Cinemas struggle for survival in twin cities

Islamabad: Once bustling with families seeking weekend movie treats, the cinema business in Rawalpindi and Islamabad now stands on the brink of collapse as a once-thriving industry is grappling with a decline in viewership, closure of cinemas, technological advancements, low-quality films, and the rise of home entertainment options are cited as major contributors to this downfall.

In the past, cinema-goers eagerly awaited the cinematic experience on big screens, but today, the landscape has changed. The cinema owners, facing financial challenges, are converting their theatres into commercial plazas to stay afloat. While this may provide a business solution, provincial laws mandate the establishment of mini-cinemas alongside commercial spaces converted from cinemas.

A senior official at the Censor Board highlighted the diminishing appeal of cinema due to low-quality films and outdated infrastructure. The families no longer find cinemas fit for entertainment, further exacerbating the industry’s decline. In the capital city almost three or four years back Nafdac 1 and Nafdac 2 at Blue Area were two good cinema houses and later a modern cinema had also been established in Centaurus Mall, Cinepax World Trade Centre, Raiha CineGold Plex and Jacaranda Family Club Cineplex that offered high-quality entertainment to families in the twin cities.

Meanwhile, in Rawal­pindi, the number of cinema houses has come down drastically over the last decade. The shopping malls have come up in place of the cinema houses. The masses rush to the cinema when they have the facility to watch quality movies, as people like films that are close to their real life and happiness, if they have a facility of good quality movie then they would go to watch movies said an office worker while talking to APP on Thursday.

The advent of modern devices including Android entertainment apps like YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, modern HD fibre cable networks, TV, DVD and CD players diminished the cinema trend, keeping people away from cinemas however, all these are the major factors, however, the government should support cinema owners in this regard, a cinema owner said. When Pakistan gained independence in 1947, the film industry flourished with Indian and English films being shown in Pakistani cinemas.

However, the ban on Indian films in 1965 marked a turning point. Today, the cinematic landscape is vastly different, with cinema houses being replaced by shopping malls in Rawalpindi. The viewers lamented the lack of family-friendly entertainment in cinemas, emphasizing the importance of quality movies and well-maintained cinema houses. The advent of modern devices and entertainment apps like YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon, coupled with HD cable networks, has shifted the audience away from traditional cinemas. A citizen Zoima Ejaz argued that the government should play a pivotal role in supporting cinema owners during these challenging times. The absence of educated individuals in the film industry and the production of low-quality films have further contributed to the decline in the cinema business.