At the Shama Cinema in Peshawar, every show is a full house. The ups and downs of the Pakistan film industry are irrelevant to this crowd. The harsh winters do not deter punters either. Even terrorism has no effect. Thanks to the alleged protection of the influential Bilour family and the active negligence of the ruling Awami National Party and its predecessor the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (a defunct umbrella group for religious parties), the audience is in safe hands.
Khaklay Navay (Beautiful Bride) is the name of one pornographic movie recently shown on the cinema’s big screen. It ran for two months, opening on Eidul Fitr. A new film called Khaklay Jankay (Beautiful Girls) — which sounds like the prequel, though this is unconfirmed — was released in time for Eidul Azha. It is currently running, though there was a small break for 10 days out of respect for the holy month of Muharram.
Four shows run every day. For early risers, there is the 11am screening.
This is followed by shows at 3pm, 6pm and 9pm. The films are promoted through racy, raunchy posters pasted on the walls of Peshawar, often side-by-side with graffiti from religious groups.
What’s more, the local industry seems to be a grower. Exciting news for enthusiasts is that in addition to the screening of adult English-language adult movies, the management has started the screening of porn in Pashto.
Most of the films thus far have been dubbed into Pushto. Many have been foreign and often feature curvy Californian blondes, proving that anti-Americanism is not all-pervasive in Khyber-Pakhtunkwa. Most, though, seemed to have been produced in Lahore or other non-Pastho-speaking parts of Pakistan. Fans outside the cinema said that the exchange of Pakistani currency in some scenes proves the films are made within the country; in a boost for Pakistan’s ailing film industry, the cinema-goers also said the sound and camerawork is often of the highest quality.
An employee at the cinema who, perhaps fearing his mother’s reaction, did not want his name publicised, said that Pushto adult movies are proving a bigger hit than English ones. He went on to say that drug-taking is an integral part of the experience; a haze of hashish smoke floats above the seats instead of more standard sensory accompaniments to the cinema experience, such as the crunch of popcorn. The employee added that a nearby cinema called Sabreena is also doing great business.
For those with an image of Peshawar and its environs as a medieval-minded war-zone, the Shama Cinema sounds scarcely believable. This is a region where girls schools and shrines are destroyed, yet neither the religious parties nor the government have objected to porn being screened. Locals say there’s an easy explanation: the cinema is owned by the powerful Bilour family, which also happens to be tied to the Awami National Party.
Former provincial minister in the MMA government, Sirajul Haq, apparently once asked the cinema owners to stop their ‘morally-ambiguous’ practices. The appeal was ignored. In a city where hoardings of multinational companies that had images of women were torn apart, and where terrorist explosions have been distressingly frequent in the past decade, it is genuinely amazing that the cinema remains untouched.
The owner of a more mainstream cinema said officials from Shama Cinema pay hundreds of thousands of rupees in bribes. Nobody was able to pinpoint who exactly receives the pay-offs, be they authorities from the provincial government, the police or elsewhere.
The films themselves are not cheap. A cinema manager, who also asked not to be identified, said that the movies cost about five to six hundred thousand rupees to make, though the returns are very high.
Filmmakers who might prefer Ron Howard to Ron Jeremy are not happy.
Ajab Gul, an actor and director of Pashto films, said the situation was painful and those behind it should be exposed. He told The Express Tribune that the producers of such films are ruining the film industry as a whole. Director Liaquat Ali Khan and producer Muzaffar Khan agree, pointing out that out of 27 films released last year in Pakistan, 16 were Pushto.
The paying customer, though, seems to disagree. Indeed, a wide demographic makes up the audience. Satisfied customers said that there was no age limit to entrance to the Shama Cinema; film-goers include schoolboys, college students, street children, and even old men into their sixties and seventies.
Who is behind such open secrecy? Everyone in Peshawar says the same name: the Bilour family.
The family, however, denies any involvement. According to sources in the city, the cinema was once owned by senior minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour. It was passed on to Aziz Ahmed Bilour, federal secretary for industries, as the family assets were distributed. The cinema, it is believed, is now managed by close relatives of the Bilour brothers.
When contacted by The Express Tribune, Aziz Ahmed Bilour said he had been busy doing public service in Islamabad since he left Peshawar two decades ago. He said he has not gone to the cinema since then. Aziz also insisted he does not own any cinema and does not know who owns the Shama Cinema. Indeed, as far as Aziz knows, the Bilour family has no involvement in the cinema business at all. However, he generously offered to lend a helping hand: “If it is transferred in my name, then it will be good and I shall look after the affair.”
And so the Shama Cinema will carry on rolling the reels. The audience, no doubt, will keep on coming.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 19th, 2011.
COMMENTS (52)
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A very good selection.................but missing something.
Barband means 'naked', not porn.
@Saima Memon: agreed with u
Sad to see , that the lust of us the Pakistanis has increases alot. Building of such cinemas was obvious, what do you expect from our nation when we dont even respect the tombs of our National Heroes. We know that Prostitution is at its peak on the tomb of Quaid-e-Azam & the World fmous Heera Mandi is present behind the Badshahi Masjid, in which lies the grave of The Allama Iqbal. Take action before it gets more & more worse.
May ALLAH bless Pakistan(Ameen) Pakistan Zindabad
@faraz: Sad to know your comments, It is not nice entertainment it is open joke with Islamic country. If we accept your argument just for a second tomorrow may be we have to face homo sex and homo marriages in our youngs. Will you declare it just entertainment. think just think... bye
No doubt Sex is a reality & there are many sources to watch or enjoy it but inspite of all these we cannot defend that philosophy because this is a curse way which has harmful consequences. This should not limited to cenima but all porn sites and such cenimas should be banned. Any how FIda Adeel done a good job of unveiling it and dare to open an open secret despite of Bilor's power, keep it up. good luck.
I was really shocked to come to know, but let me tell you people, the cinema is no more owned by the Bilours. It was earlier discussed in the provincial assembly and has surfaced that the movies are being run since 1997. What the MMA were doing in their 2002-2007 rule.. Where is MMA's version in this story....This is injustice with this story, rubbish
Man intresting story and every one know it that wht happend in peshawar, beside cinema there are lot of vamp houses is peshawar. that is disgusting, i never visted cinema but i know that wht shown there, this is good news that you highlited but who cares this is the question, this is just news people commented and read and i know mostly enjoyied this news for entertainment purpose. good effort and keep it up bro
this the real jihad by pen well done writer
@jawad: u r right agreed with u brother
@D.K: wow you are full of hatered for the whole Pashtoon nation.calm down and look around your own surroundings.rather than passing judgements aginst the whole Pashtun nation,put your energies in eradicating diamond streets and cat houses in your Lahore, Karachi and Islamabads.that should be of major worry to you rather than getting judgemental about a whole race due to some low grade cinema in an impoverished area of a city.
@Hassena Sheikh:
I here, must add something. The Taliban and so-called religious militants are frequently proved to be loving gay porn but they will not hesitate to slaughter or stone the masses for committing this SIN as they consider themselves loved by God for serving Him and Islam. And this hypocrisy makes a lot of hypocrites and imbeciles love them and liberals hate them.
Only one family behind this, the Bilours.
admirable writing style
The writer should have also written about the Brothels of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Hyderabad and Karachi where people of Pakistan are practically engaged in pure prostitution. Only few people goes to Cinemas for Porn movies while there are millions of Pakistanis who daily watches Porn Sites on Internet without any restriction from the successive Govts of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. According to an online survey, Pakistan is at no.1 in watching porn on internet. We should stop dragging the names of Bilour Brothers in this case.
And what moral do you draw from this story? Let private enterprise flourish. Don't legislate morality. If porn isn't for you it certainly is for your neighbor. Don't fight it tax it.
@IndianAthiest: So, for me it's good to harm people and it's bad to obbey my parents... According to your statement you have to accept it.
@Imran: thankyou for your sensible comment. For other commentors who are using this post to channel thier ignorance & hatred of Pashtuns (call Pashtuns hypocrite etc): "The average individual with average intellect (and in most cases, reluctance to pick up a book and learn better about something) uses stereotypes to encapsulate massive demographic in one ignorant little bubble."
This is shame that when world famous religions and their institutions are engaged in child abuse, we are talking about a cinema in slumps in Pakistan.
Why is it a shock? We all know too well the double standards and hypocrisy that runs wild within our country when it comes to religious morality. We have done well to make mockery of everything we pretend to hold dear.
The ending made me laugh out loud ..
We can't blame the Bloor Family or the owner of the Cinema. It's the audience who is there to watch all 4 shows in a day. Simple Economics, If a Demand is there so is the Supply to match that demand!!
@Imran: Agreed with you.
WOuld the express tribune consider having the comments in bold , dark lettering too ( dark as in the article itself ) . Perhaps they might choose a different script to differentiate thatn in the article but dark, bold makes it easier to read than the present light script - thanks
Pornography increases sexual frustration which may lead to rape cases . Especially modern porn movies show under age girls having sex, which is a dangerous thing to show in any society. i guess that ladies here on this blog who taking sides of Shama cinema owners mustn't have seen any porn movie yet because if they had seen any than they must know that in porn movie a female subject is terribly treated by her male partner. This derogatory attitude has become a trend in modern societies. A woman is a delicate being and she has to be treated with loveand respect unlike the wanton ways porn movie show. Its a bad indicator for an already frustrated society like Pakistan.
Wow, so now all the comment makers find Pashtuns Hypocrates.?? what are you ppl? Even some are hoping bombs for these cinemas.
I personally have been to one of such cinema, It was the indian Movie Dil walay dulhanya le jayenge. Rest is true in this article, you get free marijuana , ask your neighbour in cinema :D. plus you can watch indian movies. :d Now on a serious note, these cinemas are located in a part of city, which is full of mazdoor tabka, taxi raksha drivers, rehri walas, and all poor ppl. Such cinemas are a source of entertainment to them. These ppl are the targetted viewers, which explains even the Quality of normal main stream pashto movies too, believe me they are worse than these porns :D. But I hate all those ppl commenting about the hypocracy etc, all you can do is curse in your comments, and judge others according to your own mentality. If a section of a city of pashtun ppl act in a particular way, that doesnt mean the whole pashtun nation is the same. ENOUGH HATERED AGAINST PASHTUNS.
Shocking...Condemnable...
@Bilal: Agreed with you
Kudos to the writer for reporting on this institutionalised and all-pervasive hypocricy. I hope the expoze hits hard enough to spur someone into action.
but overall its happening in the whole country..! In peshawar at Shamma Cinema and in Islamabad/ Lahore at different cat houses and underground clubs. any difference??
and guess what pakistan film makes have filed a petition in lahore high court I guess for banning indian movies as they destroy their culture dear memay allah save your authentic culture
Long time back one of our poet philosopher Josh Malihabadi said and very rightly
“Irtiqa ki iss manzil maen abhi ham neem wehshi hain.”
@A. Khan: And after the explanation the maker would have supplied 72 live porn.
I thought it was only the Railway system the Bilours wanted to destroy for their own benefit.
Hypocrisy at its height. The so called hub of islamism in Pakistan and 'religious minded people' is experiencing such filth so openly. Feel ashamed for being part of this society.
hypocrites. :-@ so called "ghayoor, ghairatmand pashtoons"... shame...
Who ever is involved in this should be brought up at front but trust me nothing is going to happen if Bilour family is involved in all this as Ghulam Bilour is the Federal Minister Of Railway from ANP , Bashir Bilour a senior Provincial Minister of ANP and Aziz Bilour is the senator ... So who is going to stop them?? Ehh , No One...
So if you watch porn on internet that is fine but cinema is a problem, isn't that double standard. The whole country is called Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Why point out KP? and internet is available with no restrictions, so don't we need a law to at least have age restriction?
people have fun while geeks do the writings!! Let them do whatever they want to man. FREEWILL
@alicia:
Evidently, it is.
Loved the ending hahaha
this is pathetic.....but i wonder never a blast took place over there nor any of the property of bilours.....what can one analyze from this ????
Let the people decide what is bad and good.
@A. Khan:
No.
The most Islamic provinces are generally the morally degenrate ones. Take a look at the Gulf States. The rich can enjoy their debaucheries (liquor, women etc) untouched while the poor and middle class gets the brunt of Sharia laws. Same case with Pakistan.
Are you surprised at such hypocrisies existing side by side? In Pakistan and many other "Islamic states", Islam has been reduced into a political tool to shut, intimidate or kill our opponents.
I read somewhere that an alleged Al Qaeda (not OBL) or Taliban leader was traced through a subscription to a porn site. Apparently, he met his maker when he logged in. Website was being monitored and a drone targeted his previously acquired address. Bet he had some explaining to do to his maker on his activities just prior to availing the one way ticket.
Isn't KP allegedly the most Islamic province of Pakistan
With all the ranting @ raving about Veena Mallik posing nude may be she is ahead of the curve, knowing the sexually frustrated mentality of Pakistani men. We have generations of young men who before the introduction of porn and being able to download freely therefore in Internet searches Pakistan rates the highest! Are these the same hypocrites that scream about the decadent moral in the West? Soon when internet service is improved on the rurual areas of Pakistan the locals might be glued to their screens and Ll the ethnic violence maybe a thing of the past.Rumour has it that the Taliban & other so called religios militant groups are the biggest adult porn subscribers so therefore the showing of adult films at Shama Cinema is not surprising. As any civilized society we should allow consenting adults to view adult material, if that lowers the violence I am sure the Adult Porn Industry would gladly provide free porn!