'Katakasha’ set for release on June 21

Director Abu Aleeha hopes to inspire aspiring film-makers with his upcoming horror film

LAHORE: Upcoming psychological thriller Katakasha is all set to hit theatres across Pakistan on June 21 and the team behind it is elbows deep in preparing for the film’s much-awaited release. A social media campaign is already well underway and cinema-owners have been advertising Katakasha at their premises for a while.

Katakasha revolves around the presence of evil spirits in our world and all the different legends people associate with them. It also alleges that those suffering from psychological disorders become their own victims in that they create false stories about djinns, witches and other paranormal creatures to explain their experiences.



The film follows a group of four co-workers who are asked to go and visit a haunted place as part of their jobs. The main message Katakasha attempts to convey is that stories about supernatural beings are merely the result of human fears growing to an extreme. Actors Saleem Meraj, Kasim Khan, Kiran Tabir, Mubeen Gabol and Nimra star in the production, which has been written and directed by Abu Aleeha both.

PHOTO:FILE

“First of all, I want to clarify that Katakasha is not a big budget film. If anything, we have made it on with very modest finances but made sure to use the newest technologies for it,” Aleeha told The Express Tribune. “But the key factor is that I made this film with an average amount of money and the reason I am reiterating that is because there are many youngsters in Pakistan who want to venture into film-making but don’t have the money to do so. I want Katakasha to be an example to them; to show them that it is possible to make a good film on a small budget.”

The film-maker went on to point out that money does not guarantee a film’s success at the box office. “In recent times, there have been a number of local productions that had huge budgets but flopped at the box office. They didn’t attract the public or maybe, got caught up in some internal film industry warfare,” Aleeha explained. “There have been films that had millions and millions of rupees invested into them but what they earned upon release did not even come up to half of that! And the reason is simple: We are not good with financiers and producers.”

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According to the director, there was a stark need for the Pakistani film industry to try something new and different and of course, help encourage aspiring newcomers to come forth. “We must mentally support newcomers. We must show them that with good planning and an honest approach, one can deliver good results,” Aleeha said. “That’s why, I am hopeful that Katakasha will be a good addition to recent Pakistani releases and inspire youngsters. It is also my humble request that people don’t compare my film to other mega budget productions. Katakasha is a horror film that is only competing with other local horror films.”

Aleeha also clarified that Katakasha does not draw inspiration from any other film, local or international, horror or otherwise. “It is not a copy of anything. I have made my film after reading many, many horror stories and hearing about many, many incidents so it is very original and pure. Everyone has done their best for Katakasha and I hope that our hard work pays off.”

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