Entertainment industry suffers setback in Bahawalpur

Cinemas, theatres provide affordable, low-cost entertainment for all segments of society

BAHAWALPUR: Recreational activities are given great importance in healthy and developed societies as they help maintain a healthy atmosphere besides giving people an opportunity to bring forth their talent and creative skills.

There was a time when cinemas and theatres provided affordable and low-cost entertainment for all segments of society. Now shopping malls or high rise buildings have been built after demolition of these cinemas and theatres. The last surviving cinema of Bahawalpur ie Rainbow Cinema was closed down a few days back.



Located at Seraiki Chowk, one of the busiest places in Bahawalpur city, Rainbow Cinema used to have a capacity to accommodate 200 people at a time. As the cinema was not making enough profits ever since the government raised taxes on the cinemas, the owner closed down the place. Another major reason for its closure was lack of quality movies produced locally while the cinema owners do not have the budget to buy foreign movies and upgrade the cinema equipment.

Another famous cinema called Fanoos Cinema was turned into a shopping centre few years back, while Abbasia Cinema opted to transform into a theatre for stage dramas rather than showcasing movies. With the closure of the last surviving cinema in the city, entertainment industry in Bahawalpur is in a shambles.

A cinema worker Muhammad Idrees told The Express Tribune that few years ago there was a trend of visiting cinemas. “People from across Bahawalpur division used to come here to watch movies but ever since the government has increased taxes, it has become very difficult for the cinemas to operate without losing money and eventually it they had to be closed down,” he said.

A shopkeeper, Rana Ismael said he has been running a shop outside the cinema and as long as the cinema was operational, his business was doing well but since the closure of the cinema, the number of customers has greatly declined. “Where cinemas provide entertainment, they also provide livelihood to a large number of people,” he commented.



Usama Moazzam, a resident of the commercial area, told The Express Tribune that he was an avid fan of movies but since there were no more cinemas left in Bahawalpur, the people were forced to watch pirated copies of their favourite movies. He said the nearest available cinema was in Multan, some 80 kilometres away from Bahawalpur city.

Another cinema worker Asghar Ali said cinema’s technical staff who had been working in cinemas for almost all of their lives, have lost their jobs and it has become very difficult for them to find a new job.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th, 2017.