Kumar Ramsay, eldest of the Ramsay brothers, dies at 85

Kumar Ramsay, the eldest of the seven Ramsay brothers — siblings who wrote, produced and directed a series of successful and iconic horror films in the 1970s and 1980, died of a cardiac arrest at his Mumbai residence at the age of 85. He is survived by his wife Sheela and sons Gopal, Raj and Sunil.

Gopal told the news agency Press Trust of India (PTI), “He passed away due to cardiac arrest, today morning around 5:30 am. He passed away very quietly. The funeral will take place around 12 pm. We are waiting for the priest to arrive.”  

Kumar was instrumental in the success of the Ramsay brothers’ instantly recognizable brand of cinema, which combined elements from Indian folklore with those of the gothic spookfests of the United Kingdom's Hammer Film Productions and vividly coloured giallo potboilers of Italy.

He penned the script of various horror films including Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche (1972), Andhera (1975), Darwaza (1978), Saamri (1985), Purana Mandir (1984), Saaya (1989) and Kaali Ganga (1990). He also wrote their rare non-horror suspense drama Khoj (1989), which starred Rishi Kapoor, Kimi Katkar, Naseeruddin Shah and Danny Denzongpa, and produced Aur Kaun? (1979) and Telephone (1985). 

Kumar was the son of the late FU Ramsay, the first person from the family to dabble in the film production business.

Tulsi Ramsay: The man who kickstarted horror in Indian cinema

The rest of FU Ramsay's children are Keshu, Tulsi, Karan, Shyam, Gangu and Arjun. Kumar's younger brothers Keshu, Tulsi and Shyam died in 2010, 2018 and 2019 respectively.