An Eid sans Bollywood

Indian films are not likely to release during the festive season.

LAHORE: Anyone planning to hit the cinemas during the Eid holiday to watch new films may end up disappointed as no Pakistani or Indian film has been submitted to the Ministry of Culture and the Pakistan Film Censor Board to be released on Eid.

Two Pakistani films, Numberdarni and Ilyasa Gujjar, are likely to be released on Eid but these are Punjabi films and will be released only in selected cinemas in Punjab. An Urdu film titled Bhai Log was expected to release on Eid but the director and producer have not informed the authorities about this yet.

The shooting of Numberdarni by Masood Butt has not been completed yet. A source said, “This is not difficult. The editing will be completed within two days and then it will be presented before the censor board. This is not to be released with two dozen prints so it won’t be a problem to release it on Eid.” The movie stars Meera, Nargis, Shaan, Saud and Bindya. Ilyasa Gujjar has been directed by Pervaiz Rana and stars Shaan and Saima.

According to the rules, when an application along with a print of the movie is submitted to the censor board, the chairman calls a meeting in three days. However, the chairman can use discretionary powers to call the meeting within one day.

Film exhibitors and cinema owners say that two Indian films, Guzaarish (starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) and Break Ke Baad (Imran Khan and Deepika Padukone) are expected to be released however the censor board has not received any application in this regard. Guzaarish, which has been directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, is set to release on November 19 while Break Ke Baad is scheduled for a November 26 release. A film exhibitor said, “It is impossible to release an Indian movie in Pakistan before its release in India. This will leave film audiences with limited choice as only one Pakistani film (in Urdu) is likely to be released and that too is not confirmed as yet,” he said.

Pakistan Film Exhibitors Association Chairman Zoraiz Lashari told The Express Tribune that Guzaarish and Break Ke Baad were likely to be released on Eid. However, he didn’t explain how these movies can be released before they are released in India. When asked about the ministry of culture’s policy to not to allow the release of any foreign film within 14 days of a Pakistani film’s release, Lashari said, “This policy is not valid anymore. The ministry has realised that it didn’t work last time.”

During Eid-ul-Fitr, cinemas were unable to show new films such as Salman Khan’s Dabangg.

An official of Cinestar Cinema said that the cinema would not be screening any Punjabi films. He said that if no Indian film was released the cinema would screen the recently released films Golmaal 3 and Action Replayy along with Hollywood films.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2010.