The effects of the economic crunch that Pakistan has been facing for years now have become more pronounced. According to a recent survey, 67 out of 186 cinemas across the country closed in the last seven years due to a lack of films. While there are no estimates of the economic damage caused by such closures, that this may have left hundreds of people jobless is an undeniable reality. There are multiple reasons for this – from authorities’ disinterest to lack of creative freedom. Pakistan has predominantly been a TV-first country, where most people prefer staying at home to watch entertainment films instead of going out. In the early 2000s, the entry of cable TV with access to Indian content pushed most people away from the local film industry. But players in the film industry have also done little to attract people to go out. Industry players have also focused more on the upper-middle-class audience than the purchasing power of people. Families here often rely on a single person for their entertainment needs, and in a country in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, doling out Rs1500-2000 for a single ticket is not possible for most people.
Much of the losses are also a result of our reluctance to evolve. Over the years, audiences have changed, and our filmmakers have failed to release relatable content, churning out the same old stories that now seem boring to cinemagoers. The reluctance of filmmakers to receive criticism resulted in a missed opportunity, where creators kept churning out content that lost popularity among audiences. In the early 2010s, the band-aid labelled ‘revival of cinema’ was bluntly slapped on any critics who tried to explain that filmmakers are not meeting their audience’s preferences. In recent years, cinema owners played the last episodes of popular TV dramas in theatres, but in the absence of any incentives, the trend of watching dramas on large screens died before it could grow. Pakistan’s situation is not unusual. India, a movie-mad country, is also witnessing a dip in its film industry with a drop in the number of theatrical releases and a shift to OTT platforms. But what is unique about Pakistan is its near-obsession towards not trying out new methods to improve the industry. Filmmakers barely adopt new methods of filmmaking -- sometimes out of financial compulsions and sometimes out of a lack of willingness to leave their comfort zone. Many industry experts point to Pakistan’s blanket ban on Indian content (a rather hasty decision taken in 2019 after the Balakot strike). Previously, films from across the border would fill the vacuum created by a lack of innovation in the local industry.
Pakistani authorities cannot let a potential-packed industry die. While it is commendable that the government has announced tax breaks for the industry, the relevant stakeholders should sit down with industry experts to figure out how they can revive cinema. Art is usually seen as national pride, and a strong cinema can help the country build its soft image across the world. Initiatives like ‘BYOS’ (bring your own snacks) or buy one get one at half could help attract some people to cinemas, resulting in its subsequent revival.