l am a London-based film producer currently working in India and Pakistan. Over the years I have become increasingly disillusioned with the state of Pakistan's film industry. If the industry is not dead, it is certainly dying.
In the 1970s, Pakistan was one of the 10 largest film-producing nations in the world. At its height it produced over 300 films a year. Now it produces 20 films a year and this number will be even lower in 2006. It is clear to all that there has been a steady decline in the number of cinemas in Pakistan over the past two decades. If this decline is not quickly addressed by the government then the Pakistani film industry will cease to exist.
When I was growing up in Karachi in the early seventies, there were over 500 cinemas in the country, but today there are less than 200 cinemas left nationwide.
To remedy this bleak situation the government must contemplate radical changes in the laws concerning the exhibition of foreign films in Pakistan. In addition, the government must review its policy regarding co-productions between Pakistani and foreign film-makers to help revive the ailing film industry in Pakistan.
Indian film-makers such as Mahesh Bhatt and Subhash Ghai, who recently attended the KaraFilm Festival in Karachi, are willing to work with Pakistani talent and technicians to help them make better and technically good films. But the government of Pakistan has shown little interest in the matter, while in India the film industry grosses over US $800 million a year — all of it taxable.
There is no restriction on the screening of American and British films or any other foreign films in Pakistan, so surely it makes little sense to place any such restrictions on Indian films
The Indian government does not place restrictions on Pakistani artistes and technicians from working in its film industry, and it is my strongly held belief that the Pakistani government should reciprocate by lifting any such bans that prevent Indian artistes and technicians from working in Pakistan.
There is no restriction on the screening of American and British films or any other foreign films in Pakistan, so surely it makes little sense to place any such restrictions on Indian films.
This should not be seen as a suggestion to flood Pakistani cinemas with Indian films. Rather, I suggest the government consider exhibiting selected and limited Indian films so that Pakistani cinemas can survive. As it is, Pakistani cinemas will continue to disappear.
Also, with regard to co-productions, the government's relaxing of restrictions would allow Indian technicians and artistes to work with their Pakistani counterparts leading to improvement in the existing quality of Pakistani film production.
The government must address these issues or else we will be heading for a cinema culture led and dominated by DVDs and satellite/cable television, and this will kill the traditional cinema business in Pakistan.
For these reasons, I genuinely and firmly believe that the government should act to deregulate and liberalize the Pakistani film industry as a matter of urgency.
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