Media Magick

The genre of Horror in Pakistani cinema is still an unexplored territory. From Zinda Laash and Sar Katta Insaan to Pari, very few horror films have been released in Pakistani cinema. This is probably because Horror genre doesn’t cater to masses, in Pakistan. Abu Aleeha deserves pat on the back for debuting his directorial career with Kataksha which is, according him, a psychological horror flick. Keeping in mind Kataksha is the very first attempt by Abu Aleeha and it features a fairly fresher cast with critically acclaimed actor Saleem Mairaj in pivotal roles; let’s see what this Pakistani Horror film has in store for its viewers.

Trailer: Kataksha

The story of Kataksha revolves around four individuals (a producer, tv reporter, camera man and a driver) who want to shoot a footage of Kataksha which has a significance in Hindu mythology. Every character carries a burden of their own and is fighting in the world where only the fittest can survive. What happens on that journey to Kataksha, what they experience and how their lives change is all what Kataksha is all about.

First things first, Kataksha is an Indie film. Within the budget of approximately 9,800,000 PKR the entire film is made. One should appreciate writer and director of Kataksha, Abu Aleeha, to come up with an unusual genre with probably a limited audience, as horror films aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. As an Indie film, Kataksha has its ups and it would have been a lot impactful if the run-time could have been chopped a little i.e. by 15 minutes or so.

Direction is effective and the way Abu Aleeha has worked on the entire set is fairly decent for a first-timer. Especially the night scenes around the Kataksha and Hanumaan Mandir are quite engaging along with the ones where Saleem Mairaj and Kiran Tabier are discussing Karl Marx. The phone call which Kasim Khan receives is nicely done and signifies the emotional quotient of mother’s instincts.

Performance wise, Saleem Mairaj impresses. Saleem Mairaj has been seen in many films but in Kataksha he is playing one of the main leads and he carries it with gusto from first frame till the last. Kiran Tabier is effective and in a few scenes she excels naturally. Ditto for Namrah Shahid. Kasim Khan has potential; he was last seen in Thora Jee Le; he just needs to select good roles.

There’s definitely room for improvement but Kataksha is definitely a onetime watch to explore how Pakistani filmmakers handle the horror genre.