his year can best be remembered for the recuperation from the Covid-19 pandemic. Though things had started getting better by the second half of the 2021, the confidence was tainted by the fear of uncertainty and lack of firmness about the early successes achieved against the deadly virus. The literary festivals are back and so are the conferences that invite writers and artistes from across the country. These festivals and conferences have been hugely successful and eye-openers for the organisers themselves as they were pleasantry surprised by the eagerness of the audience to listen to the writers and actors, playwrights and artistes speak about their work directly to the people. In a country with low literacy figures and book publication numbers being low this has been almost like a revelation and a clear indication that the oral tradition is alive and still vibrant.

The biggest cultural event of the year was the release of The Legend of Maula Jat. Like the film released in the late 1970s, this has done very well at the box office. It may be said that its performance at the box office actually exceeded the most optimistic of expectations. The audience responded to the release and according to estimates it is the biggest grosser in the history of Pakistani cinema. This is a great signal that the Pakistani cinema can be made to stand on its feet again. At one time the industry released about a hundred films a year; now even the number can be as low as five. The impact of the Covid-19 cannot be discounted as a vital factor in this regard. The film release momentum was disrupted and even the most successful and productive cine industries in the world faced problems in regaining the glory of the pre pandemic highs.

The news for the more daring Joyland, however, was not that sanguine. It was censored and some parts were clipped off and then it was allowed to be screened across the country. Then the screening was disallowed in the biggest province of the country. Sixty percent of the audiences, thus, were denied the pleasure of accessing the film on their own. The biggest issue in the making of cinema in the country has been the damning censorship that does not permit newer areas of human experience to be explored. Joyland may even be not very experimental going by international standards.

Pakistan lost a number of very prominent personalities that will be remembered for their contribution and their talent. Tanveer Jamal, Rashid Naaz, Tariq Teddy and Imran Aslam all left us saddened but their mark on the cultural scene of the country has not left us. They made life more worthwhile and added a roundness to the plain narrative of existence.

Arooj Aftab made headlines in the world particularly in Pakistan when she won the Grammy Award. This will be a great symbol of hope for the musicians and music lovers of the country and will inspire many more to venture out and claim their rightful place in the world of music. The international norms of judging a music piece somehow go against the music being created here. It seems that the way for greater acceptance at the international level has been opened.

There used to be news in local media about Pakistanis performing abroad. With the passage of time the events and performances have ceased being that eye-catching or evoking a feeling of pride. Greater interaction facilitated by the movement of the people and technological advancements made it inevitable. The initial reaction to the pandemic unleashed a whole new wave of creative expression. The impact has been fazed a little as the digital media will take its time in absorbing the various strands into a wholesome culture.

It will take some time for a more mature creative reaction and the coming together of various cultural strands and the possibilities inherent in technologies. In the last three years, the last year in particular, the onrush of digital on us has mostly resulted in cut and paste and an eclectic reaction to sudden change. In the beginning, the streaming services took centre stage and became a conduit for the exposure to most of the cultural practices and it appeared that the critical moment for substitution had arrived. Gradually, during the course of the last year, the streaming platforms suffered, and lost viewership and patronage. Probably the time has arrived for a more complex relationship to emerge out of the tumult of the last three years.

Pakistan lost a number of very prominent personalities that will be remembered for their contributions and their talent. Tanveer Jamal, Rashid Naaz, Tariq Teddy and Imran Aslam all left us saddened but their mark on the cultural scene of the country has not left us. They made life more worthwhile and added a roundness to the plain narrative of existence.

The writer is a culture critic based in Lahore.