Bollywood films banned in Pakistan amid tension with India
Karachi
THE tense political feud between India and Pakistan is taking a toll on the film industry.
Pakistan has halted the screening of Bollywood movies in theatres across the country, forcing the nation's largest chain, Cinepax Cinemas, to show reruns of old Pakistani films. Even before the current political standoff, the cinema chain was offering discounts of as much as 40 per cent on tickets to attract more customers.
Bollywood movies, with their often three-hour song-and-dance formats, are popular in Pakistan, accounting for about 60 per cent of total cinema consumption, according to Rafay Mahmood, culture editor at Karachi-based The Express Tribune. Hollywood movies and films produced by Pakistan's industry, known as Lollywood, make up the rest.
Cinemas are "experiencing its lowest footfall'' after the ban, said Syed Mubashir Imam, chief executive officer of Karachi-based Media City Productions Pvt, a television production company. "Let's see how they tackle it. It is indeed a challenge for them and not an easy task.''
India and Pakistan have been engaged in the worst military conflict in decades in recent weeks, with cross-border firing still ongoing and Pakistan's airspace remaining partially closed. The tension has stoked nationalist sentiment on both sides, with Indian actor Ajay Devgn saying his latest movie won't be released in Pakistan.
Cinepax is Pakistan's largest cinema operator with 45 screens and more than 6,000 seats nationwide. BLOOMBERG
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
Consumer & Healthcare
Sony deal for Paramount would draw added regulatory scrutiny
Lululemon to shutter Washington distribution center, lay off 128 employees
Gazelle Ventures makes cash offer for No Signboard shares at S$0.0021 apiece
P&G raises annual core profit forecast on resilient demand, price hikes
Cordlife calls for trading halt after shares sink to all-time low, pending announcement
Marina Bay Sands Q1 profit surges 51.5% to US$597 million on tourism boom