Citizens enjoy cross-border comedy
An employee at a Cinemaxx theatre cleans up between screenings. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
Indian Punjabi movie Carry on Jatta had broken the tradition of including only a few comedy scenes, taking the risk of presenting an entire storyline focused on laughter.
The experiment by actor Gippy Grewal paid off, inspiring the film industries of both Pakistan and India to embrace the approach. The latest example of this trend is the recently released film, Super Punjabi.
Following the triumph of the second season of Carry on Jatta, the third season includes renowned Pakistani comedian Nasir Chinioti alongside Indian actors.
Pakistani artistes were given ample opportunities to showcase their talent, resulting in widespread popularity of the film across the globe, particularly in Pakistan and India.
This collaborative effort between Pakistani and Indian artistes has not only brought them closer but also provided fans with the opportunity to enjoy humour-filled films. In an interview with actress Veena Malik, the acclaimed Indian Punjabi actor and producer, Gippy Grewal, announced his plans to visit Pakistan soon to shoot his upcoming film, Jine Lahore Nai Vekhya, in Lahore. He expressed his desire to bring joy and laughter to people's lives, emphasising the primary goal of the cross-border exchange.
The success story doesn't end with Carry on Jatta. For the first time in the country's history, more than 10 films graced the theatres on Eidul Azha, featuring Mehwish Hayat, Ramsha Khan, Hira Mani, Shaharyar Munawar, Wahaj Ali, Nasir Chinioti, Shafqat Cheema,and other renowned artistes from Pakistan and India.
This year, Pakistani and Bollywood movies attracted a significant number of fans to cinemas. Some enjoyed Urdu films while others indulged in Punjabi movies.
Remarkably, numerous families flocked to cinemas to witness the excellence of international quality films and enthusiastically applauded Pakistani artistes and technicians. To ensure the success of their films, directors, producers and artistes ran extensive promotional campaigns ahead of the Eid. The Pakistan film industry saw a novel experiment with the release of Teri Meri Kahani under the guidance of three renowned directors.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 7th, 2023.