Daily Times

Cinema in Pakistan is finally ready to slide out of its stagnation mode. Many commendable productions by a new generation of Pakistani filmmakers are helping the industry ripple through its decades-long spell of decline.

Chairman of Central Film Censor Board Mubashar Hussain was not wrong in recently accrediting the presence of “educated youth in the industry [for changing] the trend of filmmaking for the better.” In just one year, 2015, indigenous filmmakers directed and produced as many as 11 motion pictures, hence contributing significantly to the ongoing cinema revival. Pakistani films raked in over one billion rupees in business in 2015, while a few films like Jawani Phir Nahi Aani even broke local records by earning more than 300 million rupees at the box office. The prevalent cinematic renaissance has clearly thrown away “gujjars” and “gundasas” that previously ravaged the Pakistani film industry, replacing them with rich biopics, solid commercial productions and laugh-a-minute comedies. Many critically acclaimed endeavours were also presented before the public in addition to an Oscar nominee as well as an animated adventure. The Pakistani entertainment industry at last appears to be making strides towards its previous golden era, when local cinemas buzzed with audiences from all walks of life.

Films have often been used by countries as a window to their culture in order to carve global understanding and alliances on key issues. Examples from Hollywood and even next-door film industry of India clearly validate the utilisation of cinema as a strategic tool to broaden a country’s cultural as well as economic appeal. Hence, if Pakistan aspires to safeguard its newly-revived industry from falling into oblivion, many more steps need to be taken by both the film fraternity and the administration. The new breed of filmmakers has yet to fulfil the market still hungry for homegrown entertainment, and, hence, an influx of innovative scriptwriters, proficient directors, talented screenplay writers and skillful technical personnel is urgently required. The industry needs to particularly encourage novel screenplays and interesting scripts so that the quality of productions can also be restored. As long as filmmakers do not come up with fresh content that complies with local themes and societal preferences, a sustainable revival cannot be attained. The state could also facilitate the ongoing growth in this regard by investing in film schools that help produce new talent.

Although decrepit cinema halls have long been replaced by state-of-the art cineplexes, the number of screens is yet to meet local demand. At present, local films can only be released on 52 screens across the country, which strips them of an opportunity to cover investment, let alone earn a profit. Government should step forward and pursue public-private collaborations in this sector so that a greater number of cinemas can be established in not merely big cities but all over the country. This would not only significantly increase revenue prospects for producers, but also help create employment opportunities in fields related to films. Punjab government should be applauded for already makes strides towards assisting the local industry through removal of various entertainment taxes. However, attention should also be paid towards the provision of subsidised licences to cinema houses and financed technical gear for filmmaking. *