Cinema of Pakistan, popularly known as Lollywood ( ur, ), refers to the filmmaking industry in Pakistan. Pakistan is home to several film studios centres, primarily located in its three largest cities – Karachi, Lahore, and

Faisalabad Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur ( Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pak ...

. Pakistani cinema has played an important part in

Pakistani culture The Culture of Pakistan ( ur, ) is very unique in terms of its social values revolving around the religion of Islam. The region has formed a distinct cultural unit within the main cultural complex of South Asia, Middle East and Central Asia. Q ...

, and in recent years, has begun flourishing again after years of decline, delivering entertainment to audiences in Pakistan and

expatriates An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...

abroad. Several film industries are based in Pakistan, which tend to be regional and niche in nature. Over 10,000 Urdu feature films have been produced in Pakistan since 1948, as well as over 8000

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

, 6000 Pashto and 2000

Sindhi Sindhi may refer to: *something from, or related to Sindh, a province of Pakistan * Sindhi people, an ethnic group from the Sindh region * Sindhi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them People with the name * Sarkash Sindhi (1940–2012 ...

feature-length films. The first film ever produced was '' Husn Ka Daku'' in 1929, directed by

Abdur Rashid Kardar Abdur Rashid Kardar (1904–1989) was an Indian film actor, director and producer. He is credited with establishing the film industry in the Bhati Gate locality of Lahore, British India (now in Pakistan).''Teri Yaad'', directed by Daud Chand in 1948. Between 1947 and 2007, Pakistani cinema was predominately based in Lahore, home to the nation's largest film industry (nicknamed Lollywood). Pakistani films during this period attracted large audiences and had a strong

cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

, was part of the cultural mainstream, widely available and imitated by the masses. During the early 1970s, Pakistan was the world's fourth-largest producer of feature films. However, between 1977 and 2007, the film industry of Pakistan went into decline due to martial laws, strengthening of censorship

laws Law is a set of rules that are created and are law enforcement, enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. ...

, and an overall lack of quality. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the film industry went through several periods of ups and downs, a reflection of its dependency on state funding and incentives. By 2000, the film industry in Lahore had collapsed and saw a gradual shift of Pakistani actors, actresses, producers and filmmakers from Lahore to Karachi. By 2007, the wounds of Pakistan's collapsed film industry began to heal and Karachi had cemented itself as the center of Pakistani cinema. This was the time new generation producers stepped into the industry with short films with quality story line and new technology led to an explosion of alternative form of Pakistani cinema. The shift has been seen by many as the leading cause for the "resurgence of Pakistani cinema". Despite the industry crisis starting in the mid-1980s, Pakistani films have retained much of their distinctive identity. Since the shift to Karachi, Pakistani films have once again began attracting a strong

. As of June 2022, the total number of cinema halls in Pakistan is only 135, down from 981 three decades ago.

History

Silent Era (1929–1946)

The history of cinema in Pakistan began in 1929, when

Abdur Rashid Kardar Abdur Rashid Kardar (1904–1989) was an Indian film actor, director and producer. He is credited with establishing the film industry in the Bhati Gate locality of Lahore, British India (now in Pakistan).United Players Corporation Playart Phototone (formally known as ''United Players Association'') was a film studio established in 1929 by Abdur Rashid Kardar. History In 1928, with no work left after their maiden venture, Kardar and Ismail sold their belongings to set up a ...

(later renamed to

Playart Phototone Playart Phototone (formally known as ''United Players Association'') was a film studio established in 1929 by Abdur Rashid Kardar. History In 1928, with no work left after their maiden venture, Kardar and Ismail sold their belongings to set up a ...

), which would become the foundation stone for the Lahore film industry. After scouting for locations, he settled for their offices to be established at Ravi Road. The dimly-lit area presented difficulties as shootings were only possible in daylight, but nevertheless, the area had some very important landmarks like the Ravi Forest and the tombs of

Mughal emperor The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...

Jahangir and his wife Nur Jahan. It is reported that the team working at the studios would commute on

tanga Tanga may refer to: Places Burkina Faso * , a town in eastern Burkina Faso * Tanga, Sidéradougou, a village in western Burkina Faso * Tanga-Pela, a village in northern-central Burkina Faso Other places * Tanga, Tanzania, a city and port on th ...

s and even lost equipment once while traveling on the bumpy roads on the horse-drawn carriage. However basic and crude their working conditions, Kardar believed in his work and in 1929 he produced the first silent film in Lahore '' Husn Ka Daku'' (''Mysterious Eagle''), under his studio's banner. The film had mild success at cinemas, but prominently established Lahore as a functioning film industry. Kardar vowed on not acting in any other film and instead focusing on direction. Immediately afterwards, the studio released the film ''

Sarfarosh ''Sarfarosh'' () is a 1999 Indian action drama film written, produced and directed by John Matthew Matthan and starring Aamir Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Sonali Bendre and Mukesh Rishi. John started working on ''Sarfarosh'' in 1992. Seven years w ...

'' (''Brave Heart'') in 1930 and ''

Farebi Daku ''Farebi Daku'' also called ''Mysterious Bandit'' is a 1931 action silent film produced and directed by A. R. Kardar. Kardar set up his own production company "United Players Corporation" in 1928 and in quick succession produced and directed s ...

'' in 1931, with

Gul Hamid Gul Hamid (1905-1936) was an Indian actor. He started his acting career in silent films and later played leading roles in talkies. He had many honors to his credit. He acted in ''Heer Ranjha'', the first film produced in Punjabi and in '' Seet ...

playing the lead role with more or less the same cast as in the previous film. Also in 1931, the film ''Khooni Katar'' was released. This production proved equally appealing, but was able to stir noise about the Lahore film industry. Roop Lal Shori, who was a resident of Brandreth Road in Lahore, upon hearing of Lahore's growing film industry, returned to his hometown and produced ''Qismat Ke Haer Pher'' (''Life After Death'') in 1932, which would firmly ground the film industry in Lahore. In 1946,

Sajjad Gul Agha Sajjad Gul ( ur, آغا سجاد گل) is a producer, director and one of the biggest media moguls in Pakistan. He is the youngest of the sons of renowned film studio owner and a pioneer of Pakistan film industry, the late Agha G. A. Gul (1 ...

set up Evernew Studios in on Multan Road. The following year,

Eveready Pictures Eveready Pictures is a Pakistani film and television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television t ...

was established by J.C. Anand, which would go on to become the largest film production and distribution company in Pakistan.

Independence and growth (1947–1959)

In 1947, after Pakistan was created out of India, Lahore became the hub of cinema in Pakistan. By 1947 there were around 80 cinemas in

East Bengal ur, , common_name = East Bengal , status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan , p1 = Bengal Presidency , flag_p1 = Flag of British Bengal.svg , s1 = East ...

. In March 1948, when the Governor-General of Pakistan

Mohammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monoth ...

came to visit

East Bengal ur, , common_name = East Bengal , status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan , p1 = Bengal Presidency , flag_p1 = Flag of British Bengal.svg , s1 = East ...

, the radio broadcaster and filmmaker Nazir Ahmed was commissioned to create the informational film ''In Our Midst'' with the help of Calcutta-based film technicians. It was the first informational film of the province (now

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

). Upon independence, there was a shortage of funds and filming equipment, which initially paralysed the film industry. With hardships faced, the first Pakistani feature film, '' Teri Yaad'' released on 7 August 1948, premiering at the Parbhat Theatre in Lahore. Over the next few years, films that were released reached mediocre success until the release of '' Do Ansoo'' on 7 April 1950. ''Do Ansoo'' became the first film to attain a 25-week viewing making it the first film to reach silver jubilee status. Recovery was evident with

Noor Jehan Noor Jehan (Punjabi: ) (born () Allah Rakhi Wasai ; 23 September 1926 – 23 December 2000; sometimes spelled Noorjehan),Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen, ''Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema,'' British Film Institute, Oxford University Press ...

's directorial debut ''Chanwey'' releasing on 29 April 1951. The film became the first to be directed by a female director. Syed Faqir Ahmad Shah produced his first film with a heavy budget in 1955. Saqlain Rizvi and Murtaza Jillani were the directors. Syed Faqir Ahmad produced his second film ''Jagga'' in 1958 directed by his son Saqlain Rizvi. The film remained mediocre in the cinema. As cinema viewership increased, ''Sassi'' released on 3 June 1954 by Eveready Pictures reached golden jubilee status staying on screens for 50 weeks. Legendary playback singer

Ahmed Rushdi ), Rushdi Sahab ( ur, ) , birth_date = , birth_place =Hyderabad Deccan, British India , death_date = , death_place = Karachi, Pakistan , origin = Pakistani , instrument = Vocalist , genre = , ...

started his career in April 1955 after singing his first song in Pakistan "Bander Road Se Kemari". ''Umar Marvi'', released on 12 March 1956, became the first Pakistani film to be made in the Sindhi language. To celebrate the success of these endeavours, film journalist

Ilyas Rashidi Ilyas Rashidi ( ur, ) was a Pakistani publisher and editor who founded Nigar (magazine), dedicated exclusively to films and film personalities, in 1948 and the historic and prestigious Nigar Awards on 17 July 1957. The ''Ilyas Rashidi Lifeti ...

launched an annual awarding event on 17 July 1957. Named '' Nigar''

Awards An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An awar ...

, the event is since then considered Pakistan's premier awards event celebrating outstanding performance in various categories of filmmaking.

The Golden Era (1959–1977)

The 1960s is often cited as being the golden era of Pakistani cinema. Many stars were introduced during this period who would go on to become cinema legends on the

silver screen A silver screen, also known as a silver lenticular screen, is a type of projection screen that was popular in the early years of the motion picture industry and passed into popular usage as a metonym for the cinema industry. The term silver scree ...

. As

black and white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...

form became obsolete, Pakistan saw the introduction of its first colour films. Some that share the status of being firsts are Munshi Dil's ''

Azra Azra was a Croatian and Yugoslav rock band that was one of the most popular acts of the Yugoslav new wave music of the 1980s. Azra was formed in 1977 by its frontman Branimir "Johnny" Štulić. The other two members of the original line-up were ...

'' in the early 1960s,

Zahir Raihan Mohammad Zahirullah (19 August 1935 – disappeared 30 January 1972), known as Zahir Raihan, was a Bangladeshi novelist, writer and filmmaker. He is most notable for his documentary '' Stop Genocide'' (1971), made during the Bangladesh Liberatio ...

's '' Sangam'' (first full-length coloured film) released on 23 April 1964, and ''

Mala Mala may refer to: Comics * Mala (Amazon), an Amazon from Wonder Woman's side of the DC Universe * Mala (Kryptonian), a villain from Superman's corner of the DC Universe Films and television * ''Mala'' (1941 film), a Bollywood drama film * , ...

'' (first coloured cinema scope film). In 1962, ''Shaheed'' was released which introduced the Palestine conflict to Pakistanis in cinemas and became an instant hit. In 1962, Pakistan's most versatile actor

Mohammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, ...

debuted in ''Charagh Jalta Raha''. It was premiered by

Fatima Jinnah Fatima Jinnah ( ur, ; 31 July 1893 – 9 July 1967), widely known as Māder-e Millat ("Mother of the Nation"), was a Pakistani stateswoman, politician, dental surgeon and one of the leading founders of Pakistan. She was the younger sister of ...

on 9 March 1962 at Nishat Cinema in Karachi. In September 1965, following the war between Pakistan and India, all Indian films were completely banned. A light ban had existed since 1952 in

West Pakistan West Pakistan ( ur, , translit=Mag̱ẖribī Pākistān, ; bn, পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান, translit=Pôścim Pakistan) was one of the two Provincial exclaves created during the One Unit Scheme in 1955 in Pakistan. It was ...

and since 1962 in

East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Scheme, One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India ...

, but was exercised rigorously after the War of 1965. Pakistani cinemas did not suffer much from the decision to remove the films and instead received better attendances. Realising the potential,

Waheed Murad Waheed Murad ( ur, ; 2 October 1938 – 23 November 1983), also known as Chocolate Hero, was a Pakistani film actor, producer and script writer. Famous for his charming expressions, attractive personality, tender voice and unusual talent for a ...

stepped into the industry. His persona led people to call him the "chocolate hero" and in essence, he became the Marlon Brando and Elvis Presley of Pakistan. In 1966, '' Armaan'' was released and became one of the most cherished Urdu films to ever be released. The film is said to have given birth to

Pakistani pop music Pakistani popular music or shortly Pakistani pop music refers to popular music forms in Pakistan. Pakistani pop is a mixture of traditional Pakistani classical music and western influences of jazz, rock and roll, hip hop and disco sung in vario ...

, by introducing playback singing legends like composer

Sohail Rana Sohail Rana (born 31 March 1938) is a Pakistani music composer for films and television. He was introduced by actor Waheed Murad in Pakistan film industry and gained popularity when singer Ahmed Rushdi sang his compositions in such films as ...

and singer

. The film became the first to complete a 75-week screening at cinemas throughout the country, thus attaining a

platinum jubilee A platinum jubilee is a celebration held to mark an anniversary. Among monarchies, it usually refers to a 70th anniversary. The most recent monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee is Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and the other Co ...

status. Waheed Murad was picturised in a song for the first time ever in director Saqlain Rizvi's ''Mamta'' released in 1963. Another rising star during this period was Nadeem Baig, who received instant stardom with his debut film ''

Chakori ''Chakori'' ( bn, চকোরী ur, چکوری), is a Pakistani Urdu feature film. This film was released on 22 March 1967 on Eid-ul-Azha Day in Dhaka, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The film was directed by Captain Ehtesham. It was Nade ...

'' in 1967. The same year, he would act in another film of a different genre. Horror films were introduced with the release of ''

Zinda Laash ''Zinda Laash'' ( ur, , , Living Corpse) is a 1967 Pakistani Urdu horror film, directed by Khwaja Sarfraz. Produced by Abdul Baqi, it stars Asad Bukhari (Dr. Aqil Harker), Habib (Aqil's Brother), Deeba (Shabnam), Rehan (Vampire), Zareen Panna ...

'', making it the first Pakistani film to display an R rating tag on its posters. Meanwhile, ''Eastern Films Magazine'', a tabloid edited by Said Haroon, became the most popular magazine for film buffs in Pakistan. The magazine had a question and answer section titled "Yours Impishly" which the sub-editor

Asif Noorani Asif Noorani ( ur, آصف نورانی; born 1942) is a Pakistani newspaper and television journalist and writer. Personal life Asif Noorani was born in Mumbai, India in 1942. He belongs to a secular Urdu-speaking family. His family migrated to ...

took inspiration for from

I. S. Johar Inder Sen Johar(16 February 1920 – 10 March 1984), better known as I. S. Johar, was an Indian actor, writer, producer and director, who excelled in comedic roles. Early life Inderjeet Singh Johar was born on 16th February, 1920 in Talagang ...

's page in India's ''

Filmfare ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of Indian most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, an ...

'' magazine. Tabloids like these got their first controversial covers with the release of ''

Neela Parbat Neela Parbat ( ur, ) is a 1969 Pakistani Urdu film directed by Ahmad Bashir. The cast included Mohammad Ali, Husna, Sofia Bano, Komal, Zareen Panna and Agha Talish. Story theme It was Pakistan's one of the earliest experimental feature fi ...

'' on 3 January 1969, which became Pakistan's first feature-film with an adults-only tag. It ran for only three-to-four days at the box office. More controversial yet would be the offering of distribution rights in the Middle East to the Palestinian guerrilla organisation,

Al Fatah Fatah ( ar, فتح '), formerly the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, is a Palestinian nationalist social democratic political party and the largest faction of the confederated multi-party Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and s ...

, by the writer, producer, and director Riaz Shahid for his film '' Zarqa'' released on 17 October 1969. It depicted the activities of the organisation. Towards the late 1960s and early 1970s, political turmoil once again returned with the East Pakistan conflict brewing. Amidst concerns, the film ''Dosti'', released on 7 February 1971 and turned out to be the first indigenous Urdu film to complete 101 weeks of success at the box office, dubbing it the first recipient of a

diamond jubilee A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th annivers ...

. As political uncertainty took charge of the entertainment industry, filmmakers were asked to consider sociopolitical impacts of their films as evident by the fact that the makers of '' Tehzeeb'', released on 20 November 1971, were asked to change the lyrics with a reference to ''Misr'', Urdu for Egypt, that might have proved detrimental to the diplomatic relations between Egypt and Pakistan. So vulnerable was the film industry to the changing political landscape that in 1976, an angry mob set fire to a cinema in Quetta just before the release of the first Balochi film, '' Hammal O Mahganj''. Javed Jabbar's ''

Beyond the Last Mountain ''Beyond the Last Mountain'' (1976) is a Pakistani English language film written and directed by Javed Jabbar. It was Pakistan’s first English language film, which was shown at the 6th International Film Festival of India in New Delhi. It was ...

'', released on 2 December 1976, was Pakistan's first venture into English film-making. The Urdu version '' Musafir'' did not do well at the box office. Signs of trouble slowly began in the cinema industry as VCRs and piracy became an issue.

Decline (1977–1990)

Pakistani cinema entered into a decline during the regime of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (1978–1988), who began his Islamization process across the country. One of the first victims of this sociopolitical change was Pakistani cinema. Imposition of new registration laws for film producers requiring filmmakers to be degree holders, where not many were, led to a steep decline in the workings of the industry. The government forcibly closed most of the cinemas in Lahore. New

tax rate In a tax system, the tax rate is the ratio (usually expressed as a percentage) at which a business or person is taxed. There are several methods used to present a tax rate: statutory, average, marginal, and effective. These rates can also be p ...

s were introduced, further decreasing cinema attendances. Other factors such as VCRs and film piracy had a negative effect on the growth of the industry. '' Aina'', released on 18 March 1977, marked a distinct symbolic break between the so-called liberal Zulfikar Ali Bhutto years and the increasingly conservative cum revolutionary Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq regime. The film stayed in cinemas for over 400 weeks, with its last screening at the Scala in Karachi, where it ran for more than four years. It is considered the most popular Pakistan film ever. Films dropped from a total output of 98 in 1979, of which 42 were in Urdu, to only 58 films of which 26 were in Urdu in 1980.. The film industry by now was on the verge of collapse as people began turning away from cinema. The filmmakers that remained in the industry, produced super hits like

cult classic '' Maula Jatt'' in 1979, telling the story of a

gandasa ''Gandasa'' is a Pakistani film in Punjabi language, released on 16 April 1991 by screenwriter Saleem Murad. The film was directed by Hasan Askari and produced by Jahangir Khan.

-carrying protagonist waging a blood-feud with a local gangster. While ''Maula Jatt'' paved the way for films based on rural and violent anti-hero, in terms of dress, conduct, speech, and values, Maula was at odds with previous presentations of heroes and ideals of nation-building. Similarly, ''

Aurat Raj ''Aurat Raj'' (1979) is one of first Pakistani feminist movies. It was produced and directed by Rangeela. It is a satirical movie and was produced during the grim times for women under the conservative dictator, General Zia-ul-Haq's, socio-p ...

,'' released in 1979, is another film, which is hailed for its feminist narrative. Growing censorship policies against displays of affection, rather than violence, came as a blow to the industry. As a result, violence-ridden Punjabi films prevailed and overshadowed Urdu cinema. The middle class neglected the 'increasingly dilapidated and rowdy cinemas'. This film sub-culture came to be known as the ''gandasa culture''. In

Punjabi cinema Punjabi cinema, sometimes metonymously referred to as Pollywood or Punjwood is the Punjabi-language film industry centered around the Indian state of Punjab, and based in Amritsar and Mohali. The cinema of Punjab has its beginnings with th ...

Sultan Rahi Sultan Rahi ( ur, ﺳﻠﻄﺎﻥ ﺭﺍﮨﯽ ; June 24, 1938 – January 9, 1996) was a Pakistani actor, producer and screenwriter. He established himself as one of the leading and most successful actors of Pakistani and Punjabi cinema, and ...

and Anjuman became iconic figures of this culture. In

Pashto cinema Pashto cinema ( ps, د پښتو سينما; ps, پالېوډ), also known as Pollywood, refers to the film industry based in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, enagaged in production of motion pictures in Pashto language. The in ...

, filmmakers were able to get around the censor policies and filled their films with soft-core pornography to increase viewership. This was done by the backing of powerful politicians. The once romantic and lovable image of Pakistani cinema in the 1960s and 1970s had transformed into a culture of violence and vulgarity by the 1980s. This ironically came while the government under Zia-ul-Haq's regime was attempting to "Islamise" the country. Being an actress associated with the current crop of productions became an understandable taboo and many middle-class people began shunning these films. Nevertheless, the influx of refugees from

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

, who were denied entertainment in their own country, kept Pashto cinema alive, while Punjabi cinema was fueled by young single men from the rural areas of Punjab. In 1983, legendary actor Waheed Murad died, which was yet another blow to the cinema industry. Some claim he committed suicide while the media attributed his death to his disheartened view in the wake of Pakistani cinema's collapse. The director of his unfinished film ''Hero'', employed 'cheat shots' to complete the film and released to sold out cinemas across the country. This enthusiasm soon disappeared and not even Pakistan's first science fiction film, '' Shaani'', in 1989, directed by Saeed Rizvi employing elaborate special effects, could save the industry. It received awards at the

Moscow Film Festival The Moscow International Film Festival (russian: Моско́вский междунаро́дный кинофестива́ль, translit. ''Moskóvskiy myezhdunaródniy kinofyestivál''; abbreviated as MIFF) is the film festival first h ...

, in Egypt, and in Korea, but was shelved in Pakistan.

Collapse (1990–2002)

At the start of the 1990s, Pakistan's film industry was gripped with certain doom. Of the several dozen studios across the country, only 11 were operational producing around 100 films annually. By now the annual output dropped to around 40 films, all produced by a single studio. Other productions would be independent of any studio usually financed by the filmmakers themselves. This number would lower further as studios went towards producing short-plays and television commercials. The death of Waheed Murad in 1983 was only the start of the demise of iconic cinema stars of the 60s which further led to decreased interest. Anjuman quit from playback signing,

was murdered in 1996, director Sangeeta put her career on hold to attended to family life while Nazrul Islam died. Controversy raged over the 1998 film '' Jinnah'', produced by Akbar Salahuddin Ahmed and directed by

Jamil Dehlavi Jamil Dehlavi ( ur, جمیل دہلوی) (born 1944) is a London-based independent film director and producer of Pakistani- French origin. Since he became a filmmaker in the 1970s, his work has been widely screened internationally, notable films ...

. Objections were raised over the choice of actor

Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultima ...

as the protagonist depicting Muhammad Ali Jinnah and inclusion of Indian Shashi Kapoor as archangel Gabriel in the cast combined with the experimental nature of the script. Imran Aslam, editor of

The News International ''The News International'', published in broadsheet size, is one of the largest English language newspapers in Pakistan. It is published daily from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad. An overseas edition is published from London that cate ...

, said the author wrote the script in a "haze of

hashish Hashish ( ar, حشيش, ()), also known as hash, "dry herb, hay" is a drug made by compressing and processing parts of the cannabis plant, typically focusing on flowering buds (female flowers) containing the most trichomes. European Monitoring ...

". By 1999, a surge of new films began releasing. ''Haathi Meray Saathi'' produced and distributed by Eveready Pictures celebrated its Golden Jubilee bringing audience back to the cinema for 66 weeks. Other hits were

Syed Noor Syed Noor ( Punjabi, ur, ) (born Syed Ghulam Mohyuddin Noor) is a Pakistani film director based in Lahore. In 1970 Syed Noor joined the Pakistani film industry as an assistant to director S. Suleman. Noor assisted S. Suleman for 18 feature ...

's 1995 film '' Jeeva'', Saeed Rizvi's '' Sarkata Insaan'' and his 1997 film ''Tilismih Jazira''. 1998 saw the release of Noor's '' Choorian'', a Punjabi film that grossed Rs180 million rupees. In 1999, a Russian-Pakistani joint venture was produced and

Samina Peerzada Samina Peerzada (, Punjabi, ) is a film and television actress, producer and director from Pakistan. Personal life Samina was born into an educated Kashmiri Butt family in Lahore, but was raised in Karachi, Sindh Pakistan. After graduating in ...

's '' Inteha''. Other notable productions of the late 90s included ''

Deewane Tere Pyar Ke Deewane Tere Pyaar Key (Urdu: دیوانے تیرے پیار کے, English title: ''Love Crazy'') is an Urdu language film which was released on 7 November 1997. It was directed by Syed Noor and produced at ''Evernew Studios''. Plot This fi ...

'', '' Mujhe Chand Chahiye'', '' Sangam'', ''

Tere Pyar Mein ''Tere Pyar Mein'' (Urdu: تیرے پیار میں) (lit: In Your Love) is a Pakistani film which was released in December 2000. It launched the career of Zara Sheikh in Lollywood. Plot The story is about a young Indian Sikh girl Preety play ...

'', and '' Ghar Kab Aao Gay'', which attempted to get away from formulaic and violent story lines. It was predicted that Pakistani cinema would have a revival. However, the public did not respond and low attendance at cinemas were recorded as the

lower middle class In developed nations around the world, the lower middle class is a subdivision of the greater middle class. Universally, the term refers to the group of middle class households or individuals who have not attained the status of the upper midd ...

shunned these films. The industry was pronounced dead by the start of the new millennium. By the early 2000s "an industry that once produced an average of 80 films annually was now struggling to even churn out more than two films a year". Partial successes were recorded with '' Larki Panjaban'' and

Javed Sheikh Jawed Sheikh (also spelled Javaid and Javed; born 8 October 1954) is a Pakistani actor, film director and producer who works in Lollywood and Bollywood. He is best known for working in the Hindi films '' Om Shanti Om'', '' My Name Is Anthony ...

's ''

Yeh Dil Aap Ka Huwa ''Yeh Dil Aap ka Huwa'' ( ur, , , This heart is yours) is a 2002 Lollywood Urdu film starring Sana, Moammar Rana and Saleem Sheikh among others. It was directed by Jawed Sheikh and ran successfully in theaters across Pakistan. The film's soundt ...

'' grossing over Rs200 million rupees.

Revival and resurgence (2003–2011)

By 2003, young filmmakers in Karachi began experimenting with film and released low budget films to demonstrate that high quality content could be produced in Pakistan using limited resources. Cinema houses were declining in all major cities and a revival of cinema was being echoed throughout the media. With privatization of television stations in full swing, a new channel ''

Filmazia LTN Family is a 24-hour Urdu General Entertainment channel owned by Leo Television Network, which is based in Lahore, Pakistan. It broadcasts local and different multinational shows including Turkish and Korean content. The channel began its ...

'' began airing old Pakistani films as well as newer low budget productions. During this period Mahesh Bhatt, a celebrated Indian director, visited Pakistan looking for talent - particularly singers who could lend their voices to his upcoming films in India. His visit to Pakistan was to coincide with the third Kara Film Festival where he screened his film ''

Paap ''Paap'' () is a 2003 Indian crime thriller film, directed by Pooja Bhatt in her directorial debut, and features John Abraham, Udita Goswami, Gulshan Grover and Mohan Agashe. The film received mixed reviews from critics, praising its cinemat ...

'' in Karachi. Bhatt would later hire

Atif Aslam Atif Aslam is a Pakistani playback singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He has recorded many songs in both Pakistan and India, and is known for his vocal belting technique. Aslam predominantly sings in Urdu, but has also sung in Hindi, ...

for the soundtrack of his film ''

Zeher ''Zeher: A Love Story'' () is a 2005 Indian Hindi-language mystery thriller film directed by debutant Mohit Suri and produced by Mahesh Bhatt. The film stars Emraan Hashmi, Shamita Shetty and Udita Goswami. It is an adaptation of the 2003 A ...

'' and Pakistani actress

Meera Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition. Mirabai was born into a Rathore ...

to play a lead-role in one of his films. By 2005, a gradual shift had begun whereby Karachi was replacing Lahore as the Urdu film hub of the country. Before 2005, Lahore was a film hub for both Punjabi and Urdu films. Many film makers, producers, directors shifted to Karachi to avail new opportunities. In August 2007,

Shoaib Mansoor Shoaib Mansoor (Full name, Shoaib Mansoor), ( ur, ; born 4 February 1951 Karachi) is a Pakistani television and film director, writer, producer, lyricist and musician of Muhajir origin. Active in the television industry since 1980, he first f ...

directed and released '' Khuda Ke Liye'' - it became a surprise instant success at the box office and brought the middle class back to the cinemas due to its controversial theme of addressing Pakistan's social problems. The film was also released internationally, including India, where it became the first Pakistani film released there after four decades. The release of Khuda Kay Liye is seen by many as the revival of cinema in Pakistan and the cementing of Karachi as the Pakistani film and showbiz capital. Despite optimism of a solid revival, progress continued to be slow. Alongside

Geo Films ''Geo Films'' is a film production and distribution company owned by Geo Television Network based in Karachi, Pakistan. ''Geo Films'' distributes Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * H ...

, the "Pakistan New Cinema Movement" was launched in 2009 with around 1400 members which facilitated networking to stimulate newer film productions. Several films were released after Khuda Kay Liye which saw limited success including Shaan Shahid's directorial project ''Chup'', Syed Noor's ''Price of Honor'', Iqbal Kashmiri's ''Devdas'', ''

Son of Pakistan ''Son of Pakistan'' ( ur, سن آف ٻاكستان, en, Son of Pakistan) is a 2011 Lollywood Urdu film written and directed by Jarrar Rizvi and released in summer 2011. It stars Sana Nawaz, Meera, Shamil Khan and Ghulam Mohiuddin, Baber A ...

'', Syed Faisal Bukhari's ''Saltanat'', Reema Khan's ''Love Mein Ghum''., 'Bhai Log' and Mehreen Jabbar's

Ramchand Pakistani ''Ramchand Pakistani'' ( ur, ) is a 2008 Urdu-language Pakistani drama film directed by Mehreen Jabbar and produced by Javed Jabbar. The film features Nandita Das, Rashid Farooqi, Syed Fazel Hussain, Maria Wasti and Noman Ijaz in lead ro ...

. However it was

to the rescue again with his 2011 film Bol which broke box office records in Pakistan.

New wave (2011–present)

Shoaib Mansoor's Bol seemed to have officially "revived" the cinema of Pakistan. 2013 brought with it seven Pakistani films that were theatrically released in Pakistan, and led commentators to ponder whether it was time to announce the heralding of a 'new wave' of Pakistani cinema. Since 2011 from the digital scene two films have stood out with box office success as highest grossing Pakistani films; Waar followed by

Main Hoon Shahid Afridi ''Main Hoon Shahid Afridi'' (), is a 2013 Pakistani sports film directed by Syed Ali Raza Usama and produced by Humayun Saeed & Shahzad Nasib. The film features Humayun Saeed, Javed Shaikh and Noman Habib in the lead roles. Nadeem Baig, S ...

. Shoaib Mansoor's ''Khuda Kay Liye'' (2007) and ''Bol'' (2011) seemed to have ushered in the ''revival of Pakistani cinema''. By 2013, several Pakistani films were theatrically released - the first time in over a decade. It led commentators to speculate whether it was time to announce the heralding of a 'new wave' of Pakistani cinema.

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

proved to be a great year for Pakistani cinema. In March, '' Siyaah'' (meaning ''Pitch black'') was the first horror thriller film to be released in Pakistan in over 20 years. Directed by Azfar Jafri and written by

Osman Khalid Butt Osman Khalid Butt ( ur, ; born 9 February 1986) is a Pakistani film, television and theatre actor, writer and choreographer. He is best known for his role as Wali Sohaib Khan in Diyar-E-Dil , Faaz Ibrahim in Chupke Chupke and Malik Shahzain in ...

, the film starred

Hareem Farooq Hareem Farooq ( ur, ; born 26 May 1992) is a Pakistani theatre, film and television actress and a film producer, known for her work in the serial ''Diyar-e-Dil'' and ''Pawnay 14 August''. She co-produced ''Janaan'' followed by her 2018 film '' ...

, Qazi Jabbar, Mahnoor Usman and Ahmed Ali Akbar. The film was about a dissociative identity disorder patient who uses black magic against unsuspecting relatives. The film collected over ₨2.65 crore (US$260,000) at the box office. The following month ''

Chambaili ''Chambaili'' ( ur, ) is a 2013 Pakistani Urdu-language political thriller film directed by Ismail Jilani, produced by Abdullah Kadwani and Shahzad Nawaz for Coup d'état Films and 7th Sky Films. It stars Salmaan Peerzada, Khalid Ahmed, Mohammed ...

'', an Urdu-language political thriller film directed by

Ismail Jilani Ismail Jilani ( ur, ) is a Pakistani director, documentary film maker, media activist and former officer of the Pakistani Army. He came to prominence for his 2005 reality show '' George Ka Pakistan'' which is considered to be one of South A ...

, was released starring Salmaan Peerzada,

Khalid Ahmed Khalid Ahmed ( ur, خالد احمد) is a Pakistani TV director, producer and actor. He currently teaches theatre at National Academy of Performing Arts.(Rafay MahmoodKhalid Ahmed presents double bill at NAPA (National Academy of Performing A ...

Mohammed Ehteshamuddin Mohammed Ehteshamuddin ( ur, ) is a Pakistani TV director, producer, writer and actor. Ehtesham's short films '' Shahrukh Khan Ki Maut'' (2005) and ''Mein Sawa Paanch Bujay Aai Thi'' (2006) featured at the 2005 and 2006 Kara Film Festival. In ...

, Maira Khan,

Shafqat Cheema Shafqat Cheema is a Pakistani actor and producer. With his career of more than three decades, he is known for playing villain roles and is dubbed as "Pakistan’s favorite villain". Early life Shafqat graduated from the Jamia Naeemia religiou ...

and Ghulam Mohiuddin also made a special appearance. The film was a political drama exploring the subject of political corruption in Pakistan. Since the flower 'Chambaili' (lily flower) is the national flower of Pakistan, the film-makers' intentions were to encourage patriotism and nationalism in Pakistan., Retrieved 15 July 2016 The film made at the box office. Waar (; , meaning "The

Strike Strike may refer to: People * Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...

") was the winner of 2013. The

action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

- thriller film directed by

Bilal Lashari Bilal Lashari is a Pakistani filmmaker, cinematographer, screenwriter and occasional actor. He made his directorial debut with '' Waar'' (2013), which at the time of release became Pakistan's highest-grossing film (currently 11th highest). His ...

and written and produced by

Hassan Rana Hassan Rana (born Hassan Waqas Rana), also known as Doc, is a Pakistani film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his debut production '' Waar'', for which he won 3 awards at 1st ARY Film Awards. He is the founder of MindWo ...

featured

Shaan Shahid Armaghan Shahid PP ( ur, ; born 27 April 1971), better known by his stage names Shaan Shahid ( ur, ) or Shaan, is a Pakistani actor, producer, model, writer and director. Shaan has established himself as one of the most popular leading acto ...

Meesha Shafi Meesha Shafi ( ur, ) is a Pakistani-born Canadian singer, actress and model.Ali Azmat Ali Azmat Butt (born 20 April 1970) is a Pakistani singer-songwriter, musician and actor. He is best known as the lead singer for the influential Sufi Rock band Junoon and for his subsequent solo career. In 2001, he became part of the first ...

Shamoon Abbasi Shamoon Abbasi ( ur, ; born 4 April 1973) is a Pakistani actor, director and screenwriter, better known for portraying villain roles. Family His father Zuhair Abbasi was a novelist and drama writer, and so is his aunt, Seema Ghazal. Syed Ali ...

Ayesha Khan Aisha Uqbah Malik (born 27 September 1982), also known by her name Aisha Khan, is a Pakistani former television and film actress. Her prominent roles include Mahgul from '' Khuda Mera Bhi Hai'', Noor from '' Noor-e-Zindagi'' and Jeena from ' ...

and Kamran Lashari. At the time of its release, it became the highest-grossing Pakistani film ever. This was broken by 2015 release of ''

Jawani Phir Nahi Ani ''Jawani Phir Nahi Ani'' (), sometimes abbreviated as ''JPNA'' is a 2015 Pakistani adventure comedy film directed by Nadeem Baig. It was co-produced by Humayun Saeed, Salman Iqbal and Shahzad Nasib at Saeed's production house, Six Sigma Plus. ...

''. The film depicts events surrounding the war on terror in Pakistan, including the attack on a Police Academy in Lahore in 2009. Several other films were also released between April to October including ''

Ishq Khuda ''Ishq Khuda'' ( pnb, , Ishq-e-Khuda "love of god") is a 2013 Pakistani Punjabi-language romantic film directed by Shahzad Rafique and produced by Shafquat Chaudhry. It stars Shaan Shahid, Meera, Saima, Ahsan Khan, Humaima Malick, Wiam Dahma ...

'' directed by

Shahzad Rafique Shahzad Rafiq (also spelled Shehzad Rafique) is a Pakistani film director. Films he has produced and directed include ''Nikah'', '' Ghunghat'', ''Rukhsati'', ''Salakhain'' and '' Mohabbataan Sachiyaan''. His films have been presented at several ...

, '' Josh: Independence Through Unity'' directed by

Iram Parveen Bilal Iram Parveen Bilal is a Pakistani-American filmmaker, activist and entrepreneur. In 2020, her latest feature film I'll Meet You There debuted at South By Southwest (SXSW) in narrative competition. Early life Bilal was raised in Pakistan, and c ...

, ''

'' directed by

Syed Ali Raza Usama Syed Ali Raza Usama ( ur, ) is a Pakistani TV, drama (serial) director at Geo Tv and former creative director at AAJ TV. As a film director, he directed acclaimed drama serials such as '' Bashar Momin'' and '' Khuda Aur Muhabbat (season 1)''. ...

, ''

Zinda Bhaag ''Zinda Bhaag'' ( ur, ) is a 2013 Pakistani Punjabi-language drama film co-directed by Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi, and produced by Mazhar Zaidi. The film focuses on the issue of illegal migration. The film had a premiere show on 19 Septemb ...

'' by

Meenu Gaur Meenu Gaur is a London-based British-Indian director and screenwriter. She is best known for her 2013 Pakistani film ''Zinda Bhaag'' which she co-wrote and co-directed with Farjab Nabi. The film was an entry to the foreign film category at the ...

and ''

Seedlings A seedling is a young sporophyte developing out of a plant embryo from a seed. Seedling development starts with germination of the seed. A typical young seedling consists of three main parts: the radicle (embryonic root), the hypocotyl (embry ...

'' by Mansoor Mujahid. ''Main Hoon Shahid Afridi'' was an

- drama film directed by

and produced by Humayun Saeed and Shahzad Nasib. The film starred Humayun Saeed,

Javed Shaikh Jawed Sheikh (also spelled Javaid and Javed; born 8 October 1954) is a Pakistani actor, film director and producer who works in Lollywood and Bollywood. He is best known for working in the Hindi films ''Om Shanti Om'', '' My Name Is Anthony Gon ...

and Noman Habib in the lead roles. Nadeem Baig,

, Ismail Tara,

Ainy Jaffri Ainy Jaffri Rahman ( ur, ) is a Pakistani actress and model. Career Ainy initially started her career at an advertising company, . Later on when she came to Pakistan she started working in drama serials. She made her television debut with A ...

, Hamza Ali Abbasi and

Shehzad Sheikh Shahzad Sheikh (Punjabi, ur, ) is a Pakistani television and film actor. He is the son of Pakistani actor, director and producer Jawed Sheikh. He made his acting debut with the television series Dreamers (2011), and has since gained success wi ...

also played important roles in the film, whilst

Shahid Afridi Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi ( ur, شاہد افریدی‎, ps, شاهد افریدی; born 1 March 1977), known as Shahid Afridi, is a Pakistani former cricketer and captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. He is current ...

and

Ayesha Omar Ayesha Omar (born 12 October 1981) is a Pakistani actress and YouTuber. Considered as a style icon in her home country, Omar is one of the most popular and highest-paid actresses of Pakistan. In 2012, she released her first singles "Chalte C ...

made special appearances. The film earned in its first week of release. However, as some commentators cautioned, declaring a film a 'hit' or a 'flop' is determined by the relationship of the budget spent and box office returns of a film and therefore several of the top-grossing films of Pakistan were technically not a 'hit'. Nonetheless, the lack of box office returns of a Pakistani film has less to do with the film itself but more to do with the severely limited number of screens in Pakistan.

(''Run For Your Life'') has been critically acclaimed with reviewers calling it 'the best film to have come out of modern-day Pakistani cinema' and a "new metaphor for Pakistani cinema" that "bode(d) well for the possibility of noteworthy Pakistani imports in years to come".

went on to be Pakistan's official submission to the Oscars, the first after a gap of fifty years but did not make the final shortlist nominees. List of submissions to the 83rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film The resurgence of new Pakistani film productions centres around the use of digital equipment and makes use of cheaper distribution with DCP compliant cinemas which started to convert around 2011, increasing rapidly to 2014 with around 30 cinemas nationwide. 2014 proved to be an equally great year, with ''

Na Maloom Afraad ''Na Maloom Afraad'' (lit. ''Unidentified People''), is a 2014 Pakistani action comedy film co-written and directed by Nabeel Qureshi in his directorial debut. It stars Javed Sheikh, Fahad Mustafa, Mohsin Abbas Haider with supporting cast of U ...

'' (''Unidentified Persons'') taking the 2014 box office. The Pakistani comedy thriller film was co-written and directed by Nabeel Qureshi as his

directorial debut This is a list of film directorial debuts in chronological order. The films and dates referred to are a director's first commercial cinematic release. Many film makers have directed works which were not commercially released, for example early work ...

. The film starred

Fahad Mustafa Fahad Salahuddin ( ur, فہد صلاح الدین) commonly known as Fahad Mustafa ( ur, فہد مصطفٰی, label=none), is a Pakistani film and television actor and producer who is best known for hosting '' Jeeto Pakistan'', a game show tha ...

, Mohsin Abbas Haider with supporting cast of

Urwa Hocane UrwaTul Wusqua Hussain, better known by her stage name Urwa Hocane (born 2 July 1991) is a Pakistani actress, model and media personality. She made her acting debut with '' Khushboo Ka Ghar'' as Rukhsana in 2012. Hocane is best known for portray ...

Kubra Khan Rabia Khan Professionally known by her stage name Kubra Khan (born 16 June 1993) is a British-Pakistani actress who works in Urdu television and films. She made her debut in 2014 with comedy-thriller film '' Na Maloom Afraad'' and later appear ...

and

Salman Shahid Salman Shahid ( ur, ) is a Pakistani film, theatre, television and voice actor. The son of producer Saleem Shahid and veteran actress Khursheed Shahid, he has worked in Lollywood, Bollywood as well as in theatre and television.Tamanna'' directed by Steven Moore, ''Sultanat'' directed by

Syed Faisal Bukhari Syed Faisal Bukhari (born August 9, 1963) is a Pakistani film and television director, producer, and cinematographer. He is a son of the late legendary Pakistani film playback singer Zubaida Khanum and the late film cameraman Syed Riaz Bukhari., Re ...

, ''

Dukhtar ''Dukhtar'' (; ) is a 2014 Pakistani drama-thriller film directed by Afia Nathaniel. The film stars Samiya Mumtaz, Mohib Mirza, Saleha Aref, Asif Khan, Ajab Gul and Samina Ahmad. The film is Afia Nathaniel's feature directorial debut; she als ...

'' directed by

Afia Nathaniel Afia Serena Nathaniel (born 1974) is an independent Pakistani filmmaker who works primarily as a writer, director, producer and editor. She is a graduate of the Film Division at the Columbia University School of the Arts (2006). Early life A ...

, and '' O21'' directed by Jami.

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

picked off from the momentum of 2014 and 2013. '' Jalaibee'' (meaning ''twist'') was a

caper ''Capparis spinosa'', the caper bush, also called Flinders rose, is a perennial plant that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers. The plant is best known for the edible flower buds (capers), used as a seasoning ...

thriller film directed and written by

Yasir Jaswal Yasir M Jaswal is a Pakistani singer, writer, filmmaker, and award-winning music director. He was the lead singer for his band Irtaash. He was also the lead vocalist for the band Call. He directed several award-winning music videos and in 20 ...

, produced by Eman Syed. Jalaibee was a joint production of

ARY Films ARY Films ( ur, ) is a film distribution and production company in Pakistan, part of ARY Digital Network. 35 films including 11 Urdu, six Punjabi and 17 Pashto films have been released by ARY Films since 2013. Among them, '' Waar'', '' Jawani ...

and Redrum Films in association with Sermad Films and Jaswal Films. The film starred prominent TV actors

Danish Taimoor Danish Taimoor ( ur, ; born 16 February 1983) is a Pakistani actor and model. He began his career in 2005 and appeared in "Mystery Series" (Do saal baad, Dracula); both episodes were directed by Imran khokhar and aired on Indus Vision. He is ...

and

Ali Safina Ali Safina (born 18 December 1983) is a Pakistani actor. He has starred in sitcoms such as '' Takkay Ki Ayegi Baraat'' and in 2015 made his film debut with '' Jalaibee.'' Personal life Ali Safina was born in Multan, Pakistan then he moved to ...

in lead roles along with

Adnan Jaffar Adnan Jaffar ( ur, ) is a Pakistani actor and former anchor from Karachi. He is known for his work in theatre, film and television industry of Pakistan for which he is extensively appreciated. Career Adnan began his career after attending Nat ...

Sajid Hasan Sajid Hasan is a Pakistani actor. Hasan made his film debut in 2004 with the movie Salakhain in which he played the antagonist. He then acted in '' Pehla Pehla Pyar''. He also had a role in the Angelina Jolie film A Mighty Heart. Sajid Hasan ...

, Uzair Jaswal, Wiqar Ali Khan, Sabeeka Imam and

Zhalay Sarhadi Zhalay Sarhadi, also spelled Zille Sarhadi, (born on 11 June 1981) is a Pakistani actress, model, and former VJ. Her notable performance include the series '' Uraan'' (2010), '' Aks'' (2012), '' Madiha Maliha'' (2012), '' Digest Writer'' (2014), ...

. Jalaibee was the first Pakistani film to be shot with the

Arri Alexa The Arri Alexa (stylised as ΛLEXΛ) is a digital motion picture camera system developed by Arri. First introduced in April 2010, the camera was Arri's first major transition into digital cinematography after previous efforts such as the Arri ...

camera. and was about the intertwined stories of numerous characters who are all struggling with their problems, and who somehow connect on a unifying level. The film collected before its release as

Malik Riaz Malik Riaz Hussain (Urdu, pa, ; born February 8, 1954) is a Pakistani business tycoon who is the founder of Bahria Town, the largest privately held real estate development company in Pakistan and in Asia. Riaz started his career as a clerk ...

had bought 10,000 tickets in advance. The film had a good number of public previews came out well on them collecting which is biggest preview collections ever in Pakistan. In total, the film collected at domestic box office and around overseas, taking lifetime gross to at the end of April. In May, Pakistan's first 3D

computer animated Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes (still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refer ...

adventure film An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, ani ...

was released. ''

3 Bahadur ''3 Bahadur'' () is a 2015 Pakistani 3D computer-animated adventure film produced and directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. It is the first installment in the '' 3 Bahadur'' franchise. The film is co-produced by Waadi Animations which is a join- ...

'' () was produced and directed by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy. It was the first instalment in the franchise

3 Bahadur (film series) ''3 Bahadur'' ( ur, ) is a Pakistani film series comprising the 3D computer-animated films directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. The series started with the film '' 3 Bahadur'' in 2015 and is followed by the sequel '' 3 Bahadur: The Revenge of Bab ...

and was co-produced by Waadi Animations (a joint-venture of SOC films) and

. 3 Bahadur became Pakistan's first computer-animated feature-length film. The film focuses on three eleven-year-old friends, who rise from the unlikeliest of places to save their community from the evils that plague it. The film is set in a fictional town called ''Roshan Basti'' (town of light). Equipped with courage and super powers, they battle against the odds and stand up to injustice to restore peace and harmony in their once thriving community and live a very happy life. The film was theatrically released

. It became the highest-grossing animated film at the local box office breaking the previous record of ''

Rio 2 ''Rio 2'' is a 2014 American 3D computer-animated musical comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and directed by Carlos Saldanha. It is the sequel to the 2011 computer-animated film '' Rio'' and the second installment of the ''Rio'' franchise ...

''. It grossed after 50 days of successful run in cinemas and became 7th highest-grossing film in Pakistani cinema history. Between July – September, a number of films were released beginning with ''

Bin Roye ''Bin Roye'' (; ) is a 2015 Pakistani romantic drama film directed by Momina Duraid and Shahzad Kashmiri. The film is produced by Momina Duraid and stars Humayun Saeed, Mahira Khan, Armeena Khan, Zeba Bakhtiar, Javed Sheikh and others. ...

'' (''Without Crying''). The romantic drama film directed by Momina Duraid and

Shahzad Kashmiri Shahzad Kashmiri ( ur, ) is a Pakistani television and film director and cinematographer. Kashmiri is best known for his work as a cinematographer in Hum TV drama serials such as '' Humsafar'', '' Bilqees Kaur'', ''Mata-e-Jaan Hai Tu'', ''Zard ...

starred

Mahira Khan Mahira Hafeez Khan (; born 21 December 1984) is a Pakistani actress. She started her career as a VJ in 2006. Khan is best known for portraying the role of Khirad Hussain in the romantic-drama ''Humsafar'' for which she received numerous acco ...

, Humayun Saeed,

Armeena Khan Armeena Rana Khan ( ur, ) is a Pakistani Canadian film and television actress and model. One of Pakistan's most popular actresses, she has received a Lux Style Award, a Hum Award and a Nigar Award nomination. Most of her television series ...

Zeba Bakhtiar Zeba Bakhtiar ( ur, ; born 5 November 1962) is a Pakistani film/TV actress and a television director. She is known for her TV drama ''Anarkali'' (1988), the Bollywood romantic drama ''Henna'' (1991), and the Lollywood movie, '' Sargam'' (1995 ...

, and

. One of the movie's songs is directed by

Haissam Hussain Haissam Hussain is a Pakistani television and film director known for directed a number of critically acclaimed television serials such as ''Noorpur Ki Rani'' (2009), '' Akbari Asghari'' (2011), '' Durr-e-Shehwar'' (2012) and '' Aunn Zara'' (2013) ...

. The film was based on the original novel '' Bin Roye Ansoo'' by

Farhat Ishtiaq Farhat Ishtiaq ( ur, ) (born June 23, 1980), is a Pakistani writer, author and screenwriter. She is best known for her romantic novels ''Humsafar'', '' Mata-e-Jaan Hai Tu'', '' Diyar-e-Dil'', ''Dil se Nikle Hain jo Lafz'' and ''Woh Jo Qarz Rak ...

and released worldwide on 18 July 18, 2015, the day of Eid-ul-Fitr. Bin Roye was praised by the critics. It broke all records on international markets becoming one of the highest grossing Pakistani films. The film Bin Roye was later adapted into a television series with the same name, that premiered on Hum TV on October 2, 2016. Its success was followed by

which became the highest-grossing film of 2015 and breaking all box office records on domestic markets. The year saw some of the most critical acclaimed Pakistani films including Moor and Manto. Thes film raised the standards for Pakistani films.

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh c ...

continued the momentum of new age Pakistani cinema. ''Ho Mann Jahaan'' was released on 1 January starring

Adeel Hussain Adeel Husain ( ur, ) is a Pakistani actor and director. He is best known for his roles in '' Daasi,'' ''Mata-e-Jaan Hai Tu'', '' Mohabat Subh Ka Sitara Hai,'' '' Jackson Heights'' and ''Mera Naseeb''. Early life and education Born on 30 June ...

Sheheryar Munawar Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui (born 9 August 1988) is a Pakistani actor, film producer and director. He made his film debut as a lead actor and producer in 2016 with Ho Mann Jahaan. He is notable for his role in Asim Raza's '' Parey Hut Love'', wh ...

, and

Sonya Jehan Sonya Rizvi ( ur, ; born 24 April 1980), better known by her stage name Sonya Jehan, is a Pakistani film actress who predominantly works in Urdu and Hindi-language films. She is the granddaughter of legendary singer Noor Jehan and filmmaker S ...

, along with veteran

Bushra Ansari Bushra Iqbal Ansari is a Pakistani actress, comedian, singer and playwright who started her career as a child performer in the 1950s. Ansari won numerous awards during her career, including the Presidential Pride of Performance Award in 1989 fo ...

. The film opened to a highly successful box office weekend and went on to run for several weeks, making it the third-highest-grossing film of 2016, earning Rs.22.50 crores in total. ''

Janaan ''Janaan'' (Urdu/Pashto: جانان; ) is a 2016 Pakistani romantic comedy film directed by Azfar Jafri, written by Osman Khalid Butt and co-produced by Hareem Farooq, Munir Hussain, Imran Raza Kazmi and Reham Khan, under production banner ...

'' and ''

Actor In Law ''Actor in Law'' is a 2016 Pakistani socio-comedy film directed by Nabeel Qureshi, co-written and produced by Fizza Ali Meerza along with Mehdi Ali. The film was released on Eid-ul-Adha 2016. by Urdu 1 Pictures. The film stars Fahad Mus ...

'' both opened on Eid weekend, becoming the highest and second-highest-grossing films of 2016, respectively, earning Rs.24 crores and Rs.17.5 crores at the local box office and Rs.30 crores at the international box office.

Cinema by language

Film festivals

* Kara Film Festival * LUMS International Film Festival (FiLUMS) * Pakistan Film Festival -

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...

* Pakistan International Film Festival * Lahore Eurasia Film Festival –

University of Lahore The University of Lahore ( ur, ), abbreviated as UOL, is a private university located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was founded at collegiate level in 1999 under the IBADAT Educational Trust and was granted full degree awarding status in 2002. ...

Awards

Nigar Awards The Nigar Awards ( ur, , translit=Inʿām Negār, lit=Picture Awards) were presented in an annual award show to recognize outstanding achievement in Pakistani cinema. The honors are awarded by Nigar Magazine founded in 1948. The Nigar Awards ...

PTV Awards PTV National Awards () was an awards ceremony annually held by the Pakistan Television Corporation. The awards were first introduced in the late 1970s to encourage talented people in Pakistan. History The PTV awards is the largest awards cerem ...

* Lux Style Awards *

ARY Film Awards The ARY Film Awards ( ur, ), commonly known as The AFA's, is an annual Pakistani awards ceremony honoring the cinematic achievements of film industry. Winners are awarded the golden statue, officially the ARY Film Award of Merit, that is ...

* Pakistan Media Awards *

Hum Awards Hum Awards are annual Pakistani accolades bestowed by the Hum Network Limited in recognition of excellence in programming of television, fashion and music industry of Pakistan. Winners are awarded the Hum Award of Merit. The awards were first p ...

Pakistan International Screen Awards Pakistan International Screen Awards, also known as PISA, is an annual award ceremony that honours excellence in Pakistani television, film, fashion, music and digital industry. History In 2019, Faisal Khan, the executive producer of the Aw ...

* IPPA Awards (International Pakistan Prestige Awards)

History

Silent Era (1929–1946)

Independence and growth (1947–1959)

The Golden Era (1959–1977)

Decline (1977–1990)

Collapse (1990–2002)

Revival and resurgence (2003–2011)

New wave (2011–present)

Cinema by language

Film festivals

Awards

See also

References

Further reading