Support Pakistani Cinema

9 years ago | Posted in: Articles | 1162 Views

The 60’s era is remembered for classy and memorable Pakistani films.

This decade has witnessed the revival of Pakistani cinema, there is a new wave of excitement and suddenly people want to go and watch local movies.A new genre of Pakistani cinema has emerged which is fresh and meaningful, it conveys a social or patriotic message for the viewer. Movies like Waar, Main hoon Shahid Afridi or Dukhtar and Namaloom Afraad have given a new life to local cinema. This is a positive development and the Pakistani movie deserves support.

Meanwhile, Indian movies are being screened alongside, they provide the typical masala and commercial movies with a studied anti-Pakistan slant.Some Pakistani channels along with Pakistani cinema owners, have provided a foothold for Indian media. The Indian product works by hammering in matter that damages the foundations of Pakistan ie attacking Pakistan ideology, the Two Nation Theory, founder of the nation Jinnah and Islam.

All this is presented for the Pakistani audience like a sugar-coated bitter pill, targeting young minds and the lesser educated classes. Our religion and our ideology are shown as flawed whilst generally all Pakistanis are branded as terrorists, this was not possible without the connivance of some local television channels and the new cinema owners. Meanwhile, for many decades no Pakistani television content has been allowed in India, neither has any Pakistani movie been screened there.

All the concocted Indian nonsense is fed to our entertainment- starved masses, the Bollywood movie is used as a prop to show the Indian army as invincible backed by Indian mythology. Even Indo-Pak history has been distorted, the glorious thousand year Mughal era is ignored. False victories are shown and every effort is made to present Pakistan Army and ISI as the very epitome of evil.

Islamic culture is purposely degraded and distorted, Bollywood takes vicious delight in using Arabic words in cheap songs or anyehere else they can be misused in the movie. An Indian movie currently being shown in Pakistani cinemas ‘Dawat e Ishq’ is an example, along with other flaws e.g the salaam is deliberately mis- pronounced to mean something different.

Meanwhile, Pakistani movies are finding it more and more difficult to survive, even though excellent movies are coming up since the last few years. Our best actors and singers are booked in Indian movies which is another way to drain Pakistani cinema and create an artificial vacuum.

The sheer injustice of it all is that Pakistani cinema is being denied its rightful place on home ground, it is high time that laws are enforced to limit the screening of Bollywood movies and strict censorship is required to end their underlying agenda. Very few, select Indian movies should be allowed, the Pakistan government has to stop this Bollywood influx in the country. The screening of Indian movies has to be limited to just one or two in a year after strict censorship.

A socio-cultural invasion of Pakistan has long been the pattern in Indian minds, Sonia Gandhi was even quite vocal about such an invasion. Ostensibly, the Indians actually believed that Pakistanis would get brainwashed by all the song and dance, and that this would strengthen Indian influence here. It is not just entertainment as perceived by the Indian mind, even here they try to sell their religion, culture and propaganda. It is a pity that Pakistani businessmen eagerly help bring Indian movies from across the border.

It is time that discerning Pakistani audiences decide what is good for the country and boycott Indian movies being screened in cinemas across the country. This is the only way to discourage cinema owners and film importers, this would encourage the local movie industry. Pakistani movies should be supported and promoted instead of the Indian movies full of hidden agenda.

Recently, even politician Imran Khan pointed out these flaws in Indian cinema and asked his supporters to promote Pakistani cinema. This should make PTI supporters stop watching Indian movies if they understand Imran Khan, s timely message. It is hoped that people understand what Indian movies are trying to do, even entertainment is not free of their scheming. Pakistani culture and society is clean and suitable for family viewing, unlike the Indian content.

This is the beginning of a new age of Pakistani cinema, with encouragement and support it can reach the highest standards. Cinema should reflect the values and culture of Pakistan, be Pakistani and support your own movies.

 

 

By: Sabena Siddiqi

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