Deemak

Deemak (lit. 'Termite') is 2025 Pakistani horror family drama film directed by Rafay Rashdi with screenplay by Ayesha Muzaffar. It starts Faysal Quraishi, Sonya Hussyn, and Samina Peerzada.

Deemak
Theatrical release poster
Urdu	دیمک
Directed by	Rafay Rashdi
Written by	Ayesha Muzzafar
Produced by	Syed Murad Ali
Starring	Faysal Quraishi Sonya Hussyn Samina Peerzada
Cinematography	Rana Kamran
Edited by	Rizwan AQ
Music by	Sohaib Rashidi
Production company	Wah Wah Productions
Distributed by	Geo Films Mandviwalla Entertainment
Release date	6 June 2025 (2025-06-06)
Country	Pakistan
Language	Urdu
Box office	est. Rs. 16 crore[a]

The film was released on Eid al-Adha, 6 June 2025, by Wah Wah Productions, Geo Films, and Mandviwalla Entertainment.

Premise

Geo News reports that the story follows a family encountering paranormal disturbances in their home, which grows friction between the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law, each doubting the other's sense of reality, while the man finds himself struggling to balance his role as a loving husband and a loyal son.^[2] The director told that it "explores complex family relationships, social issues, and paranormal elements".^[3]

Cast

• Faysal Quraishi as Faraz^[4]
• Sonya Hussyn as Hiba, Faraz's wife
• Samina Peerzada as Kulsoom Begum, Faraz's mother
• Bushra Ansari
• Jawed Sheikh
• Saman Ansari
• Anaya Abbas
• Aarez Abbas

Production

Deemak was announced in November 2023, with author Ayesha Muzaffar and director Rafay Rashdi, along with the starring actor names.^[5] Muzaffar told The Express Tribune that this film would mark her venture into horror screenplay as well, having the "story of a thousand Pakistani houses with a supernatural element to it".^[6]

Rashdi told BBC Urdu that when the script was ready after his discussions with Muzaffar for past few years, Samina Peerzada was the first to join in. Then Faysal Quraishi was cast, who would be returning to mainstream cinema after more than 25 years. Then came Sonya Hussyn, and then further cast members.^[7][8] Geo Digital reported that it will be a family film, in which Peerzada would be playing the mother of Quraishi's character, while Hussyn be his wife.^[9] Independent Urdu reported that the film depicts COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan and has no songs in it. The actors had to perform imaginary acts as well, so that the jinns can be inserted in the scenes afterwards. The post-production phase took about one year.^[10][11]

With a limited budget, they hired Julia Millais of Imagine Magic FX, a Canadian VFX producer, and tried making horror look real instead of just jump scares. Syed Murad Ali served as the executive producer under Wah Wah Productions, Rana Kamran as cinematographer, Sohaib Rashdi as the film score composer, Mehboob Shah as stunt coordinator, and Rizwan AQ as the film editor.^{[12][2][13][b]}

Release

The film teaser was released in December 2024,^[12] while the film trailer in March 2025.^[2] Deemak was released on 6 June, on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, along another film Love Guru, and is distributed by Geo Films and Mandviwalla Entertainment.^[14][15]

Reception

The film was premiered on 1 June 2025 at Nueplex Cinemas in Karachi.^[16]

Mishal Zarrar of Brandsynario appreciated film's performances, concept, storyline, cinematography, and sound design, while noted that the VFX could have been "far better".^[17] Similarly, for The Express Tribune, Manahil Tahira prasied the performances, however, stated that this "ghost story" is "haunted by its own potential" due to the "GTA-gameplay-style CGI ghosts".^[18] Sara Danial wrote in Dawn Images that the "visual effects are handled well" considering limited horror history in Pakistani cinema, and "it stays committed to its story" with its "restrained, atmospheric, and unsettling in ways that feel personal".^[19]

Yousuf Mehmood of PakistaniCinema.net also criticized the VFX and runtime, but commented that it "manages to stay fresh" due to the "performances".^[4] In Dawn, Farheen Jawaid called it "an undercooked yet good-looking horror film", and despite having a "weaker" narrative and "unsatisfactory" climax, it is "one of the better ones from Pakistani cinema".^[20] Rabia Mughni of Fuchsia Magazine also praised the performances of the cast and crew for the "scene execution", but noted the need of an external "script doctoring".^[21]

Notes

1. Opening 2 days, nationwide^[1]
2. Credits extracted from the film trailer on YouTube by Har Pal Geo official channel