Pakistani cinema today finds itself in a vicious cycle: low investment leads to poor quality films, which leads to disinterested audiences, which leads to even lower investments
With better entertainment easily accessible at home, there’s little incentive left for people to spend money at local theaters
Sakina Murtaza
An era once on its peak, with excellent storytelling, audience engagement and national pride is standing on a fragile crossroad, unable to return to its original glory, concerning everyone who holds a share in it. Pakistan Cinema, or lollywood has seen its good and bad, yet stands today at its worst with a mix of limited budgets, repetitive storytelling, lack of audience trust, and aggressive commercialization, that has unfortunately drained the spirit from what could have been a golden revival.
A brief look back
In the 1960s and 1970s, often referred to as the golden age of Pakistani cinema, Lahore’s Lollywood produced films like Armaan (1966) starring Waheed Murad, and Heer Ranjha, which showcased poetic dialogues and original narratives. There existed a different kind of charm within these projects, which pulled the audience like magnets to the cinemas, crowding it with enthusiasm and excitement. Over 100 films a year were produced at the peak, and cinema was an element that found its place deeply rooted in the local culture.
However, the 1980s brought a wave of decline, largely due to censorship, political instability, and the spread of VHS culture. By the early 2000s, the situation was grim, with many cinemas shutting down entirely.
The Attempted Revival
Then came the mid-2010s which produced a sliver of hope amongst the people, with films like Bol, Waar and Cake making a comeback in the cinemas, it introduced better production quality, bolder topics, and intentionally appealing themes. It had managed to intrigue the audiences once again, however, that joy was also short lived. According to a 2022 report by the Pakistan Film Producers Association, Pakistan produced just 23 films that year. Worst of all, only 5-6 films managed to have a respectable box office run.
What’s Killing the Industry Today?
There are several factors that have been contributing to the slow death of Pakistani cinema. The biggest challenge is the lack of budget. Most films operate on very limited funds, making it difficult to deliver high-quality visuals, sets, and production, especially when compared to Bollywood or global standards. Alongside this, unoriginal storytelling has become a major issue; filmmakers often rely on safe, formulaic romantic comedies and avoid experimenting with new genres like thrillers, fantasy, or political dramas, which leaves audiences bored and uninterested.
Another major problem is that audiences no longer trust Pakistani films. Even when good films like Laal Kabootar or Kamli are made, people hesitate to spend money on tickets, fearing disappointment. This leads to low box office numbers, discouraging further investment and creating a cycle of poor performance.
Moreover, there is too much commercialization. Filmmakers prioritize glamour, celebrity appeal, and viral marketing over meaningful stories and artistic risks. As a result, movies feel shallow and repetitive. Cinema’s also lean towards releasing films on occasions such as Eid-ul-Fitr or Eid-ul-Adha, saturating the market, placing so many similar options in front of the audience that it becomes difficult for them to choose which one they should go and watch. As a result the effort on producing and promoting the film itself declines significantly.
Finally, external competition from Netflix, Indian films, and Hollywood has overwhelmed Pakistani cinema. With better entertainment easily accessible at home, there’s little incentive left for people to spend money at local theaters.
Conclusion
Pakistani cinema today finds itself in a vicious cycle: low investment leads to poor quality films, which leads to disinterested audiences, which leads to even lower investments. Without brave new storytelling, government support, serious investment, and a renewed trust-building effort with audiences, the industry risks total irrelevance.
Filmmaking has always been about bringing dreams into physical realities. Once Pakistani cinema begins to dream bigger, it will ultimately bring out the best the world has ever seen.
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Sakina Murtaza is BS 2nd Year student at the department of Mass Communication, Karachi University
