Irony can go no further. The pasha of spook Shyam Ramsay who made a booming career out of directing B-grade horror films in the 1970s and 80s and gave the horror-genre in India the legitimacy of a cult industry has suddenly found a saviour in Ram Gopal Varma.

Out of favour after Dhund The Fog launched tv star Amarr Upadhyay as a horror of another kind, Shyam Ramsay was in oblivion until Varma's Phoonk came out of the cold to warm up the horror genre all over again.

And now Ramsay is all charged to revive his romance with the scare-fests.

Ramu got a surprise call from Shyam Ramsay asking if they could meet.

Says Ramu, "I immediately agreed. I'm a big fan of his work. In fact my love for horror comes from watching Shyam Ramsay's films. I wouldn't have made Raat, Bhoot, Phoonk and Agyaat if it wasn't for the Ramsay films like Darwaza and Aur Kaun."

Ramu met Ramsay and the two will now be working together.

"Shyam Ramsay seems to feel that Phoonk has revived the horror genre. That's really ironical. Nor only are the Ramsay films my inspiration for Phoonk, I'm also a complete non-believer in the supernatural. Isn't it ironical that a non-believer should make a success out of a supernatural theme?"

What really saddened Ramu was to know that Ramsay had almost given up on the horror genre. "He told me he made and released one of his typical horror flicks Ghutan six months ago. It met with a very cold response at the boxoffice.

The success of Phoonk has given him a new hope. He now wants me to produce a horror film that he will direct. I am all for it. After all if I'm the terror specialist I need support to keep the house of horrors going, " jokes Ramu.

Adds Shyam Ramsay, "Yes I did meet Ramuji. We had a very interesting conversation. And I'll be directing a horror film for him."

Shyam Ramsay's Horrror List

Andhera (1975), Darwaza (1978), Dahshat, Sannata, Hotel (1980), Purana Mandir (1984), Purana Haveli (1989), Mahakaal (1993)