i stumbled across this article, from bollywoodworld.com, i want to know what your views are on it.
Give us Bollywood nahin toh…
By: Mayank Shekhar
July 6, 2004
In the past 20 years, over 500 theatres have shut down in Pakistan mostly because they don’t have any films to play,” says M Riaz Malik, chairman, Pakistan Film Exhibitors Association from Karachi.
Incidentally among Karachi’s most popular cinemas Nishaad also folded up recently and the reason, says Malik is “the reluctance of the federal government to allow Indian films to cross the borders.” Hence, a call by the Pakistani cinema owners: if they are not permitted to screen Bollywood films, they shall shut down in a month.
Adds Malik: “The exact date to commence the indefinite nationwide strike has not been fixed yet. But we’ve set a rough dead line of about a month. In the meantime we shall meet with concerned state officials. No embargo on Pakistani entertainment products exists from the Indian side.
There is very limited film production in Pakistan and most of the films are in Punjabi — not even Urdu. When we don’t have films to play, what will theatres do? Negotiations are on with the Pakistani government to lift the ban on Indian movies for over two months now.”
Indian films have remained prohibited on Pakistani soil since the 1965 war. The obvious repercussion of this dictum has been rampant piracy of Indian films in Pakistan.
Says Malik, “Hindi films release on Fridays, but they appear here on cable television two days in advance. Certainly Bollywood producers and the underworld are involved in this illegal trade.”
As for the imminent strike, Malik does admit to opposition from certain local producers over the decision, but contends, “The chairman, Pakistan Producers’ Association has supported the resolution. Indigenous filmmakers have developed monopolies. The opening up of the movie market will lead to more competition and better Pakistani films too.”
However, Jamshed Zafar, a known Pakistan producer, speaking to us from Lahore begs to differ: “We are not opposing Indian films from entering Pakistani theatres. In fact we are the ones who initiated the movement at Mumbai’s FICCI Frames conference.
But the process will take time and theatre strike is not a solution. Especially when the Pakistani government has just waived entertainment tax on films to help the cash-strapped theatre industry.”