning – and placing the weight of the narrative squarely on the able shoulders of its performers. It's not all good – there are technical glitches and cringing melodramatic moments, and some scenes, like the rant about the 'rape of the land' are unintentionally campy – but there is sufficient interesting material here to offset the flaws and count this film amongst the tragically few sincere entries for the horror genre in India.