It might be so that the revival of Pakistan’s film industry is in the offing with the movie The Legend of Maula Jatt reaching a new milestone at the turn of the year by making Rs1 billion at the domestic box office and $10 million at the worldwide box office. Bilal Lashari’s reboot of the 1979 cult classic Maula Jatt has gathered much praise worldwide and, with the help of the much acclaimed Joyland, has put Pakistani cinema under international spotlight.
The unparalleled success of the movie is attributed to its unique artistic style that deviates from the traditional way Pakistani films are made. This was a much bigger, bolder and riskier project whose success has shown that citizens do want something more than just the typical commercial films. Also, the film was released in Punjabi, despite much criticism on the choice of language. But this did not deter movie lovers from thronging cinemas to watch the much-awaited blockbuster. Such affection shows that art and expression can indeed help bridge the ethnic and linguistic differences that have long divided this country. Such movies give us the opportunity to enjoy and experience other cultures which, in turn, decreases intolerance. The international community will also get a chance to witness the culture of the subcontinent and explore our rich literary traditions. Such movies will also help our local cast achieve global stardom and get projects outside of Pakistan.
Basking in the movie’s latest success, Fawad Khan rightly stated during an interview with CNN that this is a huge year for Pakistani cinema as a whole. We hope that the movie is timely released in India and officials there set aside their differences to appreciate and enjoy the beautifully-crafted film. This is a new light for Pakistan’s film industry and it must not be dampened by the myopia and ignorance of regulatory bodies.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2023.
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