Omar Ali Khan, Director

It had always been my intention to make a film from fairly early on in life. I had already directed a series of horror shorts and had also studied film at Emerson College in the States. The interest and desire has always been there but the opportunity never really materialized until affordable digital equipment made it finally possible to produce a film without ending up on the streets with a begging bowl. That also gave my team and me the ability to shoot on a completely independent basis with no interference. Making a movie for me was something that had to happen at some stage; not doing so would have left far too many questions unanswered.

I’ve always been attracted to horror films ever since I started the movie watching experience as a toddler. I was blown away as a kid watching Margaret Hamilton in The Wizard of Oz on TV, and since then it’s been a steady diet of movies, with a strong emphasis on suspense and horror along the way. I blame my parents for this affliction - must have been something they did to me as a child that has left me with this insatiable appetite for horror films. Now it’s a habit that just won’t go away, so I have learned to live with it rather than fight it! And so when I made my first feature, it just had to be a horror film.

There have been but a handful of horror films made in Pakistan over the years. These have mostly featured fanged or hairy creatures of the night. The most recent have only been in the Pashto language. They are essentially mind-boggling stuff equally horrible as horrifying. Nothing along the lines of ‘modern’ horror has been attempted thus far before Zibahkhana – Hell’s Ground.

We put the word out in the TV circles, in Lollywood and on the local theatre scene and held screen tests and auditions in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi and finally again in Islamabad to discover our cast and crew. The cast turned out to be a blend of seasoned veterans and fresh undiscovered talent. Working with the young actors involved in the film rekindled my hope in the youth of the country which had all but faded away. They were an exceptionally bright and likeable bunch of kids and their enthusiasm and attitude were infectious. Our crew of helpers were also tireless and their spirit and sense of fun helped to revive us when energy levels were dropping to an alarming low. The whole experience was an interesting example of how people come together as one when under siege. There were copious tear shedding when the shoot was over and people said their goodbyes. The re-shoot was amusing, as much of our cast and crew treated it like one big reunion party and were almost disappointed that it was not going to be the same all-night madness as the initial shoot.

The shoot was spread over four weeks in the worst heat of summer. What I can say is that it was the most physically and mentally draining experience of my life. It was very tough and we had more than a few cases of people passing out from heat stroke and stress. Plus the flash floods from the rain would destroy the sets and the generator truck would get stuck in several feet of mud. Fortunately there were no major mishaps other than an outbreak of dengue fever and the director nearly being electrocuted to death on the very first night’s shoot (I still wake up in a cold sweat thinking of that near miss!). Also, one of our prop makers developed a gangrenous leg that turned him into the Incredible Melting Man…I initially thought of casting him hastily, but then felt we ought to send him off to hospital as amputation loomed. Also, the script called for a lot of night shooting and sitting for hours in the jungle being gradually enveloped by bugs and cockroaches was pretty much a horror film in itself. A hot shower, a chilled air-conditioned room and a bed had never been more inviting. But unfortunately we were often shooting until four or five in the morning and then straight into preparation for the next day. All this gave an edge and intensity to the performances that I think really helps the film – although I wouldn’t recommend it as a directorial approach! Let’s just say it was a long way from Hollywood!

Horror films present their own set of challenges like all genre films and some of those challenges (special effects, make up) might be too daunting for many aspiring film makers to want to overcome. But who knows, there might be a budding Romero, Hooper or Carpenter out there buzzing with ideas, waiting to land a contract with Bubonic Films!!!

Initial reactions to the first few private screenings have been off the wall, resembling a mini riot more than a cinema audience but in a totally positive way. The youth appear to connect with events on screen in an unbelievable way. After an enormous struggle we actually managed to get the film certified by the Pakistani Censor Board and then followed a long struggle for distribution. This was a very prickly issue as the film format is on HDV and not 35mm film. Cinemas in Pakistan are not yet equipped to screen films in a format other than 35mm but nevertheless we managed to strike a deal and set up a digital projector! In Rawalpindi the film ran without any publicity for 10 weeks while most had not even expected 10 days. I am hoping for similar success in other cities as well. I am particularly fascinated to see how they will react to something totally unrecognizable from the commercial cinema they have been weaned on. I am not sure the film will be easily digested by the more traditional, conservative local audiences. That’s not to demean the public or the film, it’s just that people are comfortable with what they are used to and change is always going to challenge that comfort zone. I am glad to add that at one of the screenings that I attended incognito, the audience appeared to be squirming and laughing in all the right places! It is a film squarely targeting the urban youth and of course horror fans and those with a curious itch. If Om Shanti Om celebrated the often cheesy wonders of Bollywood in the 70s then Zibahkhana – Hell’s Ground is a celebration of the great “Slasher Movie” era with a healthy dose of Lollywood along the way.

Internationally, the film has now played at several Film Festivals and been received warmly by the horror community on the whole. Reviewers have been very generous; especially those with a horror orientation and the film is set for a June 24th release on DVD in the States. The film is also set to screen at the Osian’s Film Festival in New Delhi this coming July.

One is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Khuda Kay Liye (KKL) in terms of distribution in India, even though KKL is a big budget affair with corporate backing while Zibahkhana – Hell’s Ground is as Indie as they get. Still, despite people in India getting more and more accustomed to slick, expensive movies, we reckon Zibahkhana – Hell’s Ground has the potential to click with audiences and the urban youth in particular.

In so many ways, the format, content, style and orientation of the film has been designed to seriously shock the local cinema industry that has all but died of decay and redundancy. Hopefully, Zibahkhana – Hell’s Ground will one day pave the way for further low-budget indie projects that delight in breaking from the norm and strive in doing something creative and original.