Click to play videoKarachi: The diplomatic standoff with India is not only worrying the Pakistani government but also theatre owners. Their business is dying as Bollywood movies have been banned in Pakistan.
“Halting the release of Indian films in Pakistani cinemas will only aggravate the situation. Cinemas will go bankrupt, and the staff will be laid off once again. Entertainment should not be confused with politics,” says a theatre’s ticket officer Syed Maseeh-ul-Hasan.
Cinema owners say there is no use stopping the release of Indian movies in Pakistan, as the viewers already have access to Indian films and dramas via local cable channels.
Cable Operators were regularised by the Ministry of Information in the year 2000. Like television, the cable industry is regulated by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).
“I'm also a patriotic Pakistani. If tension with India runs high, then we'll stop relying Indian software on our own,” says President, Cable Association of Pakistan Khalid Arain.
But cinema industry is faced with a more challenging enemy at home i.e. piracy.
“The biggest enemy of ours is piracy and the local cable channels. They relay the pirated versions of latest Bollywood movies across the country. Ghajini, Dostana etc are broadcast on cable prior to their release in cinema causing Box Office slump in the country,” says Hasan.
With piracy growing at an alarming rate in the country, the question - whether to see or not to see Indian movies at local theatres seems somewhat irrelevant.
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