The Devil’s Details in Mise en Scene

Costumes and Props:

For the costumes, we chose traditional Pakistani attire—shalwar kameez—for both main characters. To emphasize the contrast in their personalities, Haseeb wears white to reflect his innocence and simplicity, while Rian wears black to highlight his mysterious and dark nature. The ghosts, representing Rian’s family, are dressed in plain black burqas to enhance the eerie, unsettling tone.

Haseeb didn’t require makeup, but for Rian, we opted for a pale makeup base and dark eyeshadow to make his dark circles pop and give him a more haunted, drained appearance. His slightly messy hair was intentional—symbolising his deteriorating mental state and lack of control.

Props List:

• Food tray

• Crockery and dirty dishes

• Pressure cooker

• Leftover vegetables

• Knife

• Lamps

• Fake blood

• Vomit substitute

• White wall clock

• Candles

• Burqas

• Raw chicken

• Wooden cutting board

Location:

We were lucky to get the perfect shoot location—our lovely friend Emaan’s house. She has an upper portion that functions like a separate apartment, complete with a kitchen, living area, and multiple rooms, which was ideal to portray Rian’s isolated lifestyle. When we asked her if we could use the space for a day, she kindly agreed—with one sweet condition: we had to break our fast with her since it was Ramazan. So, of course, we showed up early on the shoot day to enjoy iftar together first.

Equipment:

Camera: Sony S6700