Alisha Priti Kirpalani

 The Ramsays -- Ghosts in our Backyard (paranormal non-fiction)

Seven brothers and two sisters (collectively the Ramsays). Each has his or her own story to tell, each has experienced or been touched by the paranormal -- be it churails, ghosts, spirits - some friendly, others hostile. For the family, the paranormal is normal, in some cases even even healing or bringing closure. The book looks at their personal encounters of the spooky kind.

 

THE HAUNTING OF THE RAMSAYS: The Family’s Real Life Encounters with the Supernatural by Alisha “Priti” Kirpalani

 

Who Am I?

I believe in the spirit world.

I have a trident on my palm.

I was born in a car outside a crematorium.

I am a daughter of the Ramsays, the first family of horror films.

I believe in ghosts because I have seen them.

So has my mother.

So has my daughter.

Who am I?

I am the one who will give voice to the whispers of the world beyond ours.

That world where our loved ones who have passed away watch over us, as the unloved others watch us.

Sometimes the dead reach out, crossing over the impossible. Their souls wander endlessly, some tormented with suffering, some tender with yearning.

Their stories must be told.

They must be heard.

I am their storyteller.

 

Who are The Ramsays?

  In Housefull 4, Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays an exorcist called Ramsay Baba. I watched the Akshay Kumar starrer and realised how much my maternal family, the Ramsays, had contributed to Bollywood. Their name is synonymous with horror, and has been mentioned not just in this film but in others too. Akshay Kumar built his career on the Khiladi films made by Keshu Ramsay and thereafter reached the dizzying heights of superstardom.

  To be remembered over decades as the pioneers of Bollywood horror is a testimony to their achievements. The Ramsays were tagged as B grade film makers. To make films on a limited budget for the masses was their aim and they did not waver from it. They never claimed to be making classics. They wanted to scare people through their films and make money while doing that. They could not have imagined that their films would have a cult following in the future. Sadly, most of the brothers and their father have passed away before they could see the renewed interest in their trademark horror. The surviving ones have the same question on their lips. “Why the interest in us now after all these years?”

 

About the Author:

Alisha ‘Priti’ Kirpalani lives in Mumbai along with her husband, two daughters, one cat and over a hundred board games. Her journey with words started after she won a creative writing contest in college, an undisclosed number of decades ago. This was followed by a degree in English Literature, a short stint as a reporter and later as a copywriter.

From full- length novels to blogging to micro-fiction, she is known for the impeccable language and insightful nature of her writing. Alisha was selected as a top writer in feminism for her blog on Medium.

She is the author of ‘Out With Lanterns’ and ‘A Smattering of Darkness”. Her latest book,  “Ghosts In Our Backyard- The Ramsays’ real-life encounters with the supernatural”, published by HarperCollins, is her foray into non-fiction.