pakistani cinema

these videos funnier than the actual pakistani movies.

recently i come to the conclusion that “everyone is “drama” in Pakistan, from politicans to our beloved cricketer (players), from saas-bhao, to loafer lafangay and chunay-munay buchay” all of them are actors but the people who are not actors are the ones who appear on the screen.

the fact is social, economical, cultural, religious, political and natural disasters have brought enough entertainment in normal pakistanis live that they know exactly how it feels when you didn’t eat for days. our actors not only miserably fail to project those accurate emotions but also we the viewers don’t want to see our problems projected on the screen (it hurts).

but we also don’t want to see vulgar ethos in the name of culture-art blah blah.

so why we have world’s one of the largest film industry (i think its sixth largest industry :hayaa:) when neither the viewers, nor the makers dont know the importance of psychoanalysis?

what shoman produced was brilliant, and we do need more movies like that, but the people like shoman are “atay main namak baraber”. whereas the scenario in pakistan is “halat” and “wakiat” put pakistani in a situation of “dont know dont care!”

"only place Pakistani movies should be screened is prison" :omg: "Slutan rahi- Bullet Proof" :cb:

director is sooo dumb of this “Duniya goal hai” movie

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Many issues are at stake. Many TV directors and producers have tried their hand at movies, but failed miserably, or at least didn't rope in the profit they were expecting. I think around the time projects like Laaj, Pyar hi Pyar Mein, etc were being produced - there were a number of films in the pipeline and there was a lot of excitement. I think by then Javed Sheikh's Yeh Dil Aap Ka Hua was in theatres and doing booming business, and people were really excited to make a movie, hoping that with ONE film project they could make way more money than doing a TV serial (I'm sure there were other intentions involved also). However, these string of films didn't do so well, and I think it became obvious to television folks that making movies is a different animal - that either its not cut out for them, or they're not cut out for it, or its just not the right time.

Another factor that came into play was that over the past few years, people like Syed Noor, have stopped tapping into the Urdu industry. Much attention has shifted back onto the Punjabi industry and even Pushto movies are now being made (Arbaz Khan and his family have shifted to Pushto movies, now). So, since Urdu still does remain the national language, tying everyone together, a lack of good Urdu films is a serious problem, and the market has dried up. People aren't even demanding good Urdu films anymore, like the were when Syed Noor took the industry by storm with his early movies like Jeeva and Sargam. Now Syed Noor is courting his new wife Saima, casting only her in almost every movie he makes (big depart from his earlier fame for bringing in new people into the industry), which has slowed the industry down - I mean how many Saima movies do you expect me to watch, really?, and now Rukhsana noor isn't writing his scripts anymore, and I don't blame her. What woman would if her husband was having a clear affair with a film actress for so many years, and then had the nerve to marry her on top of it?

Movies like Shohaib Mansoor's KKL - was a big investment. He faced massive hurdles, which would have forced anyone else to give up earlier. He ended up being jilted with foreign Pakistani investors, and resorted to taking a bank loan with interest. I don't know if he's paid it off yet, but the fact is that no one else would have risked taking out such a big loan from a bank.

There are no schools in Pakistan that train people on how to make films as oppose to TV serials. You want to learn how to make a TV serial - you can do that in Pakistan. There are writing courses in universities, etc and the TV field is so big in Pakistan that getting an internship or apprenticeship is really easy. So many channels, so if you make SOMETHING, you'll find some channel willing to air it more easily. You make a film, and look at the market. Where are you going to put up your film? In the dark disgusting unsafe cinema halls where families can't go with their women because of the dirty public? There are like 2 or 3 new cinemas that have opened up that show American movies, but 2 or 3 cinemas wont bring in revenue you need to even cover COST of your movie.

Editing equipement, etc - you have to go abroad to finish up the film, because Pakistan's studios can't deliver that quality anymore. So, that adds to your expenses. And if you're making a movie abroad, essentially, and your viewership is Pakistanis who make their income in ruppees, then even less likely that you'll cover cost.

The economics of film-making in Pakistan is really stopping a lot of people from trying to experiment. As oppose to TV - you can create a low budget documentary and get it aired and make some cash off it. How many blair witch type projects can you do on a big-screen in Pakistan of all places?

There's some hope, but the fact of the matter is that between the economics, and the corruption of the people already in the industry, there are more challenges to movie making in Pakistan. Therefore, many talented people just don't bother experimenting with it.

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By the way, any arguments that Pakistanis don't want to see good Pakistani movies even if they get a chance, doesn't hold true. Many TV channels have settled for a happy medium with telefilms. Telefilm viewership is pretty good, and the quality and style of many telefilms show us that there are folks in Pakistan who want to make MOVIES, not necessarily drama soaps.

Again, for such a person, making a telefilm, airing it on a private channel and making some money out of it is more lucrative financially, than risking a big budget venture that could possibly leave you in serious debt and have investors taking you to court.

That's why you see so many celebrities and producers/directors criticizing the government for not helping out. They're looking for some financial umbrella from the government, because they know its going to take time and money to jump start a dying industry.

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^ PCG has done the autopsy of Pakistan cinema. She is Donna Scully :k:

Which fabric did you use to make this sharara ? :aq:

zobia - some of the videos are funny :chai:

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^ i will post the reference of that gora (lol. hum ko goroon ki zaban he sachi lagti hai, and i believe it was gora/gori) SOOOOoONNNNN

and yes sir these videos are very funnny :cb:

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^ probably he said about the Sixth largets country (population wise) in the world. Which does not translate into film industory by any mean.

population is not directly propotional to film industory.

Pakistani film industory is invissible on world map. Apart from the fact that Sultan Rahi has engraved his name in guinnees book of record for working in most movies in one life time :hayaa:

:smokin2:

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PCG, what you failed to address is the problem partially lies with the audience too which didn't respond in the most enthusiastic manner to some of the attempts at "different" cinema in the past. I'll give you cases of two potentially pathbreaking films which could have gotten Lollywood out of the self destructive cycle of mediocre films.

The first one is** Laaj**, directed by Rauf Khalid. It was made with great intentions, and they really tried to do the absolute best they could with the prehistoric stuff they use to make their films. However, while the film boasted of some solid performances and a decent non-Gujjar storyline, and was one of the few historical period pieces from Lollywood, no one turned to watch it at the theatres, even for the sheer novelty of watching a "different", all-Pakistani film.

The second has to be Guns and Roses-Ik Junoon. The film has possibly the most arty sets and the most classy soundtrack for a film from Lahore. Watch the sequence shot on Meera at the Rohtas Fort, its got simply the most spectacular photography. They tried really hard, but again, the audience was fairly unresponsive when it released in 1999.

And I think the Hasina Moin scripted Kahin Pyar Na Hojaye deserves a mention too. The film had a nice story, some very decent performances, and was competently directed by Javed Sheikh. It was one of the big flops of 1998.

What I'm noticing now is a trend towards patronizing dark, arty cinema like Khuda Ke Liye. I dont think it'll sustain, and the acid test for that will be the upcoming Ramchand Pakistani.* Let's see how the audience responds to that one!
*

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Let me show you a little glimpse of Laaj. I believe this song was taken from Laaj (and if I’m wrong, please do correct me - I’m relying on something I caught on Prime TV back in the day and it seems like the same song.)

Just take a look at the recording, the quality of the music and the actual song. None of it is memorable.

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Try doing a historical on a 2.35 crore budget, and you'll know that thats pretty good. They spent more money on the battle sequences and actually shot on authentic locations in the tribal areas. The songs were useless, the movie overall bordered on the non-commercial type of cinema. It did have a nice storyline, and was competently directed and acted in.

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Oh comon. Historicals were done in the past and they're memorable movies still watched today. Compare this against age-old technology of historical movies made in old bollywood, and it doesn't match up. Even the bloody song has no melody to it. I can't remember how it even goes because its so lame.

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nice analysis :k:

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PCG the song is NOT lame. They make these films on shoestring budgets its a minor feat they actually make it to the theaters and get some audiences in! You’re inteligent enough not to compare this with Bollywood as they have 10 tines the budgets. Even in the 50s. Anyway, I sat through Laaj and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ll take it over bollywood, any day.

I’ll take this opp to upload my fave track for a film frm lahore…totally maddddddddddddddddddddd abt it :slight_smile:

It rox…the awful print notwithstanding

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Are u kidding me? The low-budget films screened at Karafilm show what potential Pakistanis have. Films in pakistan CAN be made with low budget which would be quality. The emphasis has to be on good songs if its going to be a musical, and good script and good dialogues - that’s what sells. Certain affects that would normally look ok on a good print film should be avoided. The song you posted - they should NOT do any smoke effects - it doesn’t come out right. But every Pakistani film I’ve seen uses smoke effects, and they don’t get it thru their heads on how bad that looks.

Clearly we do have good cinema capabilities - they just need some more invesment. And no one is going to invest if the songs are not appealing and if the story-line and dialogues are dry and seem like they were written by a 3rd grader (ref: yeh dil aap ka hua).

And please read more carefully. I was comparing Laaj to an OLDIE Indian flick. You can even compare it to an old Pakistani movie, if you’d like. Lets talk about Noor Jehan’s old black and white films and then compare that to Laaj.

Take a look at this project (not a film, but shows we have the ability):

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PCG i gonna discuss with you in detail but laterz. :bummer:

the trailer of “Dekh mager payar say” seems so promising. thanks for sharing. :k:

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heck, thats a serial! It's like comparing apples and oranges. The technicalities and costs for films are on a different level..... do you have an idea what 180 minutes of 35 mm costs, the retakes not included???

Also, if this could make it to the theatres, I doubt it would last a week.

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in the end it all boils down to investment and directors. unfortunately our film industry is lacking in both. in case of investment, most of the investors are more interested in getting into the lachay of reema and nirma than the movie. most come from chaudhri-gujjar-nawab families and they don’t give a chuwani about the movie. they’ll invest 10-15million and own the heroin for life.

as for directors, they simply have no knowledge of directing movies. every nikka-nanna-choota becomes a directors after being friends with a senior director’s puppy. also the fear of going over the budget doesn’t help much either. i have relatives who have links with lahore film industry and i have had the chances to see things first hand. its not pretty at all. only if government were to take a serious interest in the future of this industry. all they had ever got from the past governments were promises and nothing else.

in the end, all i can say is doesn’t matter how crappy and stupid movies they are making, they have not given up yet. its a never-ending struggle for the ppl of this industry and they have to make a living one way or the other and they are trying. :k:

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My point exactly, stalker. Isn't it sad that I can pull out a random drama serial promo and it looks way more filmi and more professionally done than a film, when it really should be the other way around.

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Government will not invest in an industry filled with so much corruption, and where unprofessionalism is the most fashionable thing. If I were in the government, I would oppose funding and instead take those precious resources and create jobs in other more promising industries.

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corruption and unprofessionalism, compared to which industry or field in pak? government invests largly in other fields and they have more corruption and unprofessionalism than the film industry where government's investment amounts to RS 0.00. when you speak of corruption & unprofessionalism in pak, don't forget that government heads the list in that regards. most of the ministers, MPs, MNAs and other officials benefit highly from this industry that so reeks of corruption and unprofessionalism. i'm sure to satisfy their mojo by means of ppl in this industry falls under the most honest and sincere professionalism ever exhibited by our government.

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o chalo chalo daffa ho yahan say. aik typical ratta lagaya howa hai tum jaisay paindooz nay. when in reality a normal person who doesn't care for desi movies (majority of the universe) wouldn't be able to tell the difference between indian and paki movies.

i laugh at people like you who actually think the indian movies are actually different. lmfao