Transformation: Cinemas going out of fashion in Rawalpindi

The few cinema houses still in business are relying on Indian, Hollywood films.

RAWALPINDI:

The decades-old cinemas in Rawalpindi are vanishing by the day and the old-style movie culture is fast becoming a thing of the past.

Once household names, cinemas such as Taj Mahal, Naz, Sangeet, Kehkashan, Nishaat, Novelty, Rialto, Rex, Garrison, Melody, Imperial and Kohsaar have been shut in recent years. The owners have constructed plazas instead as office space is more profitable.

Others including Khursheed Cinema, Shabistan, Shaheen, Roz and Moti Mahal are on the verge of collapse.

Raja Zulifiqar Ali has been working at Shabistan for the last 38 years. He said the poor state of cinemas is a reflection of the state of the Pakistani film industry.

“Investors are not ready to back the industry and there are few good directors remaining. The industry needs new technology, educated and dedicated directors and investors for its revival,” he said.

The cinema owners have lost interest in the business because of running losses, he said.

Ali said that the people want to watch movies. “The only problem is that our industry is not making good movies.”

He said a few cinemas that have survived are relying on Hollywood and Bollywood. “Indian films have played part in ruining our industry, but the main problem is that our directors, writers and producers have failed to compete the Indian cinema.”

“Shoaib Mansoor has made some good movies such as Bol, Khuda Ka Liye, Waar and Main Hoon Shahid Afridi, but one director does not make an industry. The majority of films have disappointed viewers.”

He said the Sairoz, PAF cinema and Cinepax are relying on Indian movies.

Ali nostalgically thought back the old days, when cinemas did good business.  “There was a time when tickets were sold in advance. Now we don’t even have fixed rates. We have to sell discounted tickets because there are not many visitors.”

Sheikh Muhammad Sultan, who has been serving as a booking clerk at Roz Cinema for the last 40 years, said the owners find it difficult to even cover the electricity bills of the cinema.

He said continuous losses have forced many cinema owners out of the business.

“Gone are the days when people came to watch to watch actors like Santosh, Nadeem, Mumammad Ali, Sabeeha, Shameem Araa, Naeer Sultana, Rangeela, Munawar Zareef and Sultan Rahi.”

He remembered the rush at cinemas when the Waheed Murad-led “Dil Mera, Dharkan Tari” and “Saalgira” were released. He said the magistrate and district coordination officer had requested him to arrange tickets for their families when the film Naila was released in 1965. He said the owner built a whole new cinema — Shabistan — with the profit from “Naila”.

He added that today, Sairoz, PAF cinema and Cinepax are all heavily dependent on Indian movies.

He said movies like Jeewa, Choorian, Majajan, Ghunghat helped the industry in recent years, but the cinema is now dependent on Indian films. He said the Salman Khan starrer “Kick” did good business on Eid, while the Pakistani film “Sultanat” could not even leave a dent on the box office.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2014.