Pakistani cinemas stop screening Bollywood films

KARACHI: To show the solidarity with Pakistani actors being forced to leave India, several Pakistani cinema halls have stopped screening of Indian movies in the country.

Nuplex Cinema in Karachi on Thursday took to social media to announce that Indian films would be taken off.

"To express solidarity with the Armed Forces of Pakistan, the Management of Nueplex Cinemas has decided to stop the screening of Indian films with immediate effect. We will keep our patrons informed of further developments in this matter," read their communication.

Nuplex and another chain of movie halls - Atrium Mall Cinemas - stopped the screening of the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer movie 'Pink.'

Lahore Super Cinema also posted a message on its official Facebook page saying that no Indian movie would be screened in any of its theaters.

"In solidarity with Pakistan Army and our film actors, Super Cinema being one of the largest Cinema operators in Pakistan hereby announce boycotting of Indian films in at all our Cinemas with immediate effect for an indefinite period," read the post.

Escalating tensions between the two countries had already spilled over to the Indian film industry with the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) on Thursday passing a resolution to ban Pakistani actors, technicians and performers from working in India.

"We have no objections against those who have already completed a film with a Pakistani artiste or ones that may be on the floor, but starting today, one cannot sign Pakistani artistes for any fresh assignments," Ashoke Pandit, vice president IMPPA, had said.

Almost seven Pakistani actors including Fawad Khan, Ali Zafar, Mahira Khan had to leave India after MNS threat last week amid growing border tension between the two neighbours.