PAF Cinema inaugural

LAHORE: Newly renovated and technologically equipped PAF Auditorium Cinema opened its doors for film buffs with screening of Farah Khan’s latest movie Tees Mar Khan on Friday night.

People from all over Lollywood and the fashion industry graced the red carpet opening of the new and improved version of the PAF Cinema. Although the film left the audience disappointed everyone still took time out to commend the work of the newly finished cinema. PAF Cinema was closed down earlier and has recently been revamped and re-launched after a complete process of interior renovation and technological upgrade.

Nadir Minhas, responsible for handling the cinema’s management, told The Express Tribune that the cinema has a capacity to accommodate 500 people. “The sound system is digitized and we have also incorporated sound proofing to improve the audibility in the auditorium. The seats are designed to put a viewer at complete ease so that they can fully enjoy watching a movie,” he added.

With reclining chairs, artistic lights and new proofed screens for new movies, the PAF Cinema has been built on the lines of Cine Gold Bahria

Director Syed Noor welcomed the opening of the new cinema, “It’s good to see that Urdu oriented cinemas are opening now. This will help our film industry to improve. There are some cinemas in big cities that screen Urdu movies but many cinemas in smaller cities screen Punjabi movies. The audience of a Punjabi film is quite different from the audience of an Urdu film and we have to make them according to the demand. Now such cinemas are opening in cities like Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Multan and it provides an incentive to directors to focus more on the script of Urdu based films,”

Noor also told The Express Tribune, “It is true that 2010 has been bad for the film industry but bear in mind the disasters that happened this year. I am very hopeful about 2011 and I am sure it will bring good news for Lollywood with promising films to be released”.

Singer Waris Beg also attended the inaugural and said that, “I live in Cantt and I am very happy that such a luxurious cinema has opened in the vicinity. It’s so close to my house that I will definitely come to watch good movies here and so can many other people”.

Another audience member, Huma Hasan also shared her enthusiasm about the opening, “The film didn’t entertain me but the sound effects and the seating arrangement here really pleased me. Surely this cinema is a valuable addition in the entertainment scene of the city.”

However, much to the audiences’ discontent, the film itself failed miserably at opening night. The film’s main attraction was its item song starring Katrina Kaif in “Sheela Ke Jawani” but despite having received a thunderous applause for the popular song, the movie could not pull through to impress viewers.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2010.