Written by: Saman Khalid
Posted on: November 02, 2023 | 
| 中文
Urwa Hocane in Neeli Zinda Hai (Neeli is Alive)
Fall is in full swing and Pakistani netizens, like the rest of the world, are busy loading up on spooky entertainment in order to immerse themselves in the ethereal obscurity of the season. However, the platforms they are tuning into aren’t even remotely local. In fact, foreign content seems to be ruling the day. While this observation may come across as captious, it actually warrants a close examination of the factors that prompted it in the first place. Horror films, across the globe, have become glowing commercial gems, generating a whopping revenue of billions of dollars. It is, without a doubt, a booming industry rife with lucrative opportunities. Be it a cozy sleepover or an unanticipated family gathering, down-time after work or the slow hours of the weekend; scary movies are the go-to hits of that gratifying adrenaline we all crave.
Sara Khan and Amar Khan in Bela Pur Ki Dayan (The Witch of Bela Pur)
All that being said, the pivotal question still holds: where does Pakistani media stand in terms of distilling the potential of this billion-dollar industry? The answer lies in a myriad of determinants.
Perusing the contents of Pakistani television and cinema for horror material is tantamount to finding a needle in a haystack. Over the past decade, no more than ten such pieces have been made. None of them received any significant traction or notable acclaim. It is safe to say that there is a severe dearth of not just the horror category, but also other eclectic genres in the industry. The reason is quite straight-forward, producers are reluctant to experiment. They seem to have concocted the perfect recipe to ensure commercial gains, and thus channels keep cranking out dozens of family dramas, intense love stories and the occasional “social issue” show. The viewers have unwittingly developed a palate for these generic stories, which contributes to the jaded standards of content production and the complacent attitude of producers.
Naveen Waqar, Samina Ahmed and the young girl in Chalawa
It is pertinent to acknowledge that Lollywood underwent a stringent collapse during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Domestic cinema dipped spectacularly on account of the lack of production. Even preceding the lockdown, the state of the film industry was tenuous at best. The Legend of Maula Jutt, that got released in 2023, became the only Pakistani film to gross over Rs. 300 crores. This sum is extremely meagre in comparison to international movie giants. Given such erratic circumstances, investors naturally shy away from taking a leap of faith with unprecedented genres. Even so, the few films that managed to escape this conundrum have a track record of failing. A couple of lucky movies that succeeded at garnering a sizeable audience include Siyaah (Black 2013), Aksband (Trapped Image 2016), Pari (Fairy 2018) and Teri Meri Kahaniyan (Stories, Yours and Mine 2023). Out of this paltry collection, only Aksband boasts a decent IMDB rating of 7.1 stars. ZibahKhana (Hell’s Ground 2007) and In Flames (2023) are two avant-garde films that made a bold attempt to integrate foreign elements into Pakistani horror. However, the exotic references rendered them too enigmatic for the average person, and failed to strike a chord with the masses. These stats are proof that the domain of suspenseful and fearsome content in Pakistan is fundamentally flawed, and is in a dire need of rehaul. What exactly went wrong in the making of these films? Why couldn’t they deliver the desired outcome at the box-office?
An overlooked standout feature of horror is that it accommodates an exorbitant amount of cultural diversity. Every region owns its own set of myths, legends and ubiquitous figures that shape the creation of subsequent films and TV shows. For instance, Indian media focuses heavily on the concept of wandering souls (Aatma) ; whereas Turkish films often center around black magic. Unfortunately, Pakistani content is eclipsed by Indian influences, despite the fact that our own religion and folklore have a throng of multi-faceted ideas to offer. Instead of recycling hackneyed Aatma stories, Pakistani creators should tap into their endemic notions like archaic rituals, the implications of black magic, the evil eye and religious supernatural entities.
Makers need to understand that there is more to horror than aggrandized sound effects, transparent eye-lenses, disheveled hair and oversized white cloaks. Most dramas make a half-baked effort to play up the “scare factor” by using unconvincing graphics and grotesque visuals. This makes for an unsavory optical experience and leaves viewers feeling underwhelmed, or worse, irritated. A good many soap dramas of recent times like Saaya (The Shadow), Jinn Zada (Ghost Child) and Challawa (Poltergeist) suffer from these tropes.
Poster of JinZada
Perhaps the most infuriating quandary of all is the utter betrayal experienced by eager viewers expecting a full-blown terror ride, and receiving a lukewarm show about family politics instead. Several TV dramas have gone down this deceptive route and sold sub-par romantic/sentimental plots in the name of horror. These horrendous shows effectively sideline the focal point in favor of unrelated narratives that no one signed up for. The “horror” scenes are few and far-between, and can barely be labelled as such due to the unrealistic portrayal of paranormal events and misdirected acting. Classic examples include Neeli Zinda Hai (Neeli Is Alive) and Bandish 2 (The Binding 2).
Sania Saeed and Areej Mohyudin in Bandish 2
In spite of the abominable things mentioned, there is definitely a sliver of hope. The television series named Siyah (Black), released by Green TV, stands as a promising testament to the potential of the genre. While not all the episodes are cinematic masterpieces, a few hard-hitting ones make up for them. Unko Chutti Na Mili (They Didn’t Get A Day Off), a two-parter starring Hania Amir came as a breath of fresh air with its eerie ambience, trailblazing concept and jarring camera-work. Bela Pur Ki Dayan (The Witch of Bela Pur), a horror show that aired on HUM TV, also did an impressive job of engineering a macabre atmosphere that genuinely unsettled patrons. Moreover, Bandish 1 (The Binding 1), a novel drama recounting the horrific unravelling of a family, managed to be masterfully disconcerting as well.
Hania Amir as a television reporter in Unko Chutti Na Mili
The fate of horror in Pakistani media is in no way fully sealed. As evidenced by past examples, it only requires a little bit of cultural authenticity and attention to detail in order to embark on exploratory creative ventures. There is no shortage of individual excellence in Pakistan. We are one step in the right direction from taking off into the world of impactful horror.
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