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Cinema of Pakistan, popularly known as
Lollywood Lollywood ( ur, , translit=lâli vuḍ) refers to Pakistan's film industry based in Lahore, previously the base for both Punjabi and Urdu language film production. Lahore has been the center of Pakistani cinema since the partition of I ...
( ur, ), refers to the filmmaking industry in
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
. Pakistan is home to several film studios centres, primarily located in its three largest cities –
Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
,
Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
, 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 Pakis ...
. 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 ...
, and in recent years, has begun flourishing again after years of decline, delivering entertainment to audiences in
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
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, 6000
Pashto Pashto (,; , ) is an Eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family. It is known in historical Persian literature as Afghani (). Spoken as a native language mostly by ethnic Pashtuns, it is one of the two official langua ...
and 2000 Sindhi 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 Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
, home to the nation's largest film industry (nicknamed
Lollywood Lollywood ( ur, , translit=lâli vuḍ) refers to Pakistan's film industry based in Lahore, previously the base for both Punjabi and Urdu language film production. Lahore has been the center of Pakistani cinema since the partition of I ...
). Pakistani films during this period attracted large audiences and had a strong cult following, 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 Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
laws Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vari ...
, 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 cult following. As of June 2022, the total number of cinema halls in
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
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 ...
(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 Nur Jahan, born Mehr-un-Nissa P ersian: نورجهان (; – 18 December 1645) was the wife and chief consort of the Mughal emperor Jahangir from 1620 until his death in 1627. Nur Jahan was born Mehr-un-Nissa, as the daughter of a Mirza Gh ...
. It is reported that the team working at the studios would commute on tangas 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 ...
'' (''Brave Heart'') in 1930 and '' Farebi Daku'' in 1931, with Gul Hamid 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 Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
, 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 ...
was established by
J.C. Anand Jagdish Chand Anand better known as J.C. Anand (1922 – 17 May 1977) was a Pakistani film producer and distributor. One of the largest distributors within the country, he founded Eveready Pictures in Karachi. Background Anand was born in ...
, 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 mono ...
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 ''Do Ansoo'', ( ur, ; ''Two Tears'') film made in 1949 and released in Pakistan on 7 April 1950, was the first Urdu language film to attain a silver jubilee status in Pakistan.
'' 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 Pres ...
'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 Sindhi ( ; , ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by about 30 million people in the Pakistani province of Sindh, where it has official status. It is also spoken by a further 1.7 million people in India, where it is a scheduled language, withou ...
. 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, 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 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 we ...
'' 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'' (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, a ...
debuted in ''Charagh Jalta Raha''. It was premiered by Fatima Jinnah on 9 March 1962 at Nishat Cinema in
Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
. 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 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 and Myanmar, wi ...
, 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 Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
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 var ...
, 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
Ahmed Rushdi ), Rushdi Sahab ( ur, ) , birth_date = , birth_place = Hyderabad Deccan, British India , death_date = , death_place = Karachi, Pakistan , origin = Pakistani , instrument = Vocalist , genre = ...
. 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 C ...
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 Nadeem' ...
'' 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-ur-Rehman (actor), Habib (Aqil's Brother), Deeba (Shabnam), Rehan ...
'', 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 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'' 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 film ...
'' 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 Zarqa ( ar, الزرقاء) is the capital of Zarqa Governorate in Jordan. Its name means "the blue (city)". It had a population of 635,160 inhabitants in 2015, and is the most populous city in Jordan after Amman. Geography Zarqa is located in t ...
'' 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 anniver ...
. 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 Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه‎) is the tenth most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in south-west of the country close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is the capital of ...
just before the release of the first Balochi film, ''
Hammal O Mahganj ''Hammal O Mahganj'' is a Pakistani Balochi-language film released in 1976. It is known as the first feature Balochi film. The film could not make it to the cinemas due to political pressure. The film was produced by Anwar Iqbal who also played ...
''. Javed Jabbar's '' Beyond the Last Mountain'', 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 A videocassette recorder (VCR) or video recorder is an electromechanical device that records analog audio and analog video from broadcast television or other source on a removable, magnetic tape videocassette, and can play back the recordin ...
and
piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
became an issue.


Decline (1977–1990)

Pakistani cinema entered into a decline during the regime of
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq HI, GCSJ, ร.ม.ภ, (Urdu: ; 12 August 1924 – 17 August 1988) was a Pakistani four-star general and politician who became the sixth President of Pakistan following a coup and declaration of martial law in ...
(1978–1988), who began his
Islamization Islamization, Islamicization, or Islamification ( ar, أسلمة, translit=aslamāh), refers to the process through which a society shifts towards the religion of Islam and becomes largely Muslim. Societal Islamization has historically occur ...
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 rates 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 Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourt ...
years and the increasingly conservative cum revolutionary
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq HI, GCSJ, ร.ม.ภ, (Urdu: ; 12 August 1924 – 17 August 1988) was a Pakistani four-star general and politician who became the sixth President of Pakistan following a coup and declaration of martial law in ...
regime. The film stayed in cinemas for over 400 weeks, with its last screening at the Scala in
Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
, 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 Punjabi cult classic ''
Maula Jatt ''Maula Jatt'' ( pnb, ), is a 1979 Pakistani Punjabi language action, musical film directed by Younis Malik and produced by ''Sarwar Bhatti''. The film is an unofficial sequel to the 1975's ''Wehshi Jatt'', starring Sultan Rahi as Maula Jat ...
'' 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,'' 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 the ...
, Sultan Rahi 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 indus ...
, 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 ''Shaani'' or ''Shanee'' is a 1989 Pakistani science fiction film directed by Saeed Rizvi and starring Babra Sharif, Sheri Malik, Ghulam Mohiuddin, Asif Khan, Saeed Rizvi and Mohammad Ali. The film is famous for its special effects which were ...
'', in 1989, directed by
Saeed Rizvi Saeed Rizvi ( ur, سعيد رضا ) is a Pakistani film director. The movie industry and the government Rizvi would like the government to play a more optimistic role in the movie industry. He exclusively blames General Zia ul Haq for the ...
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, Sultan Rahi 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 Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...
'', 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 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 cater ...
, said the author wrote the script in a "haze of hashish". 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 f ...
's 1995 film '' Jeeva'', Saeed Rizvi's ''
Sarkata Insaan ''Sarkata Insaan'' (Urdu: , ) is a 1994 Pakistani Science fiction film, science fiction Horror film, horror Action film, action Musical film, musical Drama (film and television), drama film directed, produced and visual effects created by Saeed ...
'' and his 1997 film ''Tilismih Jazira''. 1998 saw the release of Noor's '' Choorian'', a Punjabi film that grossed Rs180 million
rupees Rupee is the common name for the currencies of India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, and of former currencies of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (as the Gulf rupee), British East Africa, B ...
. In 1999, a Russian-Pakistani joint venture was produced and Samina Peerzada's '' Inteha''. Other notable productions of the late 90s included '' Deewane Tere Pyar Ke'', ''
Mujhe Chand Chahiye ''Mujhe Chand Chahiye'' (Urdu: مجھے چاند چاہیے) is a 2000 Pakistani Urdu-language romantic film which was released in March 2000. The film was Shaan's second directorial venture and was a huge success at the box office. The f ...
'', '' 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 middle ...
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 G ...
'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 soundtr ...
'' grossing over Rs200 million
rupees Rupee is the common name for the currencies of India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, and of former currencies of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (as the Gulf rupee), British East Africa, B ...
.


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'' 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 The Karachi International Film Festival, simply known as the Kara Film Festival (Urdu: ''کارا فلم فیسٹیول'' or ''کارا فلم'') was founded in 2001 by the KaraFilm Society, reportedly in response to the declining state of th ...
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 Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
. 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 Ame ...
'' 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 Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
was replacing
Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
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 ...
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, Lollywood Lollywood ( ur, , translit=lâli vuḍ) refers to Pakistan's film in ...
, 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 (actress), Meera, Shamil Khan and Ghulam Mohiudd ...
'', 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 role ...
. However it was
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 ...
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 This list charts the most successful Pakistani films screened at cinemas in Pakistan and overseas. Pakistani films generate income from several revenue streams including box office sales (admissions), theatrical exhibitions, television bro ...
; 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, ...
. 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 ''Siyaah'' ( ur, سیاہ, ''Black'') is a 2013 Pakistani horror thriller film directed by Azfar Jafri and written by Osman Khalid Butt. The film stars are Hareem Farooq, Qazi Jabbar, Mahnoor Usman and Ahmed Ali Akbar. The film is about the di ...
'' (meaning ''Pitch black'') was the first horror
thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...
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 '' Mahnoor Usman '' ( ur, ) is a Pakistani film actress. She marked her debut as a child artist in the critically acclaimed independent film ''Siyaah ''Siyaah'' ( ur, سیاہ, ''Black'') is a 2013 Pakistani horror thriller film directed ...
and Ahmed Ali Akbar. The film was about a
dissociative identity disorder Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states. The di ...
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, Mohamme ...
'', an
Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...
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 Asia's ...
, 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 Maira Khan ( ur, ; born 27 July 1984) is a Pakistani television actress, film actress, model and former VJ. Her notable performances include ''Chambaili'' (2013 film), (2016 film), ''Durj'' (2019 film), '' Cheekh'' (2019 TV Drama), '' Bewa ...
, Shafqat Cheema 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 Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...
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 List of highest-grossing Pakistani films, highest-gros ...
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 MindWor ...
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 R ...
, Ayesha Khan 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 The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant ...
in
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
, including the attack on a Police Academy in
Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
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 Dahm ...
'' 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 f ...
, '' 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 ...
, ''
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, ...
'' directed by Syed Ali Raza Usama, ''
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 September ...
'' by Meenu Gaur 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 (embryo ...
'' by Mansoor Mujahid. ''Main Hoon Shahid Afridi'' was an
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 ...
-
drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
film directed by Syed Ali Raza Usama and produced by
Humayun Saeed Humayun Saeed Ansari (born 27 July 1971), professionally known as Humayun Saeed, is a Pakistani actor and producer. He has appeared in dozens of Pakistani television dramas and limited number of films, and earned Lux Style Awards, and ARY Fil ...
and Shahzad Nasib. The film starred
Humayun Saeed Humayun Saeed Ansari (born 27 July 1971), professionally known as Humayun Saeed, is a Pakistani actor and producer. He has appeared in dozens of Pakistani television dramas and limited number of films, and earned Lux Style Awards, and ARY Fil ...
,
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 Noman Habib is a Pakistani actor. Career Noman Habib Khan made his debut with the television serial Yeh Zindagi Hai in which he played the role of "Bhola". Noman Habib Khan also appeared in the television show "Nachley" which was aired on ARY D ...
in the lead roles. Nadeem Baig, Shafqat Cheema,
Ismail Tara Ismail Tara ( ur, اسماعیل تارا; 16 November 1949 – 24 November 2022) was a Pakistani actor and comedian. He worked in stage plays, television and Lollywood films. He was a five time Nigar Awards winner for the best comedian in Ha ...
, Ainy Jaffri,
Hamza Ali Abbasi Hamza Ali Abbasi (Urdu/ pa, ; born 23 June 1984) is a Pakistani film and television actor and director. He is known for his roles as Afzal in the drama serial '' Pyarey Afzal'', and as Salahuddin in the drama serial '' Mann Mayal''. In 2 ...
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 w ...
also played important roles in the film, whilst Shahid Afridi and Ayesha Omar 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.
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 September ...
(''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".
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 September ...
went on to be Pakistan's official submission to the
Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, 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 This is a list of submissions to the 83rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited the film industries of various countries to submit their best film for the Academy Award for Bes ...
 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 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
proved to be an equally great year, with '' Na Maloom Afraad'' (''Unidentified Persons'') taking the 2014 box office. The Pakistani
comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...
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
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 G ...
,
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 that ...
,
Mohsin Abbas Haider Mohsin Abbas Haider ( ur, ) is a Pakistani actor, singer, writer and television presenter. He is the recipient of a Lux Style Award from five nominations. Haider is best known for his acting roles in the successful films ''Na Maloom Afraad'' ( ...
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 VJ (media personality), media personality. She made her acting debut with ''Khushboo Ka Ghar'' as Rukhsana in 2012. Hocane is ...
, Kubra Khan 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, ''
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 also ...
'' 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 ...
, and '' O21'' directed by Jami. 2015 picked off from the momentum of 2014 and 2013. ''
Jalaibee ''Jalaibee'' ( ur, ; meaning ''twist'') is a 2015 Pakistani caper action thriller film directed and written by Yasir Jaswal, produced by Eman Syed. Jalaibee is a joint production of ARY Films & Redrum Films in association with Sermad Films and ...
'' (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 ...
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 Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...
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 P ...
and Redrum Films in association with Sermad Films and Jaswal Films. The film starred prominent TV actors Danish Taimoor 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 Om ...
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 c ...
, 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 Arrif ...
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 w ...
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 re ...
adventure film was released. '' 3 Bahadur'' () 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 Ba ...
and was co-produced by
Waadi Animations ''Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor'' ( ur, ) is a Pakistani computer animated film directed by Uzair Zaheer Khan. It depicts the story of a young boy and his relationship with animals. The film is produced by 3rd World Studios and distrib ...
(a joint-venture of
SOC films Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy ( ur, ; born 12 November 1978) is a Pakistani-Canadian journalist, filmmaker and activist known for her work in films that highlight the inequality with women. She is the recipient of two Academy Awards, seven Emmy Awar ...
) and
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 P ...
. 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
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 P ...
. 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. O ...
'' (''Without Crying''). The romantic
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...
directed by
Momina Duraid Momina Duraid ( ur, ) is a Pakistani director and producer. She is a senior producer and creative head of television network Hum TV and CEO of her own production company MD Productions. She has produced and created several series including ' ...
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 Humayun Saeed Ansari (born 27 July 1971), professionally known as Humayun Saeed, is a Pakistani actor and producer. He has appeared in dozens of Pakistani television dramas and limited number of films, and earned Lux Style Awards, and ARY Fil ...
,
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 in ...
, Zeba Bakhtiar, 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 G ...
. 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). H ...
. 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 Rakh ...
and released worldwide on 18 July 18, 2015, the day of
Eid-ul-Fitr Eid al-Fitr (; ar, عيد الفطر, Eid al-Fiṭr, Holiday of Breaking the Fast, ) is the earlier of the two official Islamic holidays, holidays celebrated within Islam (the other being Eid al-Adha). The religious holiday is celebrated by Musli ...
. 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
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 ...
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 Moor or Moors may refer to: Nature and ecology * Moorland, a habitat characterized by low-growing vegetation and acidic soils. Ethnic and religious groups * Moors, Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, Iberian Peninsula, Sicily, and Malta during ...
and
Manto may refer to: People * Mando (singer), Greek singer * Manto Mavrogenous, Greek national heroine * Saadat Hasan Manto, Urdu short story writer known by his pen name Manto * Manto Tshabalala-Msimang (1940–2009), South African politician * 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 of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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'', whi ...
, 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. 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 banners o ...
'' 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 Musta ...
'' 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 The Karachi International Film Festival, simply known as the Kara Film Festival (Urdu: ''کارا فلم فیسٹیول'' or ''کارا فلم'') was founded in 2001 by the KaraFilm Society, reportedly in response to the declining state of th ...
* LUMS International Film Festival (FiLUMS) * Pakistan Film Festival - New York * 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 *
Lux Style Awards The Lux Style Awards is an award ceremony held annually in Pakistan since 2002. The awards celebrate "style" in the Pakistani entertainment industry, and it is the oldest event dedicated to cinema, television, fashion, music and film industry ...
*
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 The Pakistan Media Awards, commonly known as The PMA, are a set of awards given annually for radio, TV, film and theatre achievements. The award is a statuette representing a knight with a star on the chest. Its official named is a Pakistan Me ...
* Hum Awards * Pakistan International Screen Awards * IPPA Awards (International Pakistan Prestige Awards)


See also

*
List of cinema of the world This is a list of cinema of the world by continent and country. By continent *Cinema of Africa *Cinema of Asia ** South Asian cinema **Southeast Asian cinema * Cinema of North America * Cinema of Latin America * Cinema of Europe * Cinema of Ocean ...
*
Lists of Pakistani films The following pages for each decade list films produced in Pakistan by year of release. Pre-1950 *List of Pakistani films before 1950 1950s * List of Pakistani films of 1950 * List of Pakistani films of 1951 * List of Pakistani films of 1952 * ...
*
List of highest-grossing Pakistani films This list charts the most successful Pakistani films screened at cinemas in Pakistan and overseas. Pakistani films generate income from several revenue streams including box office sales (admissions), theatrical exhibitions, television bro ...
*
List of Pakistani male actors This is an alphabetical list of notable Pakistani male film and television actors: A * Aagha Ali * Abdullah Ejaz * Abdullah Kadwani * Abid Ali * Abid Kashmiri * Abid Khan * Adeeb * Adeel Hussain * Adil Murad * Adnan Khan * Adnan Jaffar ...
*
List of Pakistani actresses This is an alphabetical list of notable Pakistani actresses related to the film and television industry. A *Aasia *Armeena Khan * Aaminah Haq * Aamina Sheikh *Aiman Khan * Ainy Jaffri * Alishba Yousuf ...
* Shahnoor Studios – One of the oldest film studios in
Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...


References


Further reading

* * * * {{Pakistan topics Cultural history of Pakistan