Dracula in Pakistan (1967)

A rendition of the Dracula tale with many similarities to the British 1950s Dracula.

Director:

Khwaja Sarfraz (as Kh. Sarfraz)

Writers:

Bram Stoker (adapted from the novel by), Naseem Rizwani (dialogues)

Stars:

Yasmeen Shaukat, Deeba Begum, Habibur Rehman

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Yasmeen Shaukat	...	Shirin (as Yasmeen)
Deeba Begum	...	Shabnam (as Deeba)
Habibur Rehman	...	Aqil's Brother (as Habib)
Asad Bukhari	...	Dr. Aqil Harker (as Asad)
Allauddin	...	Parvez (as Ala-Ud-Din)
Nasreen	...	Vampire Bride
Sheela	...	Ghazala
Cham Cham	...	Nightclub Dancer
Baby Najmi	...	Baby
Rehan	...	Professor Tabani / Dracula
Nazar	...	Bandmaster
Agha Talish	...	Doctor (as Talish)
Rangeela	...	Guy at Nightclub
Munawar Zarif	...	Guy at Nightclub (as Munwar Zarif)
Latif Charlie

Storyline

A rendition of the Dracula tale with many similarities to the British 1950s Dracula.

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Plot Keywords:

elixir | surreal | dancing | adaptation | fight | 

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Taglines:

Dracula in Pakistan!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Pakistan

Language:

Urdu

Release Date:

7 July 1967 (Pakistan)

Also Known As:

Dracula in Pakistan

Filming Locations:

Lahore, Pakistan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Screen Enterprise, Bari Studios

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.44 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Was almost banned from its original release because of the censors felt that the movie was too vulgar.

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Goofs

Several night scenes, especially the one near the end, were clearly recorded during daytime under bright sun. This fact was clearly noticeable by the shadows of people and trees, and intensity of light compared to the shadows. In order to make the time in such scenes appear to be night, the picture was drastically dimmed out.

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Crazy Credits

"adopted from the novel by Bram Stoker"

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Connections

Version of Drácula (1931)

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Soundtracks

Allá en el Rancho Grande
Written by Lorenzo Barcelata

User Reviews

Introducing: Professor Tabani (a.k.a Count Dracula)

Here is an oddity if ever there was one: A 'Dracula' film from Pakistan, one of the few horror films ever attempted in the country, and certainly the first and most famous. In this variation on Stoker's novel, the count is actually a scientist (quasi-mad, perhaps) seeking the elixir of life, a potion that would defy death. But from here on, all similarities to The Fountain end, when the good doc (Professor Tabani to you, dear) not only succeeds in making the life-up soda, he proceeds to drink it himself (Hugh Jackman should have sought this guy's help)! No terminally ill wife to bother with, in fact no family or servants either, except for a full-figured lady assistant, who discovers the professor's inert body behind a sofa. For whatever improbable reason, the scientist had left a note saying that if he was to be found dead, his body should be put into the coffin down in the basement of his isolated mansion. And so it goes. Interestingly, the word Dracula is never used in the film, and people refer to the vampire as "khabees rooh", which literally translates as "evil spirit".

This was not a big-budget affair, and it is therefore quite heartening to see how much they managed to pull off on meager resources. The film retains a lot of Stoker's original plot, despite a contemporary setting, and the inclusion of some silly musical interludes. Some of the direction is…er…wooden, as is some of the acting. But there are also eerie, suspenseful scenes, and good lighting and set design, evoking a Gothic and creepy atmosphere (in black and white).

There are a couple of odd 'fade-outs' at the most inappropriate moments, but I suspect this was done at the behest of the censor board, who were initially aghast at the mere idea of a local horror film. They only passed the film after the producer-hero and director promised that they'd never ever make such a film again. And sure enough, they never did, despite the film becoming an unexpected hit. Even more surprising is that for an industry steeped in plagiarism, nobody else jumped on the bandwagon, either.

Not really scary (but not suitable for young children, either), the film is nonetheless reasonably engrossing and one of the more unique takes on the familiar tale. Horror and cult fans should definitely check it out.