Ab tak 36—Pakistan is shutting down cinema screens. Bollywood alone can’t be blamed

The shift toward multiplex cinemas, caused by the influx of Bollywood films, led to the decline of traditional single-screen theatres. And this made films increasingly inaccessible to the average Pakistani.

Representational image | Fifty-eight screens across 36 theatres have been closed so far in Pakistan | Pixabay

New Delhi: One of the biggest cultural damages Pakistan has taken due to poor relations with India is cinema. Pakistani cinema is dying. Reports suggest nearly 40 per cent screens have shut down since 2018.

Fifty-eight screens across 36 theatres have been closed so far, with nine more temporarily shut, film distributor Nadeem Mandviwalla told ThePrint.

Multiple factors have contributed to this, but a lack of good content, economic strain, and shifting audience preferences are among the most significant.

“Cinema needs a regular supply to sustain. With economic strains, the lack of good content, and an alienated middle class, cinema is no longer in the reach of the masses and elites are no longer lured by it,” said Pakistan Film Federation head Shehzad Rafique.

Others pointed out a simple yet significant issue— there is no market for Pakistani cinema anymore.

Lure of Indian movies

The rise of multiplex culture in Pakistan was largely fueled by the popularity of Indian films, which introduced a new wave of cinema.

According to Al Jazeera’s Phil Hoad, the Pakistani film industry, known as Lollywood and based in Lahore, was stifled during the military dictatorship of the 1980s – partly due to the introduction of new censorship laws. Once producing over 80 movies annually, it stopped releasing Urdu films at the turn of the century. But a revival began in 2003, when young filmmakers in Karachi started experimenting with low-budget films.

When a 40-year ban on Bollywood films was lifted in 2006, it breathed new life into a local film scene where Indian movies were already thriving in the black market, wrote Hoad in his 2017 article. But, following the massive commercial success of Bajrangi Bhaijaan in 2015, Indian films were banned yet again in 2016 – only briefly allowed in 2017 and 2018, after the release of Hrithik Roshan’s Kaabil.

Sanju, Gully Boy, and Simmba released in 2018, with Sanju “becoming the biggest commercial hit in Pakistan” that year, said Nadeem Mandviwalla.

A ban followed again in 2019 after the Pulwama attacks, emptying cinema halls once bustling with Bollywood enthusiasts. According to Mandviwalla, Pakistani films had a 50 per cent market in the country by 2019, and there were hopes to build it up gradually. But when Indian films were no longer screened, cinemas lost a major revenue source, drying up funds for Pakistani film projects & stalling the progress that had been made thus far.

Then came Fawad Khan-starrer The Legend of Maula Jatt in 2022. And it was a ‘game changer’.

The film broke records, becoming a cultural phenomenon and the first Punjabi film in Pakistan to gross PKR 400 crore globally.

Three years later, Maula Jatt is still playing but theatres are struggling to maintain operations.

“Maula Jutt made people realise how big a market we have but its impact was not instantaneous. The gap is too much to be overcome by one movie,” Mandviwalla said.

No cinema for masses

The shift toward multiplex cinemas led to the decline of traditional single-screen theatres, making films increasingly inaccessible to the average Pakistani. The cost of attending a multiplex has skyrocketed, with tickets alone reaching 2,000 PKR per person, said Shehzad Rafique.

For a family, watching one movie means spending 15,000 PKR including commute and interval snacks. For many, this expense is simply unaffordable. “A person earning 50,000 PKR a month can’t justify spending 15,000 on a single outing,” Rafique said.

As a result, middle-income households have become alienated from the big screen experience. Multiplexes only focused on high-end customers in big cities after the release of Khuda Kay Liye in 2007, sidelining lesser-earning audiences in smaller towns.

“Cinema halls died not only because of Indian films no longer being screened. It is because films are no longer within the reach of the common masses,” said Rafique.

TV, OTT fill the void

Pakistani cinema seems to have lost its cultural connect.  But TV is filling the void.

Social realism, a defining feature of Pakistani films, is now more commonly found in TV ‘dramas’, as soap operas are commonly called in the country. Affordability and accessibility make them more viable than a pocket-emptying trip to cinema halls. And the quality of content is far better too.

“We started catering to our masses and there was a decline in quality. We started making low-grade cinema where women are dancing in weird poses. Cinema died a slow death,” said Saife Hassan, director of acclaimed dramas such as Tan Mann Neelo Neel and Zard Patton ka Bunn.

Pakistani cinema is now struggling to maintain its relevance, and the lack of local film ‘heroes’ and ‘heroines’ makes the problem worse.

“The same actors who dominate TV shows appear on the big screen, leading to audience disengagement,” Hassan added. A case in point is of actors Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan and Shan Shahid, who have appeared both in TV dramas and film projects.

Moreover, catering to the elite requires making a specific type of cinema, but Pakistan lacks the budget to support such projects. It isn’t producing science fiction or films with visual effects due to budget constraints. To generate the necessary revenue for such films, at least 200 cinema screens are needed, said Hassan.

“During the good times, we had over 100 screens. Now, barely 60 remain. Only one-two films are produced each year, but they rarely have a significant impact on cinema attendance. Unless a truly cinematic film is made that draws in the audience, reviving cinemas in Pakistan will remain a challenge,” added Hassan.

The shift to OTT platforms has also added to the problem. According to Hassan, Pakistan is producing barely 10 movies a year, with the content no different from streaming platforms such as Hum TV and Green Entertainment. Mainstream films simply have no edge over the competition.

On top of the shifting audience dynamics, skyrocketing electricity prices are making it difficult for cinema operators to run their business and maintain infrastructure.

“Salaries and electricity costs — two important factors commentators deliberately ignore — have gone up by at least a factor of two. What choices do cinemas have, but not close down?” pointed out film critic Kamran Jawaid.

Lack of resources has led to the closure of long-running halls in the country, further contributing to the industry’s decline.

“If only 20 people show up for a film, the AC bill is higher than the total revenue from ticket sales,” said Rafique.

Political intitatives

Low film production rates, coupled with high ticket prices and OTT competition are prompting producers to do “something else with their money”, say industry insiders.

“Government intervention and dialogue between trade stakeholders is the only solution,” said Pakistani director and actor Wajahat Rauf.

The political class has come to aid cinema in the country with the Maryam Nawaz-led Punjab government announcing measures to ensure that “Lahore reclaims its cinematic glory.”

To move forward, Pakistan needs to address the disconnect between cinema and the masses. And following India’s example from years ago can prove beneficial.

“Indian cinematic revival, I feel, owes a lot to Nehru, who realised the importance of cinema– he made friends with directors and kept good relations. In Pakistan, the crisis triggered this (government support). They are now figuring out the solutions,” said Rafique.

Rafique emphasised that the screening of Indian films could bring back the crowds, while new financial incentives would stimulate local production.

“We don’t have a dearth of good directors or content, but the industry has failed to capitalise on it,” he stressed.

Mandviwalla echoed the sentiment. As the government moves to introduce incentives, he is hopeful about change “within six months”. But these incentives must be substantial enough to entice filmmakers back to the industry.

For Rafique, cultural exchange through cinema is essential for fostering understanding and connection between nations.

“Exchange of films leads to mohabbatein (love) in the hearts of people. Cinema has an importance. This silsila (practice) should not stop.”

(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)