Aamir Khan's Dangal will release in Pakistan; country to END the ban o

Pakistani film exhibitors and cinema owners
are likely to end a self-imposed ban on
screening of Indian films on Monday that
was put in place amid escalating tensions
between the two countries following the Uri
terror attack.
Zoraish Lashari, Chairman of the Film
Exhibitors Association, told reporters that
after thorough discussions with parties
concerned, it has been decided screening of
Indian films would resume from December
19.
"The cinema owners and other stakeholders
in the industry have been hit by the decision
to impose a temporary suspension on
screening of Indian films. A lot of investment
has been made into upgrading or building
new cineplexes and multiplexes and the
business at this time is dependent on
screening of latest Indian films," he said.
Lashari said the cinema owners and
exhibitors had only taken a self-imposed
suspension of screening of Indian films and
that it was not a ban. The Pakistan Film
Exhibitors and Distributors Association,
which includes most owners of cineplexes,
multiplexes and single screen cinemas in the
country, had announced to "temporarily"
stop screening Indian films soon after
tensions escalated between Pakistan and
India over cross border firing incidents in
late September.
The exhibitors and cinema owners had
taken the decision voluntarily after the
Indian Motion Pictures Producers'
Association (IMPPA) announced a ban on
Pakistani artistes and technicians working
in India.Sources in the industry told PTI that
most of the cinema owners, exhibitors and
importers of Indian films had got panicky
after Pakistani films including old and fresh
releases and even latest Hollywood movies
failed to fill up the halls.
"Plus in recent weeks several Indian films
have been released while everyone is
eagerly anticipating the release of Aamir
Khans "Dangal"," a source said.
One source, however, said some cinema
owners were still apprehensive of any
backlash from religious parities or groups
once they resumed screening of Indian films
and have asked for protection if required.
"A private media group is presently trying to
import and release "Dangal" in Pakistan,"
the source added.
Lashari said that first unreleased Indian
films would be screened after which they
would have negotiations with Indian
distributors to continue the import of
movies into Pakistan.Pakistan's leading
English newspaper "Dawn" had in a
editorial last month termed the ban on
screening of Indian films in Pakistani
cinemas as "damaging" and said Pakistani
cinema houses were losing money because
of the move.
"Political concerns are indeed genuine, but
they should not come at the cost of cultural
exchanges that bring benefits to both sides
of the border," the editorial had said.The
Media and Marketing Manager of a major
chain of cineplexes, Sabina Islam, said 75
per cent of the revenues generated in the
industry came from screening of Indian
films.Pakistan is considered as the third
largest market for Indian films.

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