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Zinda
Laash - The Living Corpse*****
*ing Rehan, Deeba, Habib, Rangeela, Yasmeen,
Talish, Nasreen
Directed by Khwaja M Sarfaraz
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Tagline:
The unforgettable human vampire comes to the screen to give you
a breath-taking chill horror
Warning: People who have an irrational, persistent fear or dread
of demons, ghosts or the supernatural may not be permitted to view
this motion picture because of its unusually shocking scenes. |
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In a day and
age where even the mere mention of Lollywood elicits shudders of
contempt, it is a relief to watch a resurrected classic ala Zinda
Laash. Horror film buff and filmmaker Omar Khan decided to bring
this desi gothic classic to life to show what Pakistani cinema was
once capable of - and this effort culminated in the film being screened
recently at the Lahore University of Management Sciences.
Boasting an impressive cast of the stars of yesteryear such as Nasreen
(Salma Agha's mother), Deeba, Habib and our own answer to Christopher
Lee - the exceedingly handsome Rehan - it also has the infamous
Rangeela doing a cameo. Unfortunately these names may not strike
a bell to the new generation, but they are icons of an industry
that was once creative, successful and vibrant and garnered widespread
respect and popularity. Zinda Laash belongs to an age where films
and going to the cinema were very much the norm and diverse subjects
from romance to humour to even horror were explored. Zinda Laash
is a testimony to such creative expression and was an experiment
of boldly delving into an unchartered genre of gothic cinema.
The term
Desi Gothic implies blood, gore, women in burqas spinning spears out
of control (akin to Omar's debut Zibahkhana), yet despite being a
horror classic, the 1967 Zinda Laash lacks all of the above. A remake
of Bram Stoker's renowned Dracula, this Pakistani version is an understated
film that creates horror through actions and facial expression, since
cinema in the 1960s was still in black and white. It may not appeal
or compete with the technical effects that contemporary films of the
same genre have but it certainly, to quote Omar Khan, 'would have
caused a few sleepless nights in its day'. It is also the first Dracula
tale to have been modernized, where the vampire is seen to drive a
car and offer a baby as fodder (a highly contentious issue) to his
fellow vampire friend. |
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It must
have been quite the challenge to create terror without gore,
but Khwaja M Sarfaraz's direction and the actors' meticulously
delivered expressions, lend this film that aura of mystery,
murder and horror.
And it was clearly quite effective since Omar recalls a memorable
moment of the film's release back in the 60s - "a woman
died of fright of watching Zinda Laash at a cinema in Gujranwala!"
The film relies entirely upon the quiet menace that Rehan creates
with an unparalleled finesse through his superbly nuanced acting
skills and the dignified manner in which he walks in that long
black stylishly donned overcoat. He certainly makes a most impressive
Dracula. The film also boasts elaborate stylized sets
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showcase the swinging 1960s and 1970s, grand bungalows and mansions,
sprawling lawns, immaculate suits, boisterous singing, drinking and
dancing. These were all characteristics of a fabulously fashionable
and indulgently decadent era long gone. |
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However,
Zinda Laash does have a few amusing features, like scenes of women
luring men, that are a necessary evil of all films produced in the
subcontinent. But these can be discounted for the seamless flow of
the story, melodious score and the coherence in the direction. The
finesse with which this film has been made leads one to automatically
assume that it must have been pictured in Germany or Prague than in
Murree or Lahore and a critical mind can detect very clear and tangible
elements of German expressionism.
Zinda Laash also has the distinction of being the first ever horror
film to be screened at two major film festivals abroad; the Sitges
Fantastic Film Festival in Spain and the Neuchatel International Festival
of Fantastic Films in Switzerland.
The film has been available abroad since 2003 and was mentioned in
the ten best DVDs of the year in three American publications. The
DVD is a definite collector's item, which features newly filmed interviews
with the cast and crew of the film, as well as a documentary on South
Asian horror films.
Part of our lost filmi heritage, Zinda Laash is needed now more than
ever to provide us with a sense of pride. It is a definite must watch,
particularly for those studying film or gothic literature, or those
without "irrational or persistent fears of ghosts and demons!"
– Zinda
Laash is available on DVD at Hot Spot outlets in Pakistan
– Hani
Taha Salim
*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME |
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