Horror films in Pakistan thorughout the decades

Back in the 60s, the peak years of the Pakistani film industry, Mubarak Malik’s “Deewana” hit the theatres as the country’s first sci-fi horror film which had some resemblance with two of the Hollywood’s classic horror movies, The Spiral Staircase and The Invisible Man. Shortly after that, the Pakistani audience witnessed their very own version of Dracula in Khwaja Sarfraz’s “Zinda Laash” in 1967.

While the horror movies in the west rely heavily on graphic violence, gore, monsters, and disturbing images to evoke terror and fear among the viewers, the Pakistani horror genre, on the other hand, comes with a melodramatic plot featuring very human-like ghosts, living a very human-like lifestyle. The concept of supernatural and extra-human is often attributed to certain religious and cultural practices in South Asia; the reason why the stories of the djinn, ghosts, and other errant spirits are quite compelling to the local audience.

However, be it the lack of equipment, limited budget and resources, religious limitations, and content constraints, the sci-fi horror genre failed to thrive during the downfall of the local film industry during the 70s and 80s.

It was not until 1989 that Saeed Rizvi gifted us with another sci-fi movie “Shaani”, the first-ever film with special effects in Pakistan. “Shaani” starred the veteran actors Babra Sharif, Muhammad Ali, and Sheri Malik in the lead and became widely popular for being one of a kind. Later in 1994, Saeed Rizvi directed and produced “Sarkata Insan”, the Pakistani sci-fi horror action musical drama film. These two films aided in the mini-revival of the local film industry in the 90s, but it was short-lived.

In the new millennium, the horror genre in Pakistan also transformed gradually and we witnessed different trends. The Pakistani slasher film “Zibahkhana” was released in 2007 with Omar Khan at the helm. The film also premiered at the NatFilm Festival in Denmark and was screened at various festivals worldwide.

Azfar Jafri’s “Siyaah” came in as Pakistan’s first independent mainstream horror movie in 2013 but unfortunately, couldn’t live up to the expectations, despite having a surreal plot. The first Pakistani psychological thriller “Hotal” was released in 2014 as the first Hindi feature film outside Bollywood. The film was written and directed by Khalid Hasan Khan and bagged the award for Best Film at the 3rd Delhi International Film Festival. Moreover, Meera, the lead actress in the film was honored with the  Best Actress Award. Unfortunately, the “Hotal” did not perform well at the Pakistani box office and turned out to be a big flop.

The following year, we came across Jawad Bashir’s directorial debut “Maya”, however, the film neither did well at the box office nor was able to win the audience. With a cast of emerging actors including Ayaz Samoo, Shehzeen Rahat, and Danial Afzal Khan, Emran Hussain presented us with a “one-of-a-kind” supernatural horror film in 2016, titled “Aksbandh”.

In 2018, when the stakeholders of the Pakistan entertainment industry joined forces to uplift local cinemas, Syed Atif Ali’s “Pari” was expected to be the pioneer of the modern horror genre however, the film was unable to leave the desired impact. We came across another psychological horror film in 2019, titled “Kataksha”. The Saleem Meraj starrer flick lacked what it takes to make a sound horror movie that we are still waiting to see in Pakistan.

However, with the emergence of new filmmakers, the future of the Pakistani horror genre looks brighter than ever. Where rom-coms rule the local cinemas, it will take more than financial freedom —- a good script, high-quality graphics, special effects, prosthetic makeup, and technical staff —- to come up with a movie that will revolutionize the sci-fi and horror genre in Pakistan.

Usman Mukhtar’s upcoming short horror film “Gulabo Rani” is one such project in the pipeline with the potential of raising the bars high for all future horror flicks. Written by Adil Mudar, the film has a cast of emerging stars including Usama Javed Haider, Meiraj Haq, and Danial Afzal.

The multi-talented Usman Mukhtar has not only proven his mettle as an actor but his award-winning short film “Bench” was also screened at the Cannes International Independent Film Festival.

“I have always loved acting but it was about time I went behind the screen and took charge of the camera”, Mukhtar shared in a press statement while talking about Gulabo Rani.

The poster of his upcoming horror film is also making rounds, featuring three boys, each with a distinctive but super-creepy look that seems amusing at the same time. According to Usman Mukhtar, “Gulabo Rani” is a blend of both horror and comedy and he simply cannot wait for its release.

“There were moments of extreme horror and then moments where we all just cracked up laughing. So, the chemistry between the entire crew was just amazing and I can’t wait for everyone to see this true labor of love that we have prepared for you all”, he added.

Looks like we are in for a totally different ride with a horror-comedy movie which is a rare sight in the local cinema. Given that Usman Mukhtar has never disappointed the audience or the critics with any of his projects so far, we are looking forward to his upcoming short film which is expected to be released soon.