“Pakistani cinema is going through a rough patch, but slowly, it is getting better, with new age directors getting into film-making and producing films like Bol and Khuda Kay Liye,” said Zafar, who is now gearing up for the release of his third Bollywood venture London, Paris, New York.
Waves of change
The 31-year-old actor admits that the new generation in Pakistan is opening up to fresh and realistic stories. “People have rejected those bogus old ways of telling stories as they want something new. Pakistan is witnessing a new wave, thanks to social media. With the help of social media, people have rejected the old norms through commenting, conducting debates and discussion,” said Zafar. “For example, there was a video of a woman who goes to a park and raids couples, asking them whether their parents know about their relationship. People didn’t like it and they stood against it; as a result that girl was held accountable and got fired.”
He further adds, “It feels very nice to see that youth and people are aware, they are more politicised. They all want change. It is a myth that Pakistan is a conservative country.” Zafar also pointed out that Pakistan was once a prolific movie-making country. “Pakistan had 1,300 cinema halls in the 1970s with an average annual production of around 300 movies. But by 2005, the country had only 270 cinema halls and made about 18 movies a year. The rest of the movie halls have been converted into gas stations, shopping malls or car showrooms,” said the actor.
“Movie buffs in Pakistan had a hearty appetite for Bollywood movies, but they had to watch pirated copies of Hindi films as the release of Indian films had been banned in Pakistan. In 2008, the Pakistan government lifted the ban on Indian films and that has given a much-needed boost to the cinema business”, added Zafar. “Since Indian films have started coming to Pakistan, people are going to cinemas more often. Now more cinema halls are being constructed,” stated the actor. Sharing the same opinion, Nadeem Mandviwalla, whose company Mandviwalla Entertainment manages Atrium cinemas in Karachi, in an earlier interview with The Express Tribune, agreed that Pakistan’s cinema industry has recovered dramatically due to record-breaking Indian movies. Giving an example of the industry’s growth in recent years, Mandviwalla said an Indian movie Singh is Kinng was released in Pakistan three years ago and grossed Rs30 million in three weeks. “More recently, Don 2, a film of similar grandeur has done the same business in just five days,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2012.
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yeah he is right... Wajahat Kazmi is also one of young and talented person in lollywood film industry... his movie "THE DUSK" will be release in March 2012. hope for the best...
Ali, stop commenting on Pakistani cinema. You're a Bollywood actor, please don't pretend like you care about your industry. You would be the first person to reject 'new wave Pakistani filmmakers' so that it doesn't affect your Bollywood career. Thank you and good luck with LPNY and Bollywood.
Ali is correct in most of his assumptions, people like Shaan who claim to be the old guard Of Lollywood is a direct contributor to the trash Lollywood has released. The new generation of film makers is rail roading the old Lollywood with a transfusion of many new films the only problem is that there are trailers, posters & more publicity but the actual release has been nada. Is there a post production delay Pakistan needs a proper film agency that monitors all new releases & helps with the publicity abroad there are huge Pakistanis who live abroad that cannot access & share these films Pakistani Embassies are doing an embarrassing job of trying to introduce & share a positive image of Pakistan as these embassies are manned by political cronies who are busy taking care of personal business