The film industry is often hailed as a powerful medium that not only entertains but contributes significantly to a country’s economy, shapes cultural narratives and promotes soft power in the global arena. Today, film industries like Hollywood and Bollywood are not only increasingly contributing to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and tax revenue of their respective countries but are also playing an important role in expanding these countries’ socio-political interests both within their boundaries and abroad. Contrarily to their counterparts, Pakistan’s film industry did have its days, but lately, it has been exhibiting an abysmal picture.
“Raja Harishchandra” was the first silent featured film of the sub-continent, which was released in 1913, more than a century ago. So, one can ponder what went wrong after the partition; India’s film industry kept on developing, while Pakistan, as in many other industries, remained unable to reap the dividends of this industry as well. Historically, Pakistan has seen intermittent periods of cinematic success, notably during the golden era of the 1950s and 1960s, producing critically acclaimed films that gained recognition both domestically and internationally. However, with the rise of television in the 1980s and subsequent political instability, not to mention the Islamisation of the country, the film industry faced a steep decline. Despite several attempts at revival, it has struggled to regain its former glory.
The absence of a robust film industry has surely put a dent in Pakistan’s economy. According to a study by the State Bank of Pakistan, the entertainment sector’s contribution to the national GDP is only around 0.1%, indicating a lack of substantial growth and economic potential. Meanwhile, Bollywood, with its colourful storytelling and extravagant song-and-dance sequence, has grown into one of the largest film industries globally. A report by Deloitte revealed that the Indian film industry was valued at approximately $2.8 billion in 2021. It is near to the amount that Pakistan was recently struggling to secure as a bail-out package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Whereas the global box office revenue for Hollywood movies, according to the Motion Picture Association, was estimated to be over $30 billion. Surely, Hollywood is no comparison to a third-world country’s industry, but it indicates the potential an entertainment industry can have and the amount of tax revenue it can generate for the government.
Apart from financial gains, film industries play a vital role in cultural exchange and international diplomacy. Bollywood’s global reach has fostered cultured understanding and strengthened India’s soft power diplomacy, attracting tourism and promoting India as a destination for film shooting. On the flip side, Pakistan’s film industry’s inability to create employment opportunities has hindered the country’s youth from pursuing careers in creative fields, leading to a brain drain. Besides, the void left in disseminating cultural and national values and guiding masses on the latest global trends and advancements is detrimental for a diverse country like Pakistan, with a significant youth bulge.
It is needed more than ever to take immediate steps to revive and run the film industry in Pakistan:
The film industry in Pakistan faces a chronic lack of investment and infrastructural challenges: outdated equipment and limited post-production facilities hinder visually appealing and technically advanced films. Thus, government support and public-private partnerships to pool the required resources should be a starting point in this regard.
Moreover, building an environment conducive to the entertainment industry is inevitable for its revival. For such purposes, government procedural hurdles like granting permits to various production houses and security as to the abrupt suspension of channels and production houses should be ensured. The unnecessary and stringent censorship encouraging creative limitation has historically restricted artistic freedom, leading to limited innovation in storytelling. Such regulations should be revisited and redevised.
Last but not least, the pervasive nepotism in the industry not only guards the talented-potential actors from entering the industry but also lowers the quality of films, hence attracting a lower degree of viewership. Therefore, it is utmost needed to ensure a talent-based and open entrance into the very industry. Having ensured these measures, there are not only promising prospects that we can soon see a revival of the film industry in Pakistan, but we would have a better economic outlook as well.
