fbpx
Wikipedia

Cinema of Pakistan

July 02, 2023

Cinema of Pakistan, popularly known as Lollywood (Urdu: پاکِستانی سینما), refers to the filmmaking industry in Pakistan.[2] Pakistan is home to several film studios centres, primarily located in its three largest cities – Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad.

Cinema of Pakistan
No. of screens1,500 (2023)
Main distributorsARY Films
Hum Films
Geo Films
Urdu 1 Pictures
Six Sigma Plus
Eveready Pictures
Produced feature films (2023)[1]
Total100+
Number of admissions
Total250,000,000

Pakistani cinema has played an important part in Pakistani culture, and in recent years, has begun flourishing again after years of decline, delivering entertainment to audiences in Pakistan and expatriates abroad. Several film industries are based in Pakistan, which tend to be regional and niche in nature.

Joyland, the first Pakistani film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival 2022, .[2] It was selected as the Pakistani entry by Pakistani film Ferternity for Best International Feature Film at 95th Academy Awards.[3]

Over 14,000 Urdu feature films have been produced in Pakistan since 1948, as well as over 10,000+ Punjabi, 8,000+ Pashto, 4,000+ Sindhi and 1,000+ Balochi feature-length films. The first film ever produced was Husn Ka Daku in 1929, directed by Abdur Rashid Kardar in Lahore. The first Pakistani-film produced was Teri Yaad, directed by Daud Chand in 1948.

Between 1947 and 2007, Pakistani cinema was predominately based in Lahore, home to the nation's largest film industry (nicknamed Lollywood).[4] Pakistani films during this period attracted large audiences and had a strong cult following, was part of the cultural mainstream, widely available and imitated by the masses. During the early 1970s, Pakistan was the world's fourth-largest producer of feature films.[5]

However, between 1977 and 2007, the film industry of Pakistan went into decline due to martial laws, strengthening of censorship laws, and an overall lack of quality. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the film industry went through several periods of ups and downs, a reflection of its dependency on state funding and incentives. By 2000, the film industry in Lahore had collapsed and saw a gradual shift of Pakistani actors, actresses, producers and filmmakers from Lahore to Karachi.

By 2007, the wounds of Pakistan's collapsed film industry began to heal and Karachi had cemented itself as the center of Pakistani cinema. This was the time new generation producers stepped into the industry with short films with quality story line and new technology led to an explosion of alternative form of Pakistani cinema. The shift has been seen by many as the leading cause for the "resurgence of Pakistani cinema".[6] Despite the industry crisis starting in the mid-1980s, Pakistani films have retained much of their distinctive identity. Since the shift to Karachi, Pakistani films have once again began attracting a strong cult following.[7][8]

As of June 2023, the total number of cinema halls in Pakistan is 1,500.

History

Silent Era (1929–1946)

The history of cinema in Pakistan began in 1929, when Abdur Rashid Kardar set up a studio and production company under the name of United Players Corporation (later renamed to Playart Phototone), which would become the foundation stone for the Lahore film industry.[9] After scouting for locations, he settled for their offices to be established at Ravi Road. The dimly-lit area presented difficulties as shootings were only possible in daylight, but nevertheless, the area had some very important landmarks like the Ravi Forest and the tombs of Mughal emperor Jahangir and his wife Nur Jahan.[9] It is reported that the team working at the studios would commute on tangas and even lost equipment once while traveling on the bumpy roads on the horse-drawn carriage.[9]

However basic and crude their working conditions, Kardar believed in his work and in 1929 he produced the first silent film in Lahore Husn Ka Daku (Mysterious Eagle), under his studio's banner.[10][11] The film had mild success at cinemas, but prominently established Lahore as a functioning film industry. Kardar vowed on not acting in any other film and instead focusing on direction.[9] Immediately afterwards, the studio released the film Sarfarosh (Brave Heart) in 1930 and Farebi Daku in 1931, with Gul Hamid playing the lead role with more or less the same cast as in the previous film. Also in 1931, the film Khooni Katar was released. This production proved equally appealing, but was able to stir noise about the Lahore film industry.

Roop Lal Shori, who was a resident of Brandreth Road in Lahore, upon hearing of Lahore's growing film industry, returned to his hometown and produced Qismat Ke Haer Pher (Life After Death) in 1932, which would firmly ground the film industry in Lahore.[9] In 1946, Sajjad Gul set up Evernew Studios in on Multan Road. The following year, Eveready Pictures was established by J.C. Anand, which would go on to become the largest film production and distribution company in Pakistan.

Independence and growth (1947–1959)

 
Ahmed Rushdi, an award-winning playback singer

In 1947, after Pakistan was created out of British India, Lahore became the hub of cinema in Pakistan.[12] By 1947 there were around 80 cinemas in East Bengal. In March 1948, when the Governor-General of Pakistan Mohammad Ali Jinnah came to visit East Bengal, the radio broadcaster and filmmaker Nazir Ahmed was commissioned to create the informational film In Our Midst with the help of Calcutta-based film technicians. It was the first informational film of the province (now Bangladesh). Upon independence, there was a shortage of funds and filming equipment, which initially paralysed the film industry. With hardships faced, the first Pakistani feature film, Teri Yaad released on 7 August 1948,[13] premiering at the Parbhat Theatre in Lahore.[14]

Over the next few years, films that were released reached mediocre success until the release of Do Ansoo on 7 April 1950. Do Ansoo became the first film to attain a 25-week viewing making it the first film to reach silver jubilee status. Recovery was evident with Noor Jehan's directorial debut Chanwey releasing on 29 April 1951.[15] The film became the first to be directed by a female director. Syed Faqir Ahmad Shah produced his first film with a heavy budget in 1955. Saqlain Rizvi and Murtaza Jillani were the directors. Syed Faqir Ahmad produced his second film Jagga in 1958 directed by his son Saqlain Rizvi. The film remained mediocre in the cinema.

As cinema viewership increased, Sassi released on 3 June 1954 by Eveready Pictures reached golden jubilee status staying on screens for 50 weeks. Legendary playback singer Ahmed Rushdi started his career in April 1955 after singing his first song in Pakistan "Bander Road Se Kemari". Umar Marvi, released on 12 March 1956, became the first Pakistani film to be made in the Sindhi language.

To celebrate the success of these endeavours, film journalist Ilyas Rashidi launched an annual awarding event on 17 July 1957.[16] Named Nigar Awards, the event is since then considered Pakistan's premier awards event celebrating outstanding performance in various categories of filmmaking.[17]

The Golden Era (1959–1977)

Further information: Syed Kamal, Waheed Murad, Mohammad Ali (actor), Sohail Rana, Ahmed Rushdi, and Nadeem Baig (actor)
 
Waheed Murad, a method actor

The 1960s is often cited as being the golden era of Pakistani cinema. Many stars were introduced during this period who would go on to become cinema legends on the silver screen. As black and white form became obsolete, Pakistan saw the introduction of its first colour films. Some that share the status of being firsts are Munshi Dil's Azra in the early 1960s, Zahir Raihan's Sangam (first full-length coloured film) released on 23 April 1964, and Mala (first coloured cinema scope film). In 1962, Shaheed was released which introduced the Palestine conflict to Pakistanis in cinemas and became an instant hit. In 1962, Pakistan's most versatile actor Mohammad Ali debuted in Charagh Jalta Raha. It was premiered by Fatima Jinnah on 9 March 1962 at Nishat Cinema in Karachi.

In September 1965, following the war between Pakistan and India, all Indian films were completely banned.[18] A light ban had existed since 1952 in West Pakistan and since 1962 in East Pakistan,[19] but was exercised rigorously after the War of 1965. Pakistani cinemas did not suffer much from the decision to remove the films and instead received better attendances.

Realising the potential, Waheed Murad stepped into the industry. His persona led people to call him the "chocolate hero" and in essence, he became the Marlon Brando and Elvis Presley of Pakistan.[20] In 1966, Armaan was released and became one of the most cherished Urdu films to ever be released.[21] The film is said to have given birth to Pakistani pop music, by introducing playback singing legends like composer Sohail Rana and singer Ahmed Rushdi. The film became the first to complete a 75-week screening at cinemas throughout the country, thus attaining a platinum jubilee status. Waheed Murad was picturised in a song for the first time ever in director Saqlain Rizvi's Mamta released in 1963.[21] Another rising star during this period was Nadeem Baig, who received instant stardom with his debut film Chakori in 1967. The same year, he would act in another film of a different genre.

Horror films were introduced with the release of Zinda Laash, making it the first Pakistani film to display an R rating tag on its posters.[22] Meanwhile, Eastern Films Magazine, a tabloid edited by Said Haroon, became the most popular magazine for film buffs in Pakistan. The magazine had a question and answer section titled "Yours Impishly" which the sub-editor Asif Noorani took inspiration for from I. S. Johar's page in India's Filmfare magazine.[21] Tabloids like these got their first controversial covers with the release of Neela Parbat on 3 January 1969, which became Pakistan's first feature-film with an adults-only tag.[20] It ran for only three-to-four days at the box office.[23] More controversial yet would be the offering of distribution rights in the Middle East to the Palestinian guerrilla organisation, Al Fatah, by the writer, producer, and director Riaz Shahid for his film Zarqa released on 17 October 1969.[24] It depicted the activities of the organisation.

Towards the late 1960s and early 1970s, political turmoil once again returned with the East Pakistan conflict brewing. Amidst concerns, the film Dosti, released on 7 February 1971 and turned out to be the first indigenous Urdu film to complete 101 weeks of success at the box office, dubbing it the first recipient of a diamond jubilee.[25] As political uncertainty took charge of the entertainment industry, filmmakers were asked to consider sociopolitical impacts of their films as evident by the fact that the makers of Tehzeeb, released on 20 November 1971, were asked to change the lyrics with a reference to Misr, Urdu for Egypt, that might have proved detrimental to the diplomatic relations between Egypt and Pakistan. So vulnerable was the film industry to the changing political landscape that in 1976, an angry mob set fire to a cinema in Quetta just before the release of the first Balochi film, Hammal O Mahganj.

Javed Jabbar's Beyond the Last Mountain, released on 2 December 1976, was Pakistan's first venture into English film-making. The Urdu version Musafir did not do well at the box office. Signs of trouble slowly began in the cinema industry as VCRs and piracy became an issue.

Decline (1977–1990)

 
Gundasa culture in Lollywood

Pakistani cinema entered into a decline during the regime of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (1978–1988), who began his Islamization process across the country. One of the first victims of this sociopolitical change was Pakistani cinema.[26] Imposition of new registration laws for film producers requiring filmmakers to be degree holders, where not many were, led to a steep decline in the workings of the industry. The government forcibly closed most of the cinemas in Lahore.[27] New tax rates were introduced, further decreasing cinema attendances. Other factors such as VCRs and film piracy had a negative effect on the growth of the industry.[28]

Aina, released on 18 March 1977, marked a distinct symbolic break between the so-called liberal Zulfikar Ali Bhutto years and the increasingly conservative cum revolutionary Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq regime. The film stayed in cinemas for over 400 weeks,[29] with its last screening at the Scala in Karachi, where it ran for more than four years. It is considered the most popular Pakistan film ever.[29] Films dropped from a total output of 98 in 1979, of which 42 were in Urdu, to only 58 films of which 26 were in Urdu in 1980.[citation needed].

The film industry by now was on the verge of collapse as people began turning away from cinema. The filmmakers that remained in the industry, produced super hits like Punjabi cult classic Maula Jatt in 1979, telling the story of a gandasa-carrying protagonist waging a blood-feud with a local gangster. While Maula Jatt paved the way for films based on rural and violent anti-hero, in terms of dress, conduct, speech, and values, Maula was at odds with previous presentations of heroes and ideals of nation-building.[30] Similarly, Aurat Raj, released in 1979, is another film, which is hailed for its feminist narrative.[31][32] Growing censorship policies against displays of affection, rather than violence, came as a blow to the industry.[33] As a result, violence-ridden Punjabi films prevailed and overshadowed Urdu cinema.[33] The middle class neglected the 'increasingly dilapidated and rowdy cinemas'.[33] This film sub-culture came to be known as the gandasa culture. In Punjabi cinema, Sultan Rahi and Anjuman became iconic figures of this culture. In Pashto cinema, filmmakers were able to get around the censor policies and filled their films with soft-core pornography to increase viewership. This was done by the backing of powerful politicians.[33]

The once romantic and lovable image of Pakistani cinema in the 1960s and 1970s had transformed into a culture of violence and vulgarity by the 1980s. This ironically came while the government under Zia-ul-Haq's regime was attempting to "Islamise" the country. Being an actress associated with the current crop of productions became an understandable taboo and many middle-class people began shunning these films.[citation needed] Nevertheless, the influx of refugees from Afghanistan, who were denied entertainment in their own country, kept Pashto cinema alive,[34] while Punjabi cinema was fueled by young single men from the rural areas of Punjab.

In 1983, legendary actor Waheed Murad died, which was yet another blow to the cinema industry.[35] Some claim he committed suicide while the media attributed his death to his disheartened view in the wake of Pakistani cinema's collapse.[36] The director of his unfinished film Hero, employed 'cheat shots'[33] to complete the film and released to sold out cinemas across the country. This enthusiasm soon disappeared and not even Pakistan's first science fiction film, Shaani, in 1989,[37] directed by Saeed Rizvi employing elaborate special effects, could save the industry. It received awards at the Moscow Film Festival,[38] in Egypt, and in Korea,[38] but was shelved in Pakistan.[38]

Collapse (1990–2002)

At the start of the 1990s, Pakistan's film industry was gripped with certain doom. Of the several dozen studios across the country, only 11 were operational producing around 100 films annually.[39] By now the annual output dropped to around 40 films, all produced by a single studio.[39] Other productions would be independent of any studio usually financed by the filmmakers themselves. This number would lower further as studios went towards producing short-plays and television commercials.[27] The death of Waheed Murad in 1983 was only the start of the demise of iconic cinema stars of the 60s which further led to decreased interest. Anjuman quit from playback signing, Sultan Rahi was murdered in 1996, director Sangeeta put her career on hold to attended to family life while Nazrul Islam died. Controversy raged over the 1998 film Jinnah, produced by Akbar Salahuddin Ahmed and directed by Jamil Dehlavi. Objections were raised over the choice of actor Christopher Lee as the protagonist[40] depicting Muhammad Ali Jinnah and inclusion of Indian Shashi Kapoor as archangel Gabriel[41] in the cast combined with the experimental nature of the script.[41] Imran Aslam, editor of The News International, said the author wrote the script in a "haze of hashish".[41] By 1999, a surge of new films began releasing. Haathi Meray Saathi produced and distributed by Eveready Pictures celebrated its Golden Jubilee bringing audience back to the cinema for 66 weeks. Other hits were Syed Noor's 1995 film Jeeva, Saeed Rizvi's Sarkata Insaan and his 1997 film Tilismih Jazira. 1998 saw the release of Noor's Choorian, a Punjabi film that grossed Rs180 million rupees.[42] In 1999, a Russian-Pakistani joint venture was produced and Samina Peerzada's Inteha. Other notable productions of the late 90s included Deewane Tere Pyar Ke, Mujhe Chand Chahiye, Sangam, Tere Pyar Mein, and Ghar Kab Aao Gay, which attempted to get away from formulaic and violent story lines. It was predicted that Pakistani cinema would have a revival. However, the public did not respond and low attendance at cinemas were recorded as the lower middle class shunned these films. The industry was pronounced dead by the start of the new millennium. By the early 2000s "an industry that once produced an average of 80 films annually was now struggling to even churn out more than two films a year".[43] Partial successes were recorded with Larki Panjaban[44] and Javed Sheikh's Yeh Dil Aap Ka Huwa[45] grossing over Rs200 million rupees.

Revival and resurgence (2003–2011)

By 2003, young filmmakers in Karachi began experimenting with film and released low budget films to demonstrate that high quality content could be produced in Pakistan using limited resources.[46] Cinema houses were declining in all major cities and a revival of cinema was being echoed throughout the media. With privatization of television stations in full swing, a new channel Filmazia began airing old Pakistani films as well as newer low budget productions. During this period Mahesh Bhatt, a celebrated Indian director, visited Pakistan looking for talent - particularly singers who could lend their voices to his upcoming films in India. His visit to Pakistan was to coincide with the third Kara Film Festival where he screened his film Paap in Karachi.[47] Bhatt would later hire Atif Aslam[48] for the soundtrack of his film Zeher and Pakistani actress Meera to play a lead-role in one of his films.[citation needed] By 2005, a gradual shift had begun whereby Karachi was replacing Lahore as the Urdu film hub of the country. Before 2005, Lahore was a film hub for both Punjabi and Urdu films. Many film makers, producers, directors shifted to Karachi to avail new opportunities. In August 2007, Shoaib Mansoor directed and released Khuda Ke Liye - it became a surprise instant success at the box office and brought the middle class back to the cinemas due to its controversial theme of addressing Pakistan's social problems. The film was also released internationally, including India, where it became the first Pakistani film released there after four decades.[49] The release of Khuda Kay Liye is seen by many as the revival of cinema in Pakistan and the cementing of Karachi as the Pakistani film and showbiz capital. Despite optimism of a solid revival, progress continued to be slow. Alongside Geo Films, the "Pakistan New Cinema Movement" was launched in 2009 with around 1400 members which facilitated networking to stimulate newer film productions. Several films were released after Khuda Kay Liye which saw limited success including Shaan Shahid's directorial project Chup, Syed Noor's Price of Honor, Iqbal Kashmiri's Devdas, Son of Pakistan, Syed Faisal Bukhari's Saltanat, Reema Khan's Love Mein Ghum.,[50] 'Bhai Log' and Mehreen Jabbar's Ramchand Pakistani. However it was Shoaib Mansoor to the rescue again with his 2011 film Bol which broke box office records in Pakistan.[51]

New wave (2011–present)

Shoaib Mansoor's Bol seemed to have officially "revived" the cinema of Pakistan. 2013 brought with it seven Pakistani films that were theatrically released in Pakistan, and led commentators to ponder whether it was time to announce the heralding of a 'new wave'[28] of Pakistani cinema.[52] Since 2011 from the digital scene two films have stood out with box office success as highest grossing Pakistani films; Waar followed by Main Hoon Shahid Afridi.

Shoaib Mansoor's Khuda Kay Liye (2007) and Bol (2011) seemed to have ushered in the revival of Pakistani cinema. By 2013, several Pakistani films were theatrically released - the first time in over a decade. It led commentators to speculate whether it was time to announce the heralding of a 'new wave'[28] of Pakistani cinema.[52]2013 proved to be a great year for Pakistani cinema. In March, Siyaah (meaning Pitch black) was the first horror thriller film to be released in Pakistan in over 20 years. Directed by Azfar Jafri[53] and written by Osman Khalid Butt, the film starred Hareem Farooq, Qazi Jabbar, Mahnoor Usman and Ahmed Ali Akbar. The film was about a dissociative identity disorder patient who uses black magic against unsuspecting relatives.[54] The film collected over ₨2.65 crore (US$260,000) at the box office. The following month Chambaili, an Urdu-language political thriller film directed by Ismail Jilani, was released starring Salmaan Peerzada, Khalid Ahmed, Mohammed Ehteshamuddin, Maira Khan, Shafqat Cheema and Ghulam Mohiuddin also made a special appearance. The film was a political drama exploring the subject of political corruption in Pakistan. Since the flower 'Chambaili' (lily flower) is the national flower of Pakistan, the film-makers' intentions were to encourage patriotism and nationalism in Pakistan.[55] The film made Rs. 20 million (US$69,000) at the box office. Waar (Wār; IPA: [ʋɑːr], meaning "The Strike") was the winner of 2013. The action-thriller film directed by Bilal Lashari[56] and written and produced by Hassan Rana[57] featured Shaan Shahid, Meesha Shafi, Ali Azmat, Shamoon Abbasi, Ayesha Khan and Kamran Lashari.[58] At the time of its release, it became the highest-grossing Pakistani film ever. This was broken by 2015 release of Jawani Phir Nahi Ani.[59] The film depicts events surrounding the war on terror in Pakistan,[60][61] including the attack on a Police Academy in Lahore in 2009. Several other films were also released between April and October including Ishq Khuda directed by Shahzad Rafique, Josh: Independence Through Unity directed by Iram Parveen Bilal, Main Hoon Shahid Afridi directed by Syed Ali Raza Usama, Zinda Bhaag by Meenu Gaur and Seedlings by Mansoor Mujahid. Main Hoon Shahid Afridi was an action-drama film directed by Syed Ali Raza Usama and produced by Humayun Saeed[62] and Shahzad Nasib. The film starred Humayun Saeed, Javed Shaikh and Noman Habib in the lead roles. Nadeem Baig, Shafqat Cheema, Ismail Tara, Ainy Jaffri, Hamza Ali Abbasi and Shehzad Sheikh also played important roles in the film, whilst Shahid Afridi[63] and Ayesha Omar made special appearances.[64] The film earned Rs. 22 million (US$76,000) in its first week of release.[65] However, as some commentators cautioned, declaring a film a 'hit' or a 'flop' is determined by the relationship of the budget spent and box office returns of a film and therefore several of the top-grossing films of Pakistan were technically not a 'hit'.[66] Nonetheless, the lack of box office returns of a Pakistani film has less to do with the film itself but more to do with the severely limited number of screens in Pakistan.[67] Zinda Bhaag (Run For Your Life) has been critically acclaimed with reviewers calling it 'the best film to have come out of modern-day Pakistani cinema'[68] and a "new metaphor for Pakistani cinema"[69] that "bode(d) well for the possibility of noteworthy Pakistani imports in years to come".[70] Zinda Bhaag went on to be Pakistan's official submission to the Oscars,[71] the first after a gap of fifty years[72] but did not make the final shortlist nominees.[73] The resurgence of new Pakistani film productions centres around the use of digital equipment and makes use of cheaper distribution with DCP compliant cinemas which started to convert around 2011, increasing rapidly to 2014 with around 30 cinemas nationwide.[74]

2014 proved to be an equally great year, with Na Maloom Afraad (Unidentified Persons) taking the 2014 box office. The Pakistani comedy thriller film was co-written and directed by Nabeel Qureshi as his directorial debut.[75] The film starred Javed Sheikh, Fahad Mustafa, Mohsin Abbas Haider with supporting cast of Urwa Hocane, Kubra Khan and Salman Shahid.[76] The story follows Shakeel (Sheikh), Farhaan (Mustafa) and Moon (Haider), three poor struggling individuals who chase every possible means of becoming rich, all getting into trouble as they struggle to fulfill their desires and ambitions through questionably moral ways.[77] Other films released in 2014 included Tamanna directed by Steven Moore, Sultanat directed by Syed Faisal Bukhari, Dukhtar directed by Afia Nathaniel, and O21 directed by Jami.[citation needed]

2015 picked off from the momentum of 2014 and 2013. Jalaibee (meaning twist) was a caper action thriller film[78] directed and written by Yasir Jaswal,[79][80] produced by Eman Syed. Jalaibee was a joint production of ARY Films and Redrum Films in association with Sermad Films and Jaswal Films. The film starred prominent TV actors Danish Taimoor[81] and Ali Safina[82][83] in lead roles along with Adnan Jaffar, Sajid Hasan, Uzair Jaswal,[84] Wiqar Ali Khan,[85] Sabeeka Imam and Zhalay Sarhadi.[86] Jalaibee was the first Pakistani film to be shot with the Arri Alexa camera.[86] and was about the intertwined stories of numerous characters who are all struggling with their problems, and who somehow connect on a unifying level.[87] The film collected Rs. 5 million (US$17,000) before its release as Malik Riaz had bought 10,000 tickets in advance.[88] The film had a good number of public previews came out well on them collecting Rs. 1 million (US$3,500) which is biggest preview collections ever in Pakistan.[89][90] In total, the film collected Rs. 7.50 crore (US$260,000) at domestic box office and around Rs. 3 crore (US$100,000) overseas, taking lifetime gross to Rs. 10.5 crore (US$360,000) at the end of April.[91] In May, Pakistan's first 3D computer animated adventure film was released. 3 Bahadur (lit. 'three brave ones') was produced and directed by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy. It was the first instalment in the franchise 3 Bahadur (film series) and was co-produced by Waadi Animations (a joint-venture of SOC films)[92][93] and ARY Films. 3 Bahadur became Pakistan's first computer-animated feature-length film.[94][95][96] The film focuses on three eleven-year-old friends, who rise from the unlikeliest of places to save their community from the evils that plague it.[97] The film is set in a fictional town called Roshan Basti (town of light).[98] Equipped with courage and super powers, they battle against the odds and stand up to injustice to restore peace and harmony in their once thriving community and live a very happy life. The film was theatrically released ARY Films.[99] It became the highest-grossing animated film at the local box office breaking the previous record of Rio 2.[100][101] It grossed Rs. 6.63 crore (US$230,000) after 50 days of successful run in cinemas and became 7th highest-grossing film in Pakistani cinema history.[102] Between July and September, a number of films were released beginning with Bin Roye (Without Crying). The romantic drama film directed by Momina Duraid and Shahzad Kashmiri[103][104] starred Mahira Khan,[105][106] Humayun Saeed, Armeena Khan, Zeba Bakhtiar,[107] and Javed Sheikh.[108][109][110] One of the movie's songs is directed by Haissam Hussain. The film was based on the original novel Bin Roye Ansoo by Farhat Ishtiaq and released worldwide on 18 July 18, 2015, the day of Eid-ul-Fitr.[111][112] Bin Roye was praised by the critics.[113][114] It broke all records on international markets becoming one of the highest grossing Pakistani films. The film Bin Roye was later adapted into a television series with the same name, that premiered on Hum TV on October 2, 2016.[115] Its success was followed by Jawani Phir Nahi Ani which became the highest-grossing film of 2015 and breaking all box office records on domestic markets. The year saw some of the most critical acclaimed Pakistani films including Moor and Manto. Thes film raised the standards for Pakistani films.

2016 continued the momentum of new age Pakistani cinema. Ho Mann Jahaan was released on 1 January starring Adeel Hussain, Mahira Khan, Sheheryar Munawar, and Sonya Jehan, along with veteran Bushra Ansari.[116] The film opened to a highly successful box office weekend and went on to run for several weeks, making it the third-highest-grossing film of 2016, earning Rs.22.50 crores in total.[117] Janaan and Actor In Law both opened on Eid weekend, becoming the highest and second-highest-grossing films of 2016, respectively, earning Rs.24 crores and Rs.17.5 crores at the local box office and Rs.30 crores at the international box office.[118][119]

Cinema by language

Main article: Lists of Pakistani films by language

Film festivals

Awards

See also

References

  1. ^ "Stakeholders tense over dwindling number of films". Express Tribune. 5 January 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  2. ^ a b "How a Pakistani film is charming the world". Deccan Herald. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  3. ^ "'Joyland' is Pakistan's entry for Oscars 2023". The Express Tribune. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  4. ^ . Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  5. ^ Rabe, Nate (20 March 2017). "Sound of Lollywood: To Palestine, with love from the great Pakistani star Neelo". Dawn Images. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  6. ^ Rehman, Sonya (10 January 2016). "'Bachaana' And The Rebirth of Pakistani Cinema". Forbes. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  7. ^ bureau, the citizen. "Is Pakistan Cinema On The Verge Of A Renaissance?".
  8. ^ Hoad, Phil (3 February 2017). "Is Pakistani film experiencing a revival?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e . Cinema of Pakistan. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  10. ^ . Film and TV Guide India. Archived from the original on 30 March 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  11. ^ "Husn Ka Daku". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  12. ^ Abdurab, Adi (17 August 2015). "Just reborn, our film industry already needs a rescue". Dawn. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  13. ^ "Into the great beyond". DAWN Newspaper. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  14. ^ . Mazhar.dk. Archived from the original on 18 April 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  15. ^ 70 Years of Changing Tides in Pakistani Cinema
  16. ^ "Overview: Lollywood's Oscars". DAWN Newspaper. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2008.
  17. ^ . All Things Pakistan. 26 May 2007. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
  18. ^ Armes, Roy (29 July 1987). Third World Film Making and the West. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-90801-7.
  19. ^ . National Media Museum, UK. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  20. ^ a b . Cuba Now. Archived from the original on 20 April 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  21. ^ a b c . Scripnet Charity. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  22. ^ . HotSpot Online. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
  23. ^ . Khalid Hassan's official website. Archived from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  24. ^ . British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 24 February 2006. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  25. ^ . Mazhar.dk. Archived from the original on 11 February 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  26. ^ Branigan, Tania (13 February 2004). "My film is part of the peace process". London: Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 3 July 2008.
  27. ^ a b . On The Media. Archived from the original on 26 April 2011. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
  28. ^ a b c Paracha, Nadeem F. (26 September 2013). "New-wave of Pakistani cinema: Zinda and kicking". Dawn. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  29. ^ a b . Mazhar.dk. Archived from the original on 18 February 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  30. ^ Sevea, Iqbal (July 2014). ""Kharaak Kita Oi!" : Masculinity, Caste, and Gender in Punjabi Films". BioScope: South Asian Screen Studies. 5 (2): 129–140. doi:10.1177/0974927614548645. ISSN 0974-9276. S2CID 145354496.
  31. ^ Mokhtar, Shehram (May 2018). "Aurat Raj: Hacking Masculinity & Reimagining Gender in South Asian Cinema". Ada: A Journal of Gender, New Media, and Technology (13). doi:10.5399/uo/ada.2018.13.2. ISSN 2325-0496.
  32. ^ Paracha, Nadeem F. (17 August 2014). "Pakistan's first radical feminist". Dawn. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  33. ^ a b c d e "1984". The Chronicles of Pakistan. Retrieved 3 July 2008.[dead link]
  34. ^ . Khyber.org. Archived from the original on 12 January 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2008.
  35. ^ . Chowk. Archived from the original on 20 July 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2008.
  36. ^ . The Daily Times. Archived from the original on 13 February 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2008.
  37. ^ . Punjabi Lok. Archived from the original on 11 August 2002. Retrieved 3 July 2008.
  38. ^ a b c . Kalpoint. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
  39. ^ a b "Lollywood's newest star is home boy". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
  40. ^ "Trouble Jinnah movie opens". BBC World. 26 September 1998. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
  41. ^ a b c "Pakistan governments halts funds for Jinnah film". Rediff. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
  42. ^ . HotSpot. Archived from the original on 18 May 2006. Retrieved 3 July 2008.
  43. ^ . www.bollywhat.com. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014.
  44. ^ "Filming across the divide". BBC. 1 December 2003. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  45. ^ . Geo Funkar. Archived from the original on 23 December 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2008.
  46. ^ Abbas, Zaffar (28 January 2003). "Lolywood's Happy Ending". BBC World. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
  47. ^ . ApunKaChoice. Archived from the original on 11 January 2005. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
  48. ^ HNHStyle (26 December 2020). "Atif Aslam On Forbes Asia's 100 Digital Stars List". HNH Style. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  49. ^ . Archived from the original on 6 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-05. Pak. film Khuda Ke Liye released in India
  50. ^ "Film review: Love Mein Ghum - coming back to life - The Express Tribune". 20 September 2011.
  51. ^ "Shoaib Mansoor's BOL breaks box office record in Pakistan". Pakistani Ultimate Media. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  52. ^ a b Shah, Bina (14 January 2014). "Opinion - Pakistani Cinema's New Wave". The New York Times.
  53. ^ Khan, Sher. "Small budget Siyaah may pave way for indie film-makers". Tribune. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  54. ^ "Siyaah: A story of black magic". The Express Tribune. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  55. ^ Khan, Sher (17 March 2013). "With Chambaili, a colony of workers gets a facelift". The Express Tribune newspaper. Retrieved 31 December 2013., Retrieved 15 July 2016
  56. ^ ""I Didn't Want to Play Safe with Waar": Bilal Lashari". Lekha Menon. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  57. ^ Khan, Sher (28 August 2013). "Genius or moron — you decide, says Waar producer". Tribune. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  58. ^ Khan, Sher (9 January 2012). "Waging Waar". Lahore: The Express Tribune.
  59. ^ Mahmood, Rafay. "Waar is the highest grossing Pakistani film of all time". Tribune. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  60. ^ Shadab, Biya (26 April 2011). "Waar: Pakistan's next blockbuster?". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  61. ^ "Meesha Shafi joins Mira Nair's The Reluctant Fundamentalist". The News. 8 October 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  62. ^ Mahmood, Rafay (15 August 2013). "I respect Shahid Afridi's sentiments: Humayun Saeed". Tribune. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  63. ^ Khan, Ghuncha (26 September 2013). . The News - Blog. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  64. ^ Jawaid, Mohammad Kamran (22 August 2013). "Movie Review: Main Hoon Shahid Afridi". DAWN. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  65. ^ Mahmood, Rafay (5 October 2013). "Main Hoon Shahid Afridi is box office hit!". Tribune. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  66. ^ Zaidi, Hasan (24 October 2013). "Is Waar a hit?". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  67. ^ Zaidi, Mazhar (1 June 2014). "Cinema in Pakistan: the way ahead".
  68. ^ "Zinda Bhaag: This deserves an Oscar nod - The Express Tribune". 19 September 2013.
  69. ^ Kumar, Anuj (17 August 2012). "Up and running". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
  70. ^ Abele, Robert (21 October 2013). "Review: 'Zinda Bhaag's' young Pakistanis dream of opportunity abroad". Los Angeles Times – via LA Times.
  71. ^ Dawn.com (13 September 2013). ""Zinda Bhaag" submitted for Oscar consideration".
  72. ^ "Zinda Bhaag: Pakistan nominates first film for Oscar in 50 years - The Express Tribune". 16 September 2013.
  73. ^ List of submissions to the 83rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
  74. ^ News, Dawn (16 September 2013). "Cinema goes digital". Dawn.com. Dawn group. Retrieved 5 June 2014. {{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  75. ^ . HiP. Khayyam Baig. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  76. ^ "Did you know?: Na Maloom Afraad to reveal identities post-Ramazan". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  77. ^ "Na Maloom Afraad- Pakistani Movie on Karachi's Turmoil to Release in August". Brandsynario. Maheen Nusrat. 30 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  78. ^ "Get ready to get some Jalaibee!". Skotato. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  79. ^ Rao, Maliha. "Jalaibee is coming - Interview with director". SOUP. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  80. ^ "Chats with Yasir Jaswal". Soup. Maliha Rao. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  81. ^ Zaidi, Nida (18 November 2013). "Danish Taimoor will make his film Debut with upcoming movie 'Jalaibee'". Reviewit. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  82. ^ "Jalaibee 'very different' from other movies being made in Pakistan". The Express Tribune. Hasan Ansari. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  83. ^ . HiP. Ayesha Ahmed. Archived from the original on 15 December 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  84. ^ . Daily Times. Archived from the original on 18 January 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  85. ^ "Adding swag to Pashtun identity in showbiz". The Express Tribune. Maryam Usman. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  86. ^ a b . HIP. Wajiha Jawaid. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  87. ^ "Jalaibee will be pure entertainment, director promise". DAWN.com. Zoya Anwer. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  88. ^ "Jalaibee makes Rs5 million on the box office before release". The Express Tribune. Hasan Ansari. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  89. ^ "'Jalaibee' earns Rs 1 Crore on opening day". Business Recorder. Madiha Shakeel. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  90. ^ "Jalaibee makes Rs1 crore on opening day". The Express Tribune. Rafay Mahmood. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  91. ^ . Box Office Asia. Archived from the original on 30 April 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  92. ^ . Sunday magazine. 3 June 2014. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  93. ^ . Daily Times. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  94. ^ . Indiewire. Jerry Beck. Archived from the original on 30 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  95. ^ "Three Braves: Pakistan's empowering first animated feature film". The Guardian. Alia Waheed. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  96. ^ . The Express Tribune. Zoya Altaf. Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  97. ^ "'Teen Bahdur' gives Pakistan's children superheroes they can relate to". BBC News. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  98. ^ "First Look of film, '3 Bahadur'". Times of Entertainment. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  99. ^ . Daily Times. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  100. ^ "3 Bahadur becomes highest grossing animated film ever in Pakistan". The Express Tribune. Hasan Ansari. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  101. ^ "'3 Bahadur' all set to mark Rs.50 million at box office". ARY News. Zohaib Kazmi. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  102. ^ . BoxOfficeDetail. Archived from the original on 17 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  103. ^ "Premiere chatter: Here's what people are saying about Bin Roye". 14 July 2015.
  104. ^ "Behind the scenes at Bollywood's Oscars".
  105. ^ Khan, Noreen (8 July 2015). "Pakistani actress Mahira Khan". BBC Radio Asian Network. BBC News. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  106. ^ "Why Pakistanis watching Bajrangi Bhaijaan shouldn't worry about India".
  107. ^ Friction, Bobby (3 July 2015). "Bobby speaks to yesteryear Pakistani actress Zeba Bakhtiar about her new film Bin Roye". BBC Radio Asian Network. BBC News. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  108. ^ "Haunted house? Extreme heat? — 6 things you didn't know about Bin Roye". 18 July 2015.
  109. ^ "Humayun Saeed and Mahira fall flat in Bin Roye's music vids. What went wrong?". 16 June 2015.
  110. ^ "Mahira Khan to clash with Salman Khan at the box office". The Times of India.
  111. ^ Ajram, Saima (29 June 2015). "Bin Roye: Eid Release". BBC Radio Asian Network. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  112. ^ . Daily Times. Archived from the original on 28 May 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  113. ^ "Could Pakistan rival India's Bollywood?". Haroon Rashid. BBC Asian Network. 21 July 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  114. ^ "The box office Eidi". 17 July 2015.
  115. ^ "'Bin Roye' rides Pakistani new wave". Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  116. ^ . dailytimes.com.pk. 27 March 2015. Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  117. ^ . Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  118. ^ Jawaid, Wajiha (11 January 2016). "'Actor in Law' is a romantic comedy that highlights social issues". HIP in Pakistan. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  119. ^ "Om Puri's first Pakistani film to release on Eidul Azha". The Express Tribune. 10 January 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  120. ^ "FiLUMS International Film Festival starts today". The Nation. 23 November 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  121. ^ "The second Pakistan Film Festival to be held in New York next month". The News International. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  122. ^ "PIFF 2019 highlighted potential of Animation in Pakistan". The News International. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  123. ^ "Lahore Eurasia Film Festival to commence from December 20". The News International. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  124. ^ "The IPPA Awards — a night of glamour, recognition and some clothing controversy". Images by Dawn. 1 November 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.

Further reading

  • Abbas, Zaffar (28 January 2003). "Lollywood looks for happy ending". BBC News. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  • Khan, Mehboob (11 June 2004). "Cinema's taboo on partition". BBC News. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  • Ghafoor, Usman (9 June 2005). "Pakistan's dilemma – Bollywood or bust?". BBC News. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  • Mahmood, Rafay (26 December 2013). "2013: The year in game changers of the entertainment industry". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 26 December 2013.

July 02, 2023
cinema, pakistan, popularly, known, lollywood, urdu, پاک, ستانی, سینما, refers, filmmaking, industry, pakistan, pakistan, home, several, film, studios, centres, primarily, located, three, largest, cities, karachi, lahore, faisalabad, screens1, 2023, main, dist. Cinema of Pakistan popularly known as Lollywood Urdu پاک ستانی سینما refers to the filmmaking industry in Pakistan 2 Pakistan is home to several film studios centres primarily located in its three largest cities Karachi Lahore and Faisalabad Cinema of PakistanNo of screens1 500 2023 Main distributorsARY FilmsHum FilmsGeo FilmsUrdu 1 PicturesSix Sigma PlusEveready PicturesProduced feature films 2023 1 Total100 Number of admissionsTotal250 000 000Pakistani cinema has played an important part in Pakistani culture and in recent years has begun flourishing again after years of decline delivering entertainment to audiences in Pakistan and expatriates abroad Several film industries are based in Pakistan which tend to be regional and niche in nature Joyland the first Pakistani film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival 2022 2 It was selected as the Pakistani entry by Pakistani film Ferternity for Best International Feature Film at 95th Academy Awards 3 Over 14 000 Urdu feature films have been produced in Pakistan since 1948 as well as over 10 000 Punjabi 8 000 Pashto 4 000 Sindhi and 1 000 Balochi feature length films The first film ever produced was Husn Ka Daku in 1929 directed by Abdur Rashid Kardar in Lahore The first Pakistani film produced was Teri Yaad directed by Daud Chand in 1948 Between 1947 and 2007 Pakistani cinema was predominately based in Lahore home to the nation s largest film industry nicknamed Lollywood 4 Pakistani films during this period attracted large audiences and had a strong cult following was part of the cultural mainstream widely available and imitated by the masses During the early 1970s Pakistan was the world s fourth largest producer of feature films 5 However between 1977 and 2007 the film industry of Pakistan went into decline due to martial laws strengthening of censorship laws and an overall lack of quality Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the film industry went through several periods of ups and downs a reflection of its dependency on state funding and incentives By 2000 the film industry in Lahore had collapsed and saw a gradual shift of Pakistani actors actresses producers and filmmakers from Lahore to Karachi By 2007 the wounds of Pakistan s collapsed film industry began to heal and Karachi had cemented itself as the center of Pakistani cinema This was the time new generation producers stepped into the industry with short films with quality story line and new technology led to an explosion of alternative form of Pakistani cinema The shift has been seen by many as the leading cause for the resurgence of Pakistani cinema 6 Despite the industry crisis starting in the mid 1980s Pakistani films have retained much of their distinctive identity Since the shift to Karachi Pakistani films have once again began attracting a strong cult following 7 8 As of June 2023 the total number of cinema halls in Pakistan is 1 500 Contents 1 History 1 1 Silent Era 1929 1946 1 2 Independence and growth 1947 1959 1 3 The Golden Era 1959 1977 1 4 Decline 1977 1990 1 5 Collapse 1990 2002 1 6 Revival and resurgence 2003 2011 1 7 New wave 2011 present 2 Cinema by language 3 Film festivals 4 Awards 5 See also 6 References 7 Further readingHistory EditSilent Era 1929 1946 Edit The history of cinema in Pakistan began in 1929 when Abdur Rashid Kardar set up a studio and production company under the name of United Players Corporation later renamed to Playart Phototone which would become the foundation stone for the Lahore film industry 9 After scouting for locations he settled for their offices to be established at Ravi Road The dimly lit area presented difficulties as shootings were only possible in daylight but nevertheless the area had some very important landmarks like the Ravi Forest and the tombs of Mughal emperor Jahangir and his wife Nur Jahan 9 It is reported that the team working at the studios would commute on tangas and even lost equipment once while traveling on the bumpy roads on the horse drawn carriage 9 However basic and crude their working conditions Kardar believed in his work and in 1929 he produced the first silent film in Lahore Husn Ka Daku Mysterious Eagle under his studio s banner 10 11 The film had mild success at cinemas but prominently established Lahore as a functioning film industry Kardar vowed on not acting in any other film and instead focusing on direction 9 Immediately afterwards the studio released the film Sarfarosh Brave Heart in 1930 and Farebi Daku in 1931 with Gul Hamid playing the lead role with more or less the same cast as in the previous film Also in 1931 the film Khooni Katar was released This production proved equally appealing but was able to stir noise about the Lahore film industry Roop Lal Shori who was a resident of Brandreth Road in Lahore upon hearing of Lahore s growing film industry returned to his hometown and produced Qismat Ke Haer Pher Life After Death in 1932 which would firmly ground the film industry in Lahore 9 In 1946 Sajjad Gul set up Evernew Studios in on Multan Road The following year Eveready Pictures was established by J C Anand which would go on to become the largest film production and distribution company in Pakistan Independence and growth 1947 1959 Edit Ahmed Rushdi an award winning playback singer In 1947 after Pakistan was created out of British India Lahore became the hub of cinema in Pakistan 12 By 1947 there were around 80 cinemas in East Bengal In March 1948 when the Governor General of Pakistan Mohammad Ali Jinnah came to visit East Bengal the radio broadcaster and filmmaker Nazir Ahmed was commissioned to create the informational film In Our Midst with the help of Calcutta based film technicians It was the first informational film of the province now Bangladesh Upon independence there was a shortage of funds and filming equipment which initially paralysed the film industry With hardships faced the first Pakistani feature film Teri Yaad released on 7 August 1948 13 premiering at the Parbhat Theatre in Lahore 14 Over the next few years films that were released reached mediocre success until the release of Do Ansoo on 7 April 1950 Do Ansoo became the first film to attain a 25 week viewing making it the first film to reach silver jubilee status Recovery was evident with Noor Jehan s directorial debut Chanwey releasing on 29 April 1951 15 The film became the first to be directed by a female director Syed Faqir Ahmad Shah produced his first film with a heavy budget in 1955 Saqlain Rizvi and Murtaza Jillani were the directors Syed Faqir Ahmad produced his second film Jagga in 1958 directed by his son Saqlain Rizvi The film remained mediocre in the cinema As cinema viewership increased Sassi released on 3 June 1954 by Eveready Pictures reached golden jubilee status staying on screens for 50 weeks Legendary playback singer Ahmed Rushdi started his career in April 1955 after singing his first song in Pakistan Bander Road Se Kemari Umar Marvi released on 12 March 1956 became the first Pakistani film to be made in the Sindhi language To celebrate the success of these endeavours film journalist Ilyas Rashidi launched an annual awarding event on 17 July 1957 16 Named Nigar Awards the event is since then considered Pakistan s premier awards event celebrating outstanding performance in various categories of filmmaking 17 The Golden Era 1959 1977 Edit Further information Syed Kamal Waheed Murad Mohammad Ali actor Sohail Rana Ahmed Rushdi and Nadeem Baig actor Waheed Murad a method actor The 1960s is often cited as being the golden era of Pakistani cinema Many stars were introduced during this period who would go on to become cinema legends on the silver screen As black and white form became obsolete Pakistan saw the introduction of its first colour films Some that share the status of being firsts are Munshi Dil s Azra in the early 1960s Zahir Raihan s Sangam first full length coloured film released on 23 April 1964 and Mala first coloured cinema scope film In 1962 Shaheed was released which introduced the Palestine conflict to Pakistanis in cinemas and became an instant hit In 1962 Pakistan s most versatile actor Mohammad Ali debuted in Charagh Jalta Raha It was premiered by Fatima Jinnah on 9 March 1962 at Nishat Cinema in Karachi In September 1965 following the war between Pakistan and India all Indian films were completely banned 18 A light ban had existed since 1952 in West Pakistan and since 1962 in East Pakistan 19 but was exercised rigorously after the War of 1965 Pakistani cinemas did not suffer much from the decision to remove the films and instead received better attendances Realising the potential Waheed Murad stepped into the industry His persona led people to call him the chocolate hero and in essence he became the Marlon Brando and Elvis Presley of Pakistan 20 In 1966 Armaan was released and became one of the most cherished Urdu films to ever be released 21 The film is said to have given birth to Pakistani pop music by introducing playback singing legends like composer Sohail Rana and singer Ahmed Rushdi The film became the first to complete a 75 week screening at cinemas throughout the country thus attaining a platinum jubilee status Waheed Murad was picturised in a song for the first time ever in director Saqlain Rizvi s Mamta released in 1963 21 Another rising star during this period was Nadeem Baig who received instant stardom with his debut film Chakori in 1967 The same year he would act in another film of a different genre Horror films were introduced with the release of Zinda Laash making it the first Pakistani film to display an R rating tag on its posters 22 Meanwhile Eastern Films Magazine a tabloid edited by Said Haroon became the most popular magazine for film buffs in Pakistan The magazine had a question and answer section titled Yours Impishly which the sub editor Asif Noorani took inspiration for from I S Johar s page in India s Filmfare magazine 21 Tabloids like these got their first controversial covers with the release of Neela Parbat on 3 January 1969 which became Pakistan s first feature film with an adults only tag 20 It ran for only three to four days at the box office 23 More controversial yet would be the offering of distribution rights in the Middle East to the Palestinian guerrilla organisation Al Fatah by the writer producer and director Riaz Shahid for his film Zarqa released on 17 October 1969 24 It depicted the activities of the organisation Towards the late 1960s and early 1970s political turmoil once again returned with the East Pakistan conflict brewing Amidst concerns the film Dosti released on 7 February 1971 and turned out to be the first indigenous Urdu film to complete 101 weeks of success at the box office dubbing it the first recipient of a diamond jubilee 25 As political uncertainty took charge of the entertainment industry filmmakers were asked to consider sociopolitical impacts of their films as evident by the fact that the makers of Tehzeeb released on 20 November 1971 were asked to change the lyrics with a reference to Misr Urdu for Egypt that might have proved detrimental to the diplomatic relations between Egypt and Pakistan So vulnerable was the film industry to the changing political landscape that in 1976 an angry mob set fire to a cinema in Quetta just before the release of the first Balochi film Hammal O Mahganj Javed Jabbar s Beyond the Last Mountain released on 2 December 1976 was Pakistan s first venture into English film making The Urdu version Musafir did not do well at the box office Signs of trouble slowly began in the cinema industry as VCRs and piracy became an issue Decline 1977 1990 Edit Gundasa culture in Lollywood Pakistani cinema entered into a decline during the regime of Muhammad Zia ul Haq 1978 1988 who began his Islamization process across the country One of the first victims of this sociopolitical change was Pakistani cinema 26 Imposition of new registration laws for film producers requiring filmmakers to be degree holders where not many were led to a steep decline in the workings of the industry The government forcibly closed most of the cinemas in Lahore 27 New tax rates were introduced further decreasing cinema attendances Other factors such as VCRs and film piracy had a negative effect on the growth of the industry 28 Aina released on 18 March 1977 marked a distinct symbolic break between the so called liberal Zulfikar Ali Bhutto years and the increasingly conservative cum revolutionary Muhammad Zia ul Haq regime The film stayed in cinemas for over 400 weeks 29 with its last screening at the Scala in Karachi where it ran for more than four years It is considered the most popular Pakistan film ever 29 Films dropped from a total output of 98 in 1979 of which 42 were in Urdu to only 58 films of which 26 were in Urdu in 1980 citation needed The film industry by now was on the verge of collapse as people began turning away from cinema The filmmakers that remained in the industry produced super hits like Punjabi cult classic Maula Jatt in 1979 telling the story of a gandasa carrying protagonist waging a blood feud with a local gangster While Maula Jatt paved the way for films based on rural and violent anti hero in terms of dress conduct speech and values Maula was at odds with previous presentations of heroes and ideals of nation building 30 Similarly Aurat Raj released in 1979 is another film which is hailed for its feminist narrative 31 32 Growing censorship policies against displays of affection rather than violence came as a blow to the industry 33 As a result violence ridden Punjabi films prevailed and overshadowed Urdu cinema 33 The middle class neglected the increasingly dilapidated and rowdy cinemas 33 This film sub culture came to be known as the gandasa culture In Punjabi cinema Sultan Rahi and Anjuman became iconic figures of this culture In Pashto cinema filmmakers were able to get around the censor policies and filled their films with soft core pornography to increase viewership This was done by the backing of powerful politicians 33 The once romantic and lovable image of Pakistani cinema in the 1960s and 1970s had transformed into a culture of violence and vulgarity by the 1980s This ironically came while the government under Zia ul Haq s regime was attempting to Islamise the country Being an actress associated with the current crop of productions became an understandable taboo and many middle class people began shunning these films citation needed Nevertheless the influx of refugees from Afghanistan who were denied entertainment in their own country kept Pashto cinema alive 34 while Punjabi cinema was fueled by young single men from the rural areas of Punjab In 1983 legendary actor Waheed Murad died which was yet another blow to the cinema industry 35 Some claim he committed suicide while the media attributed his death to his disheartened view in the wake of Pakistani cinema s collapse 36 The director of his unfinished film Hero employed cheat shots 33 to complete the film and released to sold out cinemas across the country This enthusiasm soon disappeared and not even Pakistan s first science fiction film Shaani in 1989 37 directed by Saeed Rizvi employing elaborate special effects could save the industry It received awards at the Moscow Film Festival 38 in Egypt and in Korea 38 but was shelved in Pakistan 38 Collapse 1990 2002 Edit At the start of the 1990s Pakistan s film industry was gripped with certain doom Of the several dozen studios across the country only 11 were operational producing around 100 films annually 39 By now the annual output dropped to around 40 films all produced by a single studio 39 Other productions would be independent of any studio usually financed by the filmmakers themselves This number would lower further as studios went towards producing short plays and television commercials 27 The death of Waheed Murad in 1983 was only the start of the demise of iconic cinema stars of the 60s which further led to decreased interest Anjuman quit from playback signing Sultan Rahi was murdered in 1996 director Sangeeta put her career on hold to attended to family life while Nazrul Islam died Controversy raged over the 1998 film Jinnah produced by Akbar Salahuddin Ahmed and directed by Jamil Dehlavi Objections were raised over the choice of actor Christopher Lee as the protagonist 40 depicting Muhammad Ali Jinnah and inclusion of Indian Shashi Kapoor as archangel Gabriel 41 in the cast combined with the experimental nature of the script 41 Imran Aslam editor of The News International said the author wrote the script in a haze of hashish 41 By 1999 a surge of new films began releasing Haathi Meray Saathi produced and distributed by Eveready Pictures celebrated its Golden Jubilee bringing audience back to the cinema for 66 weeks Other hits were Syed Noor s 1995 film Jeeva Saeed Rizvi s Sarkata Insaan and his 1997 film Tilismih Jazira 1998 saw the release of Noor s Choorian a Punjabi film that grossed Rs180 million rupees 42 In 1999 a Russian Pakistani joint venture was produced and Samina Peerzada s Inteha Other notable productions of the late 90s included Deewane Tere Pyar Ke Mujhe Chand Chahiye Sangam Tere Pyar Mein and Ghar Kab Aao Gay which attempted to get away from formulaic and violent story lines It was predicted that Pakistani cinema would have a revival However the public did not respond and low attendance at cinemas were recorded as the lower middle class shunned these films The industry was pronounced dead by the start of the new millennium By the early 2000s an industry that once produced an average of 80 films annually was now struggling to even churn out more than two films a year 43 Partial successes were recorded with Larki Panjaban 44 and Javed Sheikh s Yeh Dil Aap Ka Huwa 45 grossing over Rs200 million rupees Revival and resurgence 2003 2011 Edit By 2003 young filmmakers in Karachi began experimenting with film and released low budget films to demonstrate that high quality content could be produced in Pakistan using limited resources 46 Cinema houses were declining in all major cities and a revival of cinema was being echoed throughout the media With privatization of television stations in full swing a new channel Filmazia began airing old Pakistani films as well as newer low budget productions During this period Mahesh Bhatt a celebrated Indian director visited Pakistan looking for talent particularly singers who could lend their voices to his upcoming films in India His visit to Pakistan was to coincide with the third Kara Film Festival where he screened his film Paap in Karachi 47 Bhatt would later hire Atif Aslam 48 for the soundtrack of his film Zeher and Pakistani actress Meera to play a lead role in one of his films citation needed By 2005 a gradual shift had begun whereby Karachi was replacing Lahore as the Urdu film hub of the country Before 2005 Lahore was a film hub for both Punjabi and Urdu films Many film makers producers directors shifted to Karachi to avail new opportunities In August 2007 Shoaib Mansoor directed and released Khuda Ke Liye it became a surprise instant success at the box office and brought the middle class back to the cinemas due to its controversial theme of addressing Pakistan s social problems The film was also released internationally including India where it became the first Pakistani film released there after four decades 49 The release of Khuda Kay Liye is seen by many as the revival of cinema in Pakistan and the cementing of Karachi as the Pakistani film and showbiz capital Despite optimism of a solid revival progress continued to be slow Alongside Geo Films the Pakistan New Cinema Movement was launched in 2009 with around 1400 members which facilitated networking to stimulate newer film productions Several films were released after Khuda Kay Liye which saw limited success including Shaan Shahid s directorial project Chup Syed Noor s Price of Honor Iqbal Kashmiri s Devdas Son of Pakistan Syed Faisal Bukhari s Saltanat Reema Khan s Love Mein Ghum 50 Bhai Log and Mehreen Jabbar s Ramchand Pakistani However it was Shoaib Mansoor to the rescue again with his 2011 film Bol which broke box office records in Pakistan 51 New wave 2011 present Edit Shoaib Mansoor s Bol seemed to have officially revived the cinema of Pakistan 2013 brought with it seven Pakistani films that were theatrically released in Pakistan and led commentators to ponder whether it was time to announce the heralding of a new wave 28 of Pakistani cinema 52 Since 2011 from the digital scene two films have stood out with box office success as highest grossing Pakistani films Waar followed by Main Hoon Shahid Afridi Shoaib Mansoor s Khuda Kay Liye 2007 and Bol 2011 seemed to have ushered in the revival of Pakistani cinema By 2013 several Pakistani films were theatrically released the first time in over a decade It led commentators to speculate whether it was time to announce the heralding of a new wave 28 of Pakistani cinema 52 2013 proved to be a great year for Pakistani cinema In March Siyaah meaning Pitch black was the first horror thriller film to be released in Pakistan in over 20 years Directed by Azfar Jafri 53 and written by Osman Khalid Butt the film starred Hareem Farooq Qazi Jabbar Mahnoor Usman and Ahmed Ali Akbar The film was about a dissociative identity disorder patient who uses black magic against unsuspecting relatives 54 The film collected over 2 65 crore US 260 000 at the box office The following month Chambaili an Urdu language political thriller film directed by Ismail Jilani was released starring Salmaan Peerzada Khalid Ahmed Mohammed Ehteshamuddin Maira Khan Shafqat Cheema and Ghulam Mohiuddin also made a special appearance The film was a political drama exploring the subject of political corruption in Pakistan Since the flower Chambaili lily flower is the national flower of Pakistan the film makers intentions were to encourage patriotism and nationalism in Pakistan 55 The film made Rs 20 million US 69 000 at the box office Waar War IPA ʋɑːr meaning The Strike was the winner of 2013 The action thriller film directed by Bilal Lashari 56 and written and produced by Hassan Rana 57 featured Shaan Shahid Meesha Shafi Ali Azmat Shamoon Abbasi Ayesha Khan and Kamran Lashari 58 At the time of its release it became the highest grossing Pakistani film ever This was broken by 2015 release of Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 59 The film depicts events surrounding the war on terror in Pakistan 60 61 including the attack on a Police Academy in Lahore in 2009 Several other films were also released between April and October including Ishq Khuda directed by Shahzad Rafique Josh Independence Through Unity directed by Iram Parveen Bilal Main Hoon Shahid Afridi directed by Syed Ali Raza Usama Zinda Bhaag by Meenu Gaur and Seedlings by Mansoor Mujahid Main Hoon Shahid Afridi was an action drama film directed by Syed Ali Raza Usama and produced by Humayun Saeed 62 and Shahzad Nasib The film starred Humayun Saeed Javed Shaikh and Noman Habib in the lead roles Nadeem Baig Shafqat Cheema Ismail Tara Ainy Jaffri Hamza Ali Abbasi and Shehzad Sheikh also played important roles in the film whilst Shahid Afridi 63 and Ayesha Omar made special appearances 64 The film earned Rs 22 million US 76 000 in its first week of release 65 However as some commentators cautioned declaring a film a hit or a flop is determined by the relationship of the budget spent and box office returns of a film and therefore several of the top grossing films of Pakistan were technically not a hit 66 Nonetheless the lack of box office returns of a Pakistani film has less to do with the film itself but more to do with the severely limited number of screens in Pakistan 67 Zinda Bhaag Run For Your Life has been critically acclaimed with reviewers calling it the best film to have come out of modern day Pakistani cinema 68 and a new metaphor for Pakistani cinema 69 that bode d well for the possibility of noteworthy Pakistani imports in years to come 70 Zinda Bhaag went on to be Pakistan s official submission to the Oscars 71 the first after a gap of fifty years 72 but did not make the final shortlist nominees 73 The resurgence of new Pakistani film productions centres around the use of digital equipment and makes use of cheaper distribution with DCP compliant cinemas which started to convert around 2011 increasing rapidly to 2014 with around 30 cinemas nationwide 74 2014 proved to be an equally great year with Na Maloom Afraad Unidentified Persons taking the 2014 box office The Pakistani comedy thriller film was co written and directed by Nabeel Qureshi as his directorial debut 75 The film starred Javed Sheikh Fahad Mustafa Mohsin Abbas Haider with supporting cast of Urwa Hocane Kubra Khan and Salman Shahid 76 The story follows Shakeel Sheikh Farhaan Mustafa and Moon Haider three poor struggling individuals who chase every possible means of becoming rich all getting into trouble as they struggle to fulfill their desires and ambitions through questionably moral ways 77 Other films released in 2014 included Tamanna directed by Steven Moore Sultanat directed by Syed Faisal Bukhari Dukhtar directed by Afia Nathaniel and O21 directed by Jami citation needed 2015 picked off from the momentum of 2014 and 2013 Jalaibee meaning twist was a caper action thriller film 78 directed and written by Yasir Jaswal 79 80 produced by Eman Syed Jalaibee was a joint production of ARY Films and Redrum Films in association with Sermad Films and Jaswal Films The film starred prominent TV actors Danish Taimoor 81 and Ali Safina 82 83 in lead roles along with Adnan Jaffar Sajid Hasan Uzair Jaswal 84 Wiqar Ali Khan 85 Sabeeka Imam and Zhalay Sarhadi 86 Jalaibee was the first Pakistani film to be shot with the Arri Alexa camera 86 and was about the intertwined stories of numerous characters who are all struggling with their problems and who somehow connect on a unifying level 87 The film collected Rs 5 million US 17 000 before its release as Malik Riaz had bought 10 000 tickets in advance 88 The film had a good number of public previews came out well on them collecting Rs 1 million US 3 500 which is biggest preview collections ever in Pakistan 89 90 In total the film collected Rs 7 50 crore US 260 000 at domestic box office and around Rs 3 crore US 100 000 overseas taking lifetime gross to Rs 10 5 crore US 360 000 at the end of April 91 In May Pakistan s first 3D computer animated adventure film was released 3 Bahadur lit three brave ones was produced and directed by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy It was the first instalment in the franchise 3 Bahadur film series and was co produced by Waadi Animations a joint venture of SOC films 92 93 and ARY Films 3 Bahadur became Pakistan s first computer animated feature length film 94 95 96 The film focuses on three eleven year old friends who rise from the unlikeliest of places to save their community from the evils that plague it 97 The film is set in a fictional town called Roshan Basti town of light 98 Equipped with courage and super powers they battle against the odds and stand up to injustice to restore peace and harmony in their once thriving community and live a very happy life The film was theatrically released ARY Films 99 It became the highest grossing animated film at the local box office breaking the previous record of Rio 2 100 101 It grossed Rs 6 63 crore US 230 000 after 50 days of successful run in cinemas and became 7th highest grossing film in Pakistani cinema history 102 Between July and September a number of films were released beginning with Bin Roye Without Crying The romantic drama film directed by Momina Duraid and Shahzad Kashmiri 103 104 starred Mahira Khan 105 106 Humayun Saeed Armeena Khan Zeba Bakhtiar 107 and Javed Sheikh 108 109 110 One of the movie s songs is directed by Haissam Hussain The film was based on the original novel Bin Roye Ansoo by Farhat Ishtiaq and released worldwide on 18 July 18 2015 the day of Eid ul Fitr 111 112 Bin Roye was praised by the critics 113 114 It broke all records on international markets becoming one of the highest grossing Pakistani films The film Bin Roye was later adapted into a television series with the same name that premiered on Hum TV on October 2 2016 115 Its success was followed by Jawani Phir Nahi Ani which became the highest grossing film of 2015 and breaking all box office records on domestic markets The year saw some of the most critical acclaimed Pakistani films including Moor and Manto Thes film raised the standards for Pakistani films 2016 continued the momentum of new age Pakistani cinema Ho Mann Jahaan was released on 1 January starring Adeel Hussain Mahira Khan Sheheryar Munawar and Sonya Jehan along with veteran Bushra Ansari 116 The film opened to a highly successful box office weekend and went on to run for several weeks making it the third highest grossing film of 2016 earning Rs 22 50 crores in total 117 Janaan and Actor In Law both opened on Eid weekend becoming the highest and second highest grossing films of 2016 respectively earning Rs 24 crores and Rs 17 5 crores at the local box office and Rs 30 crores at the international box office 118 119 Cinema by language EditMain article Lists of Pakistani films by languageFilm festivals EditKara Film Festival LUMS International Film Festival FiLUMS 120 Pakistan Film Festival New York 121 Pakistan International Film Festival 122 Lahore Eurasia Film Festival University of Lahore 123 Awards EditNigar Awards PTV Awards Lux Style Awards ARY Film Awards Pakistan Media Awards Hum Awards Pakistan International Screen Awards IPPA Awards International Pakistan Prestige Awards 124 See also EditList of cinema of the world Lists of Pakistani films List of highest grossing Pakistani films List of Pakistani male actors List of Pakistani actresses Shahnoor Studios One of the oldest film studios in LahoreReferences Edit Stakeholders tense over dwindling number of films Express Tribune 5 January 2019 Retrieved 7 January 2019 a b How a Pakistani film is charming the world Deccan Herald 11 November 2022 Retrieved 19 November 2022 Joyland is Pakistan s entry for Oscars 2023 The Express Tribune 30 September 2022 Retrieved 30 September 2022 If you thought Lollywood was booming let 2016 remind you why it s not Archived from the original on 17 December 2019 Retrieved 19 May 2019 Rabe Nate 20 March 2017 Sound of Lollywood To Palestine with love from the great Pakistani star Neelo Dawn Images Retrieved 21 March 2017 Rehman Sonya 10 January 2016 Bachaana And The Rebirth of Pakistani Cinema Forbes Retrieved 14 November 2022 bureau the citizen Is Pakistan Cinema On The Verge Of A Renaissance Hoad Phil 3 February 2017 Is Pakistani film experiencing a revival Al Jazeera Retrieved 13 November 2022 a b c d e The Silent Era 1896 1931 Cinema of Pakistan Archived from the original on 16 October 2008 Retrieved 6 July 2008 Our Founders Film and TV Guide India Archived from the original on 30 March 2015 Retrieved 6 July 2008 Husn Ka Daku Internet Movie Database Retrieved 6 July 2008 Abdurab Adi 17 August 2015 Just reborn our film industry already needs a rescue Dawn Retrieved 13 November 2022 Into the great beyond DAWN Newspaper Archived from the original on 24 July 2012 Retrieved 5 July 2008 Pakistani films in 1948 Mazhar dk Archived from the original on 18 April 2008 Retrieved 5 July 2008 70 Years of Changing Tides in Pakistani Cinema Overview Lollywood s Oscars DAWN Newspaper Archived from the original on 5 September 2012 Retrieved 16 July 2008 Aina Pakistan s greatest blockbuster movie All Things Pakistan 26 May 2007 Archived from the original on 2 October 2018 Retrieved 2 July 2008 Armes Roy 29 July 1987 Third World Film Making and the West University of California Press ISBN 978 0 520 90801 7 Select Timeline of Key Events in Indian Cinema National Media Museum UK Archived from the original on 25 June 2009 Retrieved 6 July 2008 a b Lollywood A Cuban Approach Cuba Now Archived from the original on 20 April 2008 Retrieved 6 July 2008 a b c History of Lollywood Scripnet Charity Archived from the original on 4 April 2016 Retrieved 6 July 2008 Zinda Laash HotSpot Online Archived from the original on 15 January 2012 Retrieved 4 July 2008 Private view Believing the unbelievable Khalid Hassan s official website Archived from the original on 10 June 2008 Retrieved 6 July 2008 Pakistani Cinema British Film Institute Archived from the original on 24 February 2006 Retrieved 6 July 2008 Pakistani films in 1971 Mazhar dk Archived from the original on 11 February 2008 Retrieved 5 July 2008 Branigan Tania 13 February 2004 My film is part of the peace process London Guardian Unlimited Retrieved 3 July 2008 a b Lollywood goes pop On The Media Archived from the original on 26 April 2011 Retrieved 2008 07 03 a b c Paracha Nadeem F 26 September 2013 New wave of Pakistani cinema Zinda and kicking Dawn Retrieved 14 November 2022 a b Pakistani films in 1977 Mazhar dk Archived from the original on 18 February 2008 Retrieved 5 July 2008 Sevea Iqbal July 2014 Kharaak Kita Oi Masculinity Caste and Gender in Punjabi Films BioScope South Asian Screen Studies 5 2 129 140 doi 10 1177 0974927614548645 ISSN 0974 9276 S2CID 145354496 Mokhtar Shehram May 2018 Aurat Raj Hacking Masculinity amp Reimagining Gender in South Asian Cinema Ada A Journal of Gender New Media and Technology 13 doi 10 5399 uo ada 2018 13 2 ISSN 2325 0496 Paracha Nadeem F 17 August 2014 Pakistan s first radical feminist Dawn Retrieved 13 August 2020 a b c d e 1984 The Chronicles of Pakistan Retrieved 3 July 2008 dead link Pashto cinema Khyber org Archived from the original on 12 January 2007 Retrieved 3 July 2008 Rise and fall of a silver screen hero Chowk Archived from the original on 20 July 2007 Retrieved 3 July 2008 Waheed Murad film festival in city from September 3 The Daily Times Archived from the original on 13 February 2007 Retrieved 3 July 2008 Landmarks in Pakistani cinema Punjabi Lok Archived from the original on 11 August 2002 Retrieved 3 July 2008 a b c Saeed Rizvi s interview Kalpoint Archived from the original on 13 July 2011 Retrieved 2008 07 03 a b Lollywood s newest star is home boy Bradford Telegraph and Argus Retrieved 4 July 2008 Trouble Jinnah movie opens BBC World 26 September 1998 Retrieved 4 July 2008 a b c Pakistan governments halts funds for Jinnah film Rediff Retrieved 4 July 2008 Review Choorian HotSpot Archived from the original on 18 May 2006 Retrieved 3 July 2008 bollywhat com www bollywhat com Archived from the original on 27 July 2014 Filming across the divide BBC 1 December 2003 Retrieved 1 October 2018 Review Yeh Dil Geo Funkar Archived from the original on 23 December 2007 Retrieved 3 July 2008 Abbas Zaffar 28 January 2003 Lolywood s Happy Ending BBC World Retrieved 2 July 2008 I m India s ambassador ApunKaChoice Archived from the original on 11 January 2005 Retrieved 2 July 2008 HNHStyle 26 December 2020 Atif Aslam On Forbes Asia s 100 Digital Stars List HNH Style Retrieved 6 January 2021 Pak film Khuda Ke Liye released in India Archived from the original on 6 April 2008 Retrieved 2008 04 05 Pak film Khuda Ke Liye released in India Film review Love Mein Ghum coming back to life The Express Tribune 20 September 2011 Shoaib Mansoor s BOL breaks box office record in Pakistan Pakistani Ultimate Media 14 July 2011 Retrieved 12 July 2011 a b Shah Bina 14 January 2014 Opinion Pakistani Cinema s New Wave The New York Times Khan Sher Small budget Siyaah may pave way for indie film makers Tribune Retrieved 28 January 2013 Siyaah A story of black magic The Express Tribune 3 July 2012 Retrieved 14 February 2013 Khan Sher 17 March 2013 With Chambaili a colony of workers gets a facelift The Express Tribune newspaper Retrieved 31 December 2013 Retrieved 15 July 2016 I Didn t Want to Play Safe with Waar Bilal Lashari Lekha Menon Retrieved 12 December 2013 Khan Sher 28 August 2013 Genius or moron you decide says Waar producer Tribune Retrieved 12 December 2013 Khan Sher 9 January 2012 Waging Waar Lahore The Express Tribune Mahmood Rafay Waar is the highest grossing Pakistani film of all time Tribune Retrieved 23 November 2013 Shadab Biya 26 April 2011 Waar Pakistan s next blockbuster The Express Tribune Retrieved 17 October 2013 Meesha Shafi joins Mira Nair s The Reluctant Fundamentalist The News 8 October 2011 Retrieved 17 October 2013 Mahmood Rafay 15 August 2013 I respect Shahid Afridi s sentiments Humayun Saeed Tribune Retrieved 21 December 2013 Khan Ghuncha 26 September 2013 Main Hoon Shahid Afridi Zamana bolay Boom Boom The News Blog Archived from the original on 20 October 2013 Retrieved 21 December 2013 Jawaid Mohammad Kamran 22 August 2013 Movie Review Main Hoon Shahid Afridi DAWN Retrieved 21 December 2013 Mahmood Rafay 5 October 2013 Main Hoon Shahid Afridi is box office hit Tribune Retrieved 21 December 2013 Zaidi Hasan 24 October 2013 Is Waar a hit DAWN COM Retrieved 1 October 2018 Zaidi Mazhar 1 June 2014 Cinema in Pakistan the way ahead Zinda Bhaag This deserves an Oscar nod The Express Tribune 19 September 2013 Kumar Anuj 17 August 2012 Up and running The Hindu via www thehindu com Abele Robert 21 October 2013 Review Zinda Bhaag s young Pakistanis dream of opportunity abroad Los Angeles Times via LA Times Dawn com 13 September 2013 Zinda Bhaag submitted for Oscar consideration Zinda Bhaag Pakistan nominates first film for Oscar in 50 years The Express Tribune 16 September 2013 List of submissions to the 83rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film News Dawn 16 September 2013 Cinema goes digital Dawn com Dawn group Retrieved 5 June 2014 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a last1 has generic name help Nabeel Qureshi Fard behind Namaloom Afraad HiP Khayyam Baig Archived from the original on 3 September 2014 Retrieved 3 September 2014 Did you know Na Maloom Afraad to reveal identities post Ramazan The Express Tribune Retrieved 13 June 2014 Na Maloom Afraad Pakistani Movie on Karachi s Turmoil to Release in August Brandsynario Maheen Nusrat 30 June 2014 Retrieved 13 June 2014 Get ready to get some Jalaibee Skotato Retrieved 31 December 2013 Rao Maliha Jalaibee is coming Interview with director SOUP Archived from the original on 27 December 2013 Retrieved 27 December 2013 Chats with Yasir Jaswal Soup Maliha Rao Archived from the original on 27 December 2013 Retrieved 20 October 2014 Zaidi Nida 18 November 2013 Danish Taimoor will make his film Debut with upcoming movie Jalaibee Reviewit Retrieved 31 December 2013 Jalaibee very different from other movies being made in Pakistan The Express Tribune Hasan Ansari Retrieved 8 March 2015 Ali Safina The sweet journey to Jalaibee HiP Ayesha Ahmed Archived from the original on 15 December 2014 Retrieved 15 December 2014 The Jaswals take over the industry Daily Times Archived from the original on 18 January 2015 Retrieved 23 January 2015 Adding swag to Pashtun identity in showbiz The Express Tribune Maryam Usman Retrieved 23 January 2015 a b 5 reasons to watch Jalaibee HIP Wajiha Jawaid Archived from the original on 6 June 2014 Retrieved 7 June 2014 Jalaibee will be pure entertainment director promise DAWN com Zoya Anwer Retrieved 10 October 2014 Jalaibee makes Rs5 million on the box office before release The Express Tribune Hasan Ansari Retrieved 13 March 2015 Jalaibee earns Rs 1 Crore on opening day Business Recorder Madiha Shakeel Retrieved 8 April 2015 Jalaibee makes Rs1 crore on opening day The Express Tribune Rafay Mahmood Retrieved 8 April 2015 Jalaibee Lifetime Collection Worldwide Box Office Asia Archived from the original on 30 April 2015 Retrieved 26 April 2015 SOC film launching first ever animated motion picture 3 Bahadur Sunday magazine 3 June 2014 Archived from the original on 7 June 2014 Retrieved 4 June 2014 SOC Films launches 3 Bahadur Daily Times Archived from the original on 26 June 2015 Retrieved 29 December 2014 Pakistan s First Full Length CG Feature 3 Bahadur Indiewire Jerry Beck Archived from the original on 30 December 2014 Retrieved 28 December 2014 Three Braves Pakistan s empowering first animated feature film The Guardian Alia Waheed Retrieved 25 December 2014 3 Bahadur Another Lollywood milestone The Express Tribune Zoya Altaf Archived from the original on 6 January 2015 Retrieved 6 January 2015 Teen Bahdur gives Pakistan s children superheroes they can relate to BBC News Retrieved 22 May 2015 First Look of film 3 Bahadur Times of Entertainment Archived from the original on 27 December 2014 Retrieved 28 December 2014 Waadi Animations is set to release 3 Bahadur across Pakistan today Daily Times Archived from the original on 13 July 2015 Retrieved 22 May 2015 3 Bahadur becomes highest grossing animated film ever in Pakistan The Express Tribune Hasan Ansari Retrieved 8 June 2015 3 Bahadur all set to mark Rs 50 million at box office ARY News Zohaib Kazmi Retrieved 8 June 2015 Top Grosser 2015 Pakistan 7 Films Over 5cr BoxOfficeDetail Archived from the original on 17 July 2015 Retrieved 16 July 2015 Premiere chatter Here s what people are saying about Bin Roye 14 July 2015 Behind the scenes at Bollywood s Oscars Khan Noreen 8 July 2015 Pakistani actress Mahira Khan BBC Radio Asian Network BBC News Retrieved 24 July 2015 Why Pakistanis watching Bajrangi Bhaijaan shouldn t worry about India Friction Bobby 3 July 2015 Bobby speaks to yesteryear Pakistani actress Zeba Bakhtiar about her new film Bin Roye BBC Radio Asian Network BBC News Retrieved 24 July 2015 Haunted house Extreme heat 6 things you didn t know about Bin Roye 18 July 2015 Humayun Saeed and Mahira fall flat in Bin Roye s music vids What went wrong 16 June 2015 Mahira Khan to clash with Salman Khan at the box office The Times of India Ajram Saima 29 June 2015 Bin Roye Eid Release BBC Radio Asian Network Retrieved 24 July 2015 Bin Roye to hit cinemas this Eid Daily Times Archived from the original on 28 May 2015 Retrieved 28 May 2015 Could Pakistan rival India s Bollywood Haroon Rashid BBC Asian Network 21 July 2015 Retrieved 24 July 2015 The box office Eidi 17 July 2015 Bin Roye rides Pakistani new wave Retrieved 23 July 2016 Ho Mann Jahaan Upcoming Pakistani film s cast and crew addresses media in Karachi dailytimes com pk 27 March 2015 Archived from the original on 7 July 2015 Retrieved 6 June 2015 Yearly Boxoffice Report Card 2016 ARY Films Stands Out Archived from the original on 29 July 2017 Retrieved 3 September 2017 Jawaid Wajiha 11 January 2016 Actor in Law is a romantic comedy that highlights social issues HIP in Pakistan Retrieved 11 January 2016 Om Puri s first Pakistani film to release on Eidul Azha The Express Tribune 10 January 2016 Retrieved 26 June 2016 FiLUMS International Film Festival starts today The Nation 23 November 2018 Retrieved 13 November 2022 The second Pakistan Film Festival to be held in New York next month The News International Retrieved 13 November 2022 PIFF 2019 highlighted potential of Animation in Pakistan The News International Retrieved 13 November 2022 Lahore Eurasia Film Festival to commence from December 20 The News International Retrieved 13 November 2022 The IPPA Awards a night of glamour recognition and some clothing controversy Images by Dawn 1 November 2021 Retrieved 13 January 2021 Further reading EditAbbas Zaffar 28 January 2003 Lollywood looks for happy ending BBC News Retrieved 26 December 2013 Khan Mehboob 11 June 2004 Cinema s taboo on partition BBC News Retrieved 26 December 2013 Ghafoor Usman 9 June 2005 Pakistan s dilemma Bollywood or bust BBC News Retrieved 26 December 2013 Mahmood Rafay 26 December 2013 2013 The year in game changers of the entertainment industry The Express Tribune Retrieved 26 December 2013 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cinema of Pakistan amp oldid 1161601520, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.