Pakistan is stepping out of its comfort zone with its first-ever zombie thriller Zombeid, which will be releasing this Eid ul Azha and stars Mehwish Hayat and Fahad Mustafa in lead roles.
What makes this even more interesting is that Pakistan has never really gone all-in on a full-scale zombie apocalypse film at this mainstream level, so Zombeid already feels like a bold new experiment for local cinema. What’s even more surprising is the way it arrived.
The film is being presented by Filmwala Pictures, under the creative umbrella of Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza – a duo that has already carved out a strong identity in Pakistani cinema with hits like Na Maloom Afraad, Load Wedding, and Na Baligh Afraad. And that’s exactly why Zombeid feels even more unexpected. This is a team known for social comedy, satire, and grounded storytelling suddenly stepping into full-scale zombie apocalypse territory. The film is also directed by Nabeel Qureshi himself, which adds another layer of curiosity because it marks a noticeable genre departure from his usual style.
There was no long official buildup or slow promotional rollout. No extended interviews, no gradual teasers hinting at tone or story. Just sudden silence… and then out of nowhere, dropped a teaser. And the internet instantly woke up. Because the teaser didn’t feel like “just another Pakistani film announcement.” It felt like something different.
The teaser unpacks a city falling into chaos – streets overrun with panic, people fleeing to survive, overturned cars, explosions, disorder, and glimpses of zombie-like figures attacking civilians. There’s a strong survival-horror energy running through it, with sharp cuts, emergency sirens, and a perpetually escalating sense of chaos that society is collapsing in real time.
Interestingly, the teaser doesn’t bother explaining much. There’s no clear backstory or detailed exposition of how the outbreak begins. It just throws you straight into the disaster, which straight up hits the tension barometer at just the right speed. You’re forced to piece things together through the visuals rather than narration.
Stylistically, the Zombeid teaser also feels like it’s borrowing from global zombie cinema. At moments, it strongly gives Train to Busan vibes – the crowded urban panic, the sense of people being trapped in public spaces, and the emotional urgency mixed with fast-moving horror. That blend of chaos and human survival instinct is exactly what makes those international zombie films so gripping, and Zombeid seems to be aiming for a similar emotional rhythm, even if in a very local setting.
What’s also notable is the scale the teaser suggests. This doesn’t look like a humble attempt at horror – it looks like a full-blown production leaning into VFX-heavy destruction, stylized action sequences, and chaotic crowd sequences. For Pakistani cinema, which usually doesn’t explore this genre and that too, on this scale, the film feels like a genuine step into unfamiliar territory.
At its core, Zombeid feels less like just a film and more like an experiment – Pakistan testing how far it can stretch its storytelling beyond romance, drama, and traditional action formats. Whether it fully delivers or not is something audiences will decide this Eid ul Azha, but one thing is already clear: the teaser has done its job. It got people talking, comparing, and most importantly, imagining Pakistani cinema in a completely new genre space.
