F E AT U R E
Is the revival of Pakistani
cinema sustainable?
P
akistani cinema has reached the tipping point.
With a record 11 local films (10 feature films and
one animated film) in 2015, at least three of which
were massive hits, the long sought after revival of local
cinema has happened. Gone are the days of the gujjars
and gandaasas, seamlessly replaced by a mix of artsy
biopics, big budget entertainers, kitschy coming of age
numbers and rollicking, if raunchy, comedies. Decrepit
and dingy cinema halls have been traded in for slick
cineplexes equipped with plush seats, modern technology and the promise of a film ‘experience’. Going to the
cinema has become not only an acceptable but a desirable activity as well, and the choices, whether in terms
of show times, cinema locations or the films themselves,
are extensive. For a country where an entire generation grew up without ever having seen the inside of a
cinema, a new cinema going culture has arrived and is
by all accounts being embraced with the greatest of enthusiasm. The lifting of the ban on the import of Indian
films in 2009 can safely be credited with bringing about
the greatest change to Pakistan’s cinema environment.
Prior to this, film supply was so limited that there was
no business case for establishing a cinema, and in the
absence of cinema halls to screen films in, producing
local films was out of the question. Mohsin Yaseen, GM
Marketing at Cinepax Cinemas, which owns 22 of the
83 screens in Pakistan, says that when the owners of
Cinepax thought of building a cinema in 2005, they knew
they would have to create the supply chain first. So they
established a distribution company called Box Office
(now Footprint) and became the official distributors of
Sony, Paramount and Universal in Pakistan. This gave
them a much needed boost and they started building a
cineplex in Rawalpindi but it wasn’t until the import of
Indian films began that the expansion began in earnest.
Yaseen says that “the fact that the government is allowing the import of Indian films is a major incentive. We
would not be able to survive without them.” He adds that
at present Indian content accounts for 50% of their business while Pakistani and English films account for 25%
respectively.
A time to film
An increase in the number of screens coupled with the
success of pioneering efforts in the form of Khuda Ke
Liye, Bol, Waar and the more recent Na Maloom Afraad,
provided the impetus that local filmmakers needed to
start producing films. The results have been encouraging: Jawani Phir Nahin Aani, produced by ARY Films,
broke all previous records (including those set by Indian
and English films in Pakistan) with earnings in excess of
Rs 300 million at the box office. Bin Roye (by Hum Films)
and Wrong Number (by Yasir Nawaz Films) collected Rs
150 million and Rs 130 million respectively. While not all
of this year’s films have been big earners, some have
more than made up for that by receiving critical acclaim,
especially Shah, Manto and Moor. Of course, there were
flops, such as the much touted but disappointing Dekh
Magar Pyaar Say and the downright ridiculous Hulla
Gulla, but what has come through as a result of these
endeavours, whether successful or not, is that after decades of shunning local productions, Pakistani audiences are now willing to watch Pakistani films, and perhaps
more importantly for producers, that there is money to
be made by making local films. Top grossers: Jawani
Phir Nahin Aani broke all previous records with earnings
in excess of Rs 300 million at the box office while Bin
Roye and Wrong Number collected Rs 150 million and
Rs 130 million respectively. Therefore after a relatively
successful year, the value of Pakistani cinema, based
on local box offic H