''Zinda Laash'' ( ur, , , Living Corpse) is a 1967 Pakistani Urdu

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

, directed by Khwaja Sarfraz. Produced by Abdul Baqi, it stars Asad Bukhari (Dr. Aqil Harker),

Habib Habib ( ar, حبيب, ''ḥabīb''; ), sometimes written as Habeeb, is an Arabic masculine given name, occasional surname, and honorific, with the meaning "beloved" or "my love", or "darling". It also forms the famous Arabic word ‘''Habibi’'' ...

(Aqil's Brother),

Deeba Deeba ( ur, ), is a Pakistani film actress. She was one of the leading film actresses during the 1960s and 1970s, well known for her romantic and tragic roles in Urdu and Punjabi films. She has received a Nigar Award and Pride of Performance. ...

(Shabnam), Rehan (Vampire), Zareen Panna (Dancer) and Nasreen (Vampire bride). It was the first horror film of

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

, and also the first to be

X-rated An X rating is a rating used in various countries to classify films that have content deemed suitable only for adults. It is used when the violent or sexual content of a film is considered to be potentially disturbing to general audiences. Aust ...

. ''Zinda Laash'' is also known as ''Dracula in Pakistan'' (USA title) and ''The Living Corpse'' (International title).

Plot synopsis

Professor Tabini is experimenting on an elixir that he believes will beat death. When he tries it on himself, however, things don’t work out as planned and he dies. When his assistant finds him no longer among the living, she carries him downstairs and slaps him into the crypt in the basement. Unfortunately for her, he rises from the grave and chomps down on her neck.

Cast

* Asad Bukhari as Dr. Aqil Harker *

as Aqil's brother *

as Shabnam * Rehan as the Vampire * Zareen Panna as the Dancer * Nasreen as the Vampire bride

Inspirations

The plot borrows heavily from

Hammer Horror Hammer Film Productions Ltd. is a British film production company based in London. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic horror and fantasy films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Many of these involve classi ...

Horror of Dracula ''Dracula'' is a 1958 British gothic horror film directed by Terence Fisher and written by Jimmy Sangster based on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel of the same name. The first in the series of Hammer Horror films starring Christopher Lee as Count Dra ...

, in fact there are times when the music even has a noticeable similarity to James Bernard's score. There are some classical themes thrown in as well. "The Barber of Seville" is playing during the car chase scene and some other cues which are eccentric to say the least. Some elements of the plot even come directly from

Bram Stoker Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912) was an Irish author who is celebrated for his 1897 Gothic horror novel '' Dracula''. During his lifetime, he was better known as the personal assistant of actor Sir Henry Irving and busine ...

's novel, not from "Horror of Dracula". Zinda Laash is also referenced in Omar Khan's ''

Zibahkhana ''Zibahkhana'' (English: ''Slaughterhouse'' (literal meaning), ''Hell's Ground'' (English title)) is a 2007 Pakistani Urdu-English slasher film directed by Omar Khan. It premiered at the NatFilm Festival in Denmark and has been screened at festi ...

'', usually termed as its sequel.

Initial release and reception

Zinda Laash was released on 7 July 1967. The film couldn't do great at the box-office and was a flop show.

DVD release

The DVD is available on the Mondo Macabro DVD label from around 2003. Zinda Laash has been restored so well it's hard to believe the film has languished unseen for over thirty years. The Hot Spot has secured Theatrical and Home Video rights to Zinda Laash for the regions of North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand as well as Home Video rights for Pakistan. The film is to be part of The Mondo Macabro series of DVD releases due in the near future and will therefore become the first Pakistani film to be released on DVD.

Film festivals

Zinda Laash also has the distinction of being the first ever horror film to be screened at two major film festivals abroad; the Sitges Fantastic Film Festival in Spain and the Neuchatel International Festival of Fantastic Films in Switzerland.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zinda Laash 1967 films 1967 horror films 1960s science fiction horror films 1960s Urdu-language films Pakistani science fiction horror films Pakistani black-and-white films Vampires in film