Manichitrathazhu (1993)

Nakulan and his wife Ganga come from Calcutta to stay at his family's old tharavad in Kerala, ignoring warnings about a locked room where, legend says, the spirit of Nagavalli, a dancer wronged by a cruel king, is imprisoned. Ganga is fascinated by the room, and soon strange, frightening things begin to happen in the house. Nakulan calls in his friend Dr Sunny, a psychiatrist with unconventional methods, who arrives full of jokes but sees more than anyone else. Manichitrathazhu ("The ornate lock") is regarded as one of the greatest Malayalam films. Shobana won the National Award for Best Actress, and it was remade as Apthamitra in Kannada, Chandramukhi in Tamil and Bhool Bhulaiyaa in Hindi. Parts were shot at the Padmanabhapuram Palace and the Hill Palace at Tripunithura.