Bollywood Nights

In The New Vampire’s Handbook, we devote a chapter to the topic of diversity among vampires.

That’s because until recently, vampires were almost always portrayed in the popular conscience as pasty, old, Romanian men. While this provided excellent cover for non-white, non-male vampires of all ages, it’s an absolute falsehood. Vampires come in every color of the rainbow, of every gender and nationality imaginable.

So while India may not be the first place you think of when you think “vampire”, it’s no surprise that a rich and varied vampire tradition exists there. This link to the 1990 film Bandh Darwaza (thanks to Blog of Dracula, where they took the time to find the fantastic film poster) features a western style vampire in a decidedly Bollywood setting. While the real vampires of India can be quite different from those of the West, there are plenty of unmistakeable similarities to remind us that at the end of the day, we’re all part of one big, happy blood-drinking, undead, vampire family.

Which of these creatures do you think best resembles the traditional “Western” vampire? And which would you non-vampires least like to meet along a rural Indian roadside?