Pakistani cinemas resume screening of Indian films

KARACHI: Pakistani cinema owners have resumed screening of Indian films, ending a self-imposed 'temporary suspension' of over two months.

"Our stance, even when we had taken this decision, we called it a suspension. And suspensions are always temporary. As the temporary period has passed, now we’re ending the ban. Now the screening process is going to be resumed," Nadeem H. Mandviwalla, Chief Executive of Mandviwalla Entertainment told Geo News.

“The message that we were trying to send to India has been conveyed,” he remarked.

Cinema owners said that despite tense relations between the Indian and Pakistani governments, trade between the two neighboring nations has not been halted.  

"The hostility and those feelings on both sides have also cooled down. Collectively, we have taken a decision…because we were the ones who stopped it, it is our job to bring it back to normalcy," said Mandviwalla. 

Interestingly, citizens gave a mixed reaction to the move by cinema-owners. 

"There should not be any restrictions… films are only for entertainment," said a young man at a local cinema. His views were also echoed by a young girl. "We like watching Bollywood and other movies," she said. 

However, another man voiced a completely opposite opinion. "Indian movies should be banned. Because our own cinema is quite good, but we do not promote it ourselves," he said. 

Earlier, speaking to media, Pakistan Film Exhibitors Association chairman Zoraish Lashari had said that the decision regarding resumption was taken after meticulous talks with the associated people. 

"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.

The association comprises owners of multiplexes, cineplexes, and single-screen cinemas around Pakistan. It made the move to suspend Indian movies' screening as a retaliatory action when Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association (IMPPA) banned Pakistani film work and people in India amid escalating tensions over border issues between the two neighbouring countries.