Mansha Pasha, Farhan Saeed, Adnan Siddique open up on foreign film ‘hijacking’ local cinemas

Mansha Pasha, Farhan Saeed and Adnan Siddique recently expressed their dissatisfaction over the release of Doctor Strange across cinemas in Pakistan just when a ray of hope shined for local movies.

This Eid-Ul-Fitr locals flocked to cinemas to shower love over four big releases after two long years ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, Pakistan’s film fraternity appears unimpressed with “imported films” proving to be a "deathly blow” to local film production.

Taking to Twitter, Saeed, wrote, “In these difficult times post covid, I stand with all the Pakistani films makers who despite all the difficulties had the courage to come up with their movies and request the cinema owners not to prefer foreign content over local.”

Siddiqui also lashed out against foreign releases in local cinemas. “Releasing Doctor Strange could have waited for a few days,” his tweet read.

“The last thing we need when the industry is finally opening up after two years is some foreign film hijacking our screens and relegating us in a corner. Home grown cinema has more right any day,” he added.

Meanwhile, Pasha shared her views that local cinemas need the help of the government.

“Unfortunately, local movies with Twitter-approved ‘good’ content are banned and commercial films that don’t ruffle any feathers & are designed to make it to cinema, end up getting released but then have to contend with limited screens and fewer shows as compared to high budget, technically way ahead foreign films,” she wrote.

“At the end we all lose out,” she continued. “Art films don’t make it & commercial films (argued to be a necessity for parallel cinema) also don’t stand a chance when audiences that have to chose where to spend their hard earned money at rs 900/ticket,” Pasha pointed out.