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 ...

( 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 List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. 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 cap ...

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 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 ...

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

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 languages ...

and 2000 Sindhi feature-length films. The first film ever produced was ''

Husn Ka Daku ''Husn Ka Daku'' is a 1929 action adventure silent film directed by A. R. Kardar. The film, also called ''Mysterious Eagle'' was made by Kardar's Playart Phototone. Kardar acted in this, his first production from Playart Phototone. Playart Photo ...

'' 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

, home to the nation's largest film industry (nicknamed

). 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 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 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

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 Nur-ud-Din Muhammad Salim (30 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was the fourth Mughal Emperor, who ruled from 1605 until he died in 1627. He was named after the Indian Sufi saint, Salim Chishti. Ear ...

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 Ghi ...

. 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 ''

'' (''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 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

, 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 The governor-general of Pakistan ( ur, ) was the representative of the Pakistani monarch in the Dominion of Pakistan, established by the Indian Independence Act 1947. The office of governor-general was abolished when Pakistan became an Islami ...

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 A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু ...

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 languages of India ...

. 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 award ...

, 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 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

. 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 d ...

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 Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

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

. 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 ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English language, 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, r ...

'' 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 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 Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه‎) is the tenth List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in Geography of Pakistan, south-west of the country close to the ...

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 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 Aina may refer to: * Aina (given name) Places * Aina (Crete), a town of ancient Crete * Aïna River, a river in Cameroon and Gabon * Aina, Iran, a village in Kermanshah Province, Iran Art and entertainment * ''Aina'' (1977 film), a 1977 Pakista ...

'', 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 fourth ...

years and the increasingly conservative cum revolutionary

regime. The film stayed in cinemas for over 400 weeks, with its last screening at the Scala in

, 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 Metonymy, metonymously referred to as Pollywood or Punjwood is the Punjabi language, Punjabi-language film industry centered around the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, and based in Amritsar and Mohali. The ci ...

, 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 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, ultimat ...

as the protagonist depicting

Muhammad Ali 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 ...

and inclusion of Indian

Shashi Kapoor Shashi Kapoor (pronounced �əʃi kəpuːɾ (born Balbir Raj Kapoor; 18 March 1938 – 4 December 2017) was an Indian actor and film producer who is best known for his work in Hindi films. A recipient of several accolades, including four Nation ...

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 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 Monitorin ...

". 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 language, 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 ...

's 1995 film ''Jeeva (1995 film), Jeeva'', Saeed Rizvi's ''Sarkata Insaan'' and his 1997 film ''Tilismih Jazira''. 1998 saw the release of Noor's ''Choorian (1998 film), Choorian'', a Punjabi film that grossed Rs180 million Pakistani rupee, rupees. In 1999, a Russian-Pakistani joint venture was produced and Samina Peerzada's ''Inteha (1999 film), Inteha''. Other notable productions of the late 90s included ''Deewane Tere Pyar Ke'', ''Mujhe Chand Chahiye'', ''Sangam (1997 film), Sangam'', ''Tere Pyar Mein'', 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 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's ''Yeh Dil Aap Ka Huwa'' grossing over Rs200 million Pakistani rupee, 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'' 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'' in

. Bhatt would later hire Atif Aslam for the soundtrack of his film ''Zeher'' and Pakistani actress Meera (actress), Meera to play a lead-role in one of his films. By 2005, a gradual shift had begun whereby

was replacing

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 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, 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'', Syed Faisal Bukhari's ''Saltanat'', Reema Khan's ''Love Mein Ghum''., 'Bhai Log' and Mehreen Jabbar's Ramchand Pakistani. However it was Shoaib Mansoor to the rescue again with his 2011 film Bol (film), Bol which broke box office records in Pakistan.

New wave (2011–present)

Shoaib Mansoor's Bol (film), 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 List of highest grossing Pakistani films, highest grossing Pakistani films; Waar followed by Main Hoon Shahid Afridi. 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. List of Pakistani films of 2013, 2013 proved to be a great year for Pakistani cinema. In March, ''Siyaah'' (meaning ''Pitch black'') was the first horror film, horror thriller film to be released in Pakistan in over 20 years. Directed by Azfar Jafri and written by Osman Khalid Butt, the film starred Hareem Farooq, 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'', an Urdu-language political thriller film directed by Ismail Jilani, was released starring Salmaan Peerzada, Khalid Ahmed, Mohammed Ehteshamuddin, Maira Khan, Shafqat Cheema and Ghulam Mohiuddin (actor), 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 (attack), Strike") was the winner of 2013. The action film, action-thriller film directed by Bilal Lashari and written and produced by Hassan Rana featured Shaan Shahid, Meesha Shafi, Ali Azmat, Shamoon Abbasi, Ayesha Khan and Kamran Lashari. At the time of its release, it became the List of highest-grossing Pakistani films, highest-grossing Pakistani film ever. This was broken by 2015 release of ''Jawani Phir Nahi Ani''. The film depicts events surrounding the War in North-West Pakistan, war on terror in

, including the 2009 Lahore police academy attacks, attack on a Police Academy in

in 2009. Several other films were also released between April to October including ''Ishq Khuda'' directed by Shahzad Rafique, ''Josh: Independence Through Unity'' directed by Iram Parveen Bilal, ''Main Hoon Shahid Afridi'' directed by Syed Ali Raza Usama, ''Zinda Bhaag'' by Meenu Gaur and ''Seedlings (film), Seedlings'' by Mansoor Mujahid. ''Main Hoon Shahid Afridi'' was an action film, action-drama film directed by Syed Ali Raza Usama and produced by Humayun Saeed and Shahzad Nasib. The film starred Humayun Saeed, Javed Shaikh and Noman Habib in the lead roles. Nadeem Baig, Shafqat Cheema, Ismail Tara, Ainy jaffri, Ainy Jaffri, Hamza Ali Abbasi and Shehzad Sheikh 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 (''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 went on to be Pakistan's official submission to the List of submissions to the 83rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, 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. List of Pakistani films of 2014, 2014 proved to be an equally great year, with ''Na Maloom Afraad'' (''Unidentified Persons'') taking the 2014 box office. The Pakistani comedy film, comedy thriller film was co-written and directed by Nabeel Qureshi (director), Nabeel Qureshi as his List of directorial debuts#2010s, directorial debut. The film starred Javed Sheikh, Fahad Mustafa, Mohsin Abbas Haider with supporting cast of Urwa Hocane, Kubra Khan and Salman Shahid. The story follows Shakeel (Sheikh), Farhaan (Mustafa) and Moon (Haider), three poor struggling individuals who chase every possible means of becoming rich, all getting into trouble as they struggle to fulfill their desires and ambitions through questionably moral ways. Other films released in 2014 included ''Tamanna (2014 film), Tamanna'' directed by Steven Moore, Sultanat (2014 film), ''Sultanat'' directed by Syed Faisal Bukhari, ''Dukhtar'' directed by Afia Nathaniel, and ''O21 (film), O21'' directed by Jami. List of Pakistani films of 2015, 2015 picked off from the momentum of 2014 and 2013. ''Jalaibee'' (meaning ''twist'') was a Caper story, caper action (genre), action Thriller (genre), thriller film directed and written by Yasir Jaswal, produced by Eman Syed. Jalaibee was a joint production of ARY Films and Redrum Films in association with Sermad Films and Jaswal Films. The film starred prominent TV actors Danish Taimoor and Ali Safina in lead roles along with Adnan Jaffar, Sajid Hasan, Uzair Jaswal, Wiqar Ali Khan, Sabeeka Imam and Zhalay Sarhadi. Jalaibee was the first Pakistani film to be shot with the Arri Alexa 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 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 film, 3D Computer animation, computer animated 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) and was co-produced by Waadi Animations (a joint-venture of SOC films) and ARY Films. 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. It became the highest-grossing animated film at the local box office breaking the previous record of ''Rio 2''. 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'' (''Without Crying''). The Romance film, romantic Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Momina Duraid and Shahzad Kashmiri starred Mahira Khan, Humayun Saeed, Armeena Khan, Zeba Bakhtiar, and Javed Sheikh. One of the movie's songs is directed by Haissam Hussain. The film was based on the original novel ''Bin Roye Ansoo (novel), Bin Roye Ansoo'' by Farhat Ishtiaq 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 Bin Roye (TV series), same name, that premiered on Hum TV on October 2, 2016. Its success was followed by Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 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 (film), Moor and Manto (2015 film), Manto. Thes film raised the standards for Pakistani films. List of Pakistani films of 2016, 2016 continued the momentum of new age Pakistani cinema. Ho Mann Jahaan, ''Ho Mann Jahaan'' was released on 1 January starring Adeel Hussain, Mahira Khan, Sheheryar Munawar, and Sonya Jehan, 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'' and ''Actor in Law, Actor In Law'' 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 * Lahore University of Management Sciences, LUMS International Film Festival (FiLUMS) * Pakistan Film Festival - New York City, New York * Pakistan International Film Festival * Lahore Eurasia Film Festival – University of Lahore

Awards

* Nigar Awards * PTV Awards * Lux Style Awards * ARY Film Awards * Pakistan Media Awards * Hum Awards * Pakistan International Screen Awards * IPPA Awards (International Pakistan Prestige Awards)