Usman Mukhtar's latest offering, Gulabo Rani, has become the talk of the town lately. The short horror film has bagged several accolades internationally, including 4 awards at Independent Shorts Awards in Los Angeles. But, in an interview with Arab News, Mukhtar revealed this journey wasn't a walk in the park.
The director shared that it's challenging to find a “brave” producer in Pakistan who would want to experiment with horror films amid the local industry’s preference for romantic comedies.
“There is room for every kind of genre [in Pakistan] but the problem is, we don’t get producers for such films,” said Mukhtar. “We have made a formula of romantic comedies, so everyone makes that. In between, a brave producer comes up who wants to make a good action film, but we have kept horror at a distance [for a long time]. Nobody wants to experiment with horror.”
The Sabaat actor also revealed that he had no clue his short film would win accolades. He said, "When we were making [the movie], we had no idea we would be sending it to film festivals. Now, we have won nine awards for it." His wife, Zunaira Inam Khan, the co-scriptwriter of Gulabo Rani wanted to take the horror genre seriously. “Horror, as a genre, never seems to be done right in this region [sub-continent],” she told the publication.
Khan also shared that the narrative is based on a real-life incident that inspired Mukhtar towards making horror films. She further added that the "script built upon the incident and has taken creative liberties," but the basic premise is genuine. “It was important to create a film that reflects what a good horror film should [look like]. Not just comedy or jump scares. To remain true to the essence of the story, we wanted to tell and just focus on real, spine-chilling horror,” conveyed Khan .
"The main work of haunting is done by the living," reads the film's tagline. The 35-minute short film follows the life of a young boy who is housed in a dilapidated branch of an old university dorm. Over there, he encounters haunting mysteries, despair, and paranormal entities that change him forever.
The short film stars Usama Javaid Haider, Meiraj Haq, Daniyal Khaqan Afzal, Omer Abdullah Khan and Natasha Humera Ejaz in pivotal roles.
Gulabo Rani will release on YouTube in March 2023 for viewers in Pakistan, as per Arab News.
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