Temple of Doom

Lore & Background

Mola Ram, the Thuggee high priest played by Amrish Puri, is shown holding a human heart during a sacrifice to Kali. He forces Jones to drink a potion, the Blood of Kali, that puts him in a trance, and Jones prepares Willie for sacrifice until Short Round frees him. In the mines, Indy fights the chief guard on a conveyor belt leading to a rock crusher, and the guard is dragged into the crusher. The trio free the children and escape Mola Ram's attempt to drown them.

Reader's Guide

The violent sacrifice scenes, with similar complaints about Gremlins, led Spielberg to suggest a new rating to the MPAA, and the PG-13 rating was introduced two months after the film's release. Kali, a Hindu mother goddess, is portrayed in the film as a demon, in a direct tribute to Gunga Din; scholars have found no evidence that the Thuggee were particularly associated with the worship of Kali.

Did You Know?

• Ben Burtt recorded roller coasters at Disneyland for the sound of the mine cart scene.
• The film's Thuggee cult draws on the 1939 film Gunga Din; historians reject the old portrayal of the Thugs as ritual stranglers who sacrificed their victims to Kali.