No, 1920 is neither based on a real story nor a retelling of true events. 1920 is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language supernatural horror film written and directed by Vikram Bhatt. Produced by ASA Productions and Enterprises Private Limited, the movie stars debutants Rajneesh Duggal and Adah Sharma in the lead roles, with Indraneil Sengupta and Anjori Alagh in supporting roles.
1920 is a fictional supernatural film based on the themes of evil spirit, possession and exorcism. These themes impart a realistic touch to the plot. However, the story is imaginary and not rooted in any documented historical event.
Plot Summary
The story is set in 1920 British India. Arjun Singh Rathod, a talented architect and a devout Hindu who recites Hanuman Chalisa daily, falls in love and marries Lisa, a Christian woman of mixed British-Indian heritage. Arjun’s wealthy family opposes the marriage and even try to burn Lisa alive. An enraged Arjun renounces both his family and religion.
The couple moves to Palampur where Arjun is hired by a wealthy businessman to transform a grand old manor into a luxury hotel. From the moment they arrive in the manor, Lisa hears strange noises and feels watched. As supernatural events escalate, Lisa consults a Church priest who warns of an evil presence in the house.
Lisa is soon possessed by a malevolent spirit. The entity is violent and superhuman. Despite being an atheist, Arjun is forced to confront the reality. Through investigations, he discovers a horrifying truth. The manor belonged to Rai Bahadur. During the revolt of 1857, his daughter Gayatri sheltered a wounded soldier named Mohan Kant. Mohan Kant was eventually unmasked as a British spy and hanged by Gayatri’s father. In his dying moments, Mohan cursed Gayatri, vowing to claim her in the afterlife.
It is revealed that Gayatri is reborn as Lisa. At this point, Arjun rediscovers his faith and carries out the exorcism of Lisa by reciting Hanuman Chalisa. His faith and love overpowers the evil spirit, freeing Lisa.
Possible Inspirations
1920 has probably been loosely inspired by the classic 1973 movie, The Exorcist. Like Lisa in 1920, Linda Blair’s character in The Exorcist behaves in much the same way, such as body contortions, whitened face, alternate voice and floating in mid air. The exorcism ritual in the movie mirrors that in the 1973 classic movie.
Director Vikram Bhatt conducted extensive research into the real-life accounts of hauntings and poltergeists to develop the story and atmosphere for the movie.