Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
Bollywood

Cinema In Pakistan Revived Due To Bollywood: Mahesh Bhatt

Darpan News Desk IANS, 06 Apr, 2015 01:53 PM
  • Cinema In Pakistan Revived Due To Bollywood: Mahesh Bhatt
Veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who calls himself a facilitator of the cultural dialogue between India and Pakistan, says Bollywood is responsible for reviving the interest in cinema in the neighbouring country, where a play based on his 1989 film "Daddy" was recently staged.
 
In a tete-a-tete with IANS, the 66-year-old, who was in the capital to promote his forthcoming production venture “Mr. X”, said that with the Pakistani film industry “almost non-existent”, the popularity of Bollywood films and stars is what has motivated them to revive their own exhibition industry.
 
“Pakistani people have Indian actors figuring in their lives like in India... when you walk on the streets of Karachi, you have advertisements of Priyanka Chopra or Shah Rukh Khan endorsing some product or the other adorning the walls there,” Bhatt said.
 
“Their movie halls exhibit films starring Indian actors... because their own film industry is almost non-existent. Their film exhibition industry has been revived because of Bollywood offerings. They live with it... people there have got a new lease of life because of Bollywood,” the National Award-winner added.
 
Indian movies were banned in Pakistan in 1968 and as a result the film industry across the border suffered recession. While the ban was eased in 2006, most theatres in the country couldn't survive the self-imposed drought. In fact, just earlier this year, the 66-year-old Taj Mahal cinema in the country's Abbottabad city was shut down due to lack of clientele.
 
That said, there are filmmakers who have come up in recent times, and got noticed for their work. Be it Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who won the first Oscar for her country with "Saving Face", or names like Mehreen Jabbar ("Ramchand Pakistani") and Shoaib Mansoor ("Khuda Kay Liye") -- their differentiated filmmaking has struck a chord with global audiences.
 
In India also, there is a heightened interest in Pakistani works ever since movies from the other side of the border have started releasing here. Then, there is also accessibility to TV content from Pakistan -- courtesy Zindagi channel.
 
Bhatt sampled Pakistan's love for Indian art and culture when he was there to present "Daddy", which was staged at the International Theatre Film Festival 2015, organised by Karachi's National Academy of Performing Arts.
 
All three shows went houseful and "people really gave it a very powerful response", he said.
 
“I was personally happy that it touched a lot of hearts and people were very happy to have us amidst them but it was more triumph for the director (Danish Iqbal) and Imran (lead actor Imran Zahid). I went there since the material was sourced from my film and I am a facilitator in the cultural process between India and Pakistan,” he added.
 
Bhatt is currently busy promoting his nephew Emraan Hashmi's new 3D sci-fi thriller “Mr. X”

MORE Bollywood ARTICLES

Having Sex Outside Marriage Is Not Empowerment: Sonakshi Sinha Tells Deepika

Having Sex Outside Marriage Is Not Empowerment: Sonakshi Sinha Tells Deepika
Actress Sonakshi Sinha does not agree with her contemporary Deepika Padukone's ideas about choice of freedom in "My Choice", a video aimed at spreading awareness about women empowerment.

Having Sex Outside Marriage Is Not Empowerment: Sonakshi Sinha Tells Deepika

Salman Hit-And-Run Case: Prosecution Questions Driver's Claim

Salman Hit-And-Run Case: Prosecution Questions Driver's Claim
The prosecution in the Salman Khan hit-and-run case made a fervent plea to the court on Wednesday to reject the claim by the Bollywood actor's driver Ashok Singh that he was driving the killer vehicle during the 2002 accident in which a pavement dweller was killed.

Salman Hit-And-Run Case: Prosecution Questions Driver's Claim

Sunny Leone Says She's Grown As Actor, Dancer

Sunny Leone Says She's Grown As Actor, Dancer
Actress Sunny Leone, who is gearing up for the release of "Ek Paheli Leela", says the audience will see her growth as an actor in the film.

Sunny Leone Says She's Grown As Actor, Dancer

BJP's Murli Manohar Joshi Slams Deepika's Women Empowerment Video

BJP's Murli Manohar Joshi Slams Deepika's Women Empowerment Video
Veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Wednesday flayed Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone's video on women empowerment as "height of lack of consciousness".

BJP's Murli Manohar Joshi Slams Deepika's Women Empowerment Video

'Udta Punjab' Made Alia Fly Off Social Media

'Udta Punjab' Made Alia Fly Off Social Media
The young and versatile Alia Bhatt was missing from the virtual platform for quite sometime. The chirpy actress says she had to go off the radar to focus on her work, but she is now back with the first schedule of her film “Udta Punjab” ending.

'Udta Punjab' Made Alia Fly Off Social Media

Kapil Sharma Croons For His Debut Film

Kapil Sharma Croons For His Debut Film
Comedian Kapil Sharma has carved a space of a multi-talented star with his acting and singing capabilities. He is now working on a new song for his debut movie and he wishes the song strikes a chord with his fans. 

Kapil Sharma Croons For His Debut Film