Cinema in Lahore 'forced' to close down for screening Indian films

Order issued to PAF Cinema owner reads screening of Indian films must be stopped with immediate effect.

LAHORE: Pakistan Air Force Cinema located in the cantonment area of Lahore, which was rumoured to have been closed for renovation, was actually shut down following a ban on Indian film being screened in the area.

“I have lost a lot of money since the order was issued,” said Nadir Latif, the manager of PAF Cinema. “I am still at a loss of words as to why they are cracking down only on me.”

The order issued to Latif reads screening of Indian films must be stopped with an immediate effect.

According to Latif, the cinema was one of the few that were making profits.

He said that only five to six cinemas were currently functioning in around six cities across the country, compared to the time when an estimated 47 cinemas were functioning.

The Lahore Cantt cinema was important because it was fully renovated and upgraded after Latif had been given a lease of 10 years to operate the cinema.

“We created a state-of-the-art facility that catered to educated people. So for us Indian films have been very important for business,” said Latif who claims to have suffered huge financial losses as he had paid guarantees on three films Heroine, Raaz 3 and Barfi.

The cinema owner had invested between Rs200-300,000 in guarantee per film. “There are barely 13 prints that are issued in the country, so the closure of even one cinema means a great loss to the industry, I have ended up losing millions due to its closure.”

In the past, people within the film industry have raised the question of Indian films at various levels that an economic protectionist policy must be passed so that Pakistani films which lack the resources to compete with international films can do so.

Latif explained that Indian films have always been banned according to the 1965 Film Act, which ensured that no film directly from India could be censored in Pakistan.

Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf during his tenure had simply issued an ordinance that allowed foreign films to be imported into Pakistan. Today, Latif claimed, most Indian films that come to Pakistan are distributed from Dubai or London.

Technically, most of these films are not considered Indian as the Ministry of Commerce and the Censor Board approve them.

According to the certificates presented by Latif, Raaz 3 had been distributed from England so technically, it could not even be called an Indian film.

“One cannot survive on simply Pashto and Lollywood films, there is a reason for the rapid decline of cinemas across the country. There has to be recourse for people who are searching for entertainment,” said Latif.

When asked whether the ban could have something to do with the string of protests against an anti-Islam film, he said that the order had been issued before five cinemas were burnt down in Karachi during the protests.

He further said that the cinema was safe as “Cantt is surrounded by check posts and we have our own security.”

PAF officials associated with the case refused to disclose the details as to why the cinema had been forced to close.

When asked about the issue surrounding the screening of Indian films, an officer responded with ignorance.

“We are officials of the armed forced and just implement orders given to us. We don’t ask questions neither do we use our brains to see the reasoning behind such orders,” said one of the officers.

Chairman Pakistan Film Exhibitors Association Zorraiz Lashari said that the exact motives behind the decision to close the cinema were unclear.

He said despite that, it was discouraging for a country which is striving to promote positive trade relations between both countries.

“The armed forces and PAF are independent entities which will do what they feel is right. I think on a larger scale it is bad because we are trying to develop positive relations with India,” said Lashari. “I think the decision is not rational, because it’s a dual policy. Families still watch Indian content through television and allowing 50-odd people to watch a film at the cinema should not be an issue.”