Dawn Images

In a cinematic landscape often dominated by romance and comedy, Deemak emerges from the shadows as a genre-defying horror film that dares to probe deeper.

Released this Eid, the film blends eerie visuals with emotional depth, aiming to unsettle not just through jump scares but through introspection. Director Rafay Rashdi and leading actor Samina Peerzada shared with Dawn Images what makes horror effective — and why Pakistani audiences are more than ready for it.

‘The fear must come from something real’

For Rashdi, horror is at its best when it touches a nerve. “A good horror film isn’t just about scares,” he says. “It’s about tension, emotion, and what’s left unsaid. For me, horror works best when it’s rooted in truth — whether that’s generational trauma, societal fears, or emotional scars. The fear must come from something real.”

It’s this approach that shaped Deemak, a film that doesn’t rely solely on shock value but aims to create what Rashdi calls “a world where the psychological and supernatural blur.”

Special effects as emotional metaphors

From smoky apparitions to scenes of supernatural levitation, the film’s visual effects are more than just spectacle — they’re narrative devices. “In Deemak, VFX wasn’t just decoration — it was storytelling,” says Rashdi. “Samina Peerzada levitating, the smoky apparitions, the decaying environment, they were all metaphors for emotional rot and inner demons.”

Despite budgetary constraints, Rashdi emphasised the importance of visuals that enhance meaning. “We were limited in terms of CGI and budgets, but we did the best we could with Imagine Magic. We also collaborated with international post-production experts who understood that horror must feel real to be terrifying.”

A horror story grounded in truth

Rashdi is confident that local audiences are hungry for horror — particularly stories that reflect their own lives. “There’s a massive appetite for genre cinema in Pakistan,” he says, “but the key is to make horror that resonates with our lived experiences, our folklore, our family dynamics, our taboos. Deemak taps into all of that.”

He sees the recent success of Indonesian horror films at Pakistani cinemas not as competition but as an affirmation of this appetite. “Indonesian horror is brilliant because it’s unapologetically theirs. That inspires me. With Deemak, we wanted to do something similar for Pakistan: create horror that doesn’t borrow, but originates from our own truths.”

‘We dared, now it’s up to the audience’

Veteran actor Samina Peerzada, who returns to the big screen with Deemak, praised the team effort behind the film. “The most difficult part of acting in a horror film is finding the right team,” she says. “I had faith in Rafay Rashdi that he would not let the entire team cross the line. Rafay got a great team together — for special effects, sound, and background score.”

For Peerzada, Deemak is a passion project that asks the audience to meet the filmmakers halfway. “We have made this film with a lot of love. We have dared. Now it’s up to the audience to show us love.”

A horror film with a heart

While the film delivers on the chills, Rashdi says it’s the emotional response from audiences that’s been most rewarding. “People have praised the film not just for its horror, but for its soul, for the performances, the message, and the atmosphere. Many have reached out saying they didn’t expect to cry during a horror film. That means we did something right.”

With Deemak, Pakistani horror takes a leap forward, not by mimicking global trends, but by embracing its own emotional and cultural truth.