CINEMA INPAKISTAN

A Brief History of Pakistani Film Industry – And Its Revival

A country where people are dying due to poverty was once the fourth largest country in the world in producing
feature films. Despite lack of equipment, the Pakistan film industry grew imminence and marked its trademark in the
world. Between 1959 to 1977, that the Pakistani film industry was known to be in its golden period. In the same
period, two Pakistani films were nominated for foreign language category in the Oscars, namely Jago Hua
Sawera and Ghoonghat.
Suddenly, everything changed when General Zia ul Haq took over the country in 1979 and implemented the policy of
Islamization. Since then, an industry which was in a golden period started facing its downfall. Due to heavy
entertainment taxes, Urdu films stopped being produced and as a result, the mainstream audience was lost.
Indian films also stopped being shown at Pakistani cinemas halls after the war of 1965 between India and Pakistan.
On one side, the quantity of Pakistani films production decreased, and on the flipside Indian films were also banned
in cinemas. As a result, cinema halls began being converted into shopping plazas and Karachi’s Naz cinema was the
first to be a victim of it. In the same period, video cassette recorder (VCR) was invented, and people of Pakistan
started using it commonly as there was a heavy tax on the entertainment industry. So, they made it a new source of
entertainment.
In addition to this, Punjabi and Pashtu films started gaining popularity, but their audience was totally different. As a
result, the elite, educated, and middle-class families avoided going to cinemas.
In order to bring back middle-class families to cinemas, Pakistani stand-up comedian and stage actor Umer Sharif
produced a film called Mr. 420, and acted in the film himself. The efforts paid off as it became the first commercial
hit after 1979’s Nahi Abhi Nahi. Unfortunately, no one else followed this step and once again no films were made at
all.
By early 2000s, an industry which once was producing 70 to 100 films annually till 1979, was struggling to produce
even a single film a year. From approximately 700 screens to 70 screens remained nationwide. It was the worst
period for the Pakistani film industry.
In addition to this, the liberal dictatorship of General Pervaiz Musharaf finally decreased the entertainment taxes
which created a new wave in Pakistani films and the cinema industry. After that, he also allowed Indian films to be
released in Pakistan which were previously banned since 1965. It was a positive gesture from the government side.
In 2007, a serious and mature director and writer finally took an initiative for making a film, and he produced the
movie Khuda Kay Liye(In the name of God) which was the first Urdu Pakistani movie after decades, and also became
the first Pakistani movie to be released in Bollywood after almost 40 years. This was the time that can be referred to
as the “revival of Pakistan film industry”. While talking about the revival, film critic and senior entertainment blogger
Shafiq-ul-Hassan said:
“The revival came thrice, as far as I can recall it after the dip in the 80s. 1st was with Jeeva, 2nd with Yeh Dil Aapka
Hua and 3rd with Bol and Khuda Ke Liye.”
The success of Khuda Kay Liye gave courage to directors, producers, exhibitors and distributors to invest in the
Pakistan film industry. Still, it took four years for Shoaib Mansoor’s second film Bol to be released in 2011.
By the year 2011, 11 new cinema screens were also added in the country. After the movie released in the nation, it
also released in India and a few other countries as well. A large number of audience visited cinemas to watch Bol,
which made it a super hit.
After that, Bollywood’s movie Race 2 became the first movie that did a business of Rs. 10 crores in Pakistan. While
observing the situation, director Jamshed Mehmood Raza said:
“With Race 2’s success, many became film trade analysts overnight.”
After the success of Khuda Kay Liye and Bol, another Pakistani movie was also ready to set its mark by the year 2013.
This time it was Bilal Lashari’s film Waar. War became the first Pakistani movie to hit 20 crores. And at the same
time, it was the first movie after many decades that was sent to Oscars. In the same year, another movie was
produced named Mein Hoon Shahid Afridi among few others.
Then during 2014 terrorism reached its peak. It was common to hear mediums of communication to include news
items about killing of people by Namaloom Afraad (unidentified person). So director Nabeel Qureshi highlighted
those things in the form of entertainment and produced a movie named Na Maloom Afraad. Even amidst the worst
condition for the country, the movie successfully did a business of 12 crores.
After Na Maloom Afraad, an issue of item numbers was raised. The movie included an item number song performed
by Mehwish Hayat , which offended several conservative mindsets. While talking about the item numbers Shafiq-ul-
Hassan stated,
“Item numbers are added for fun element. Fun element for an adult audience, if the film requires it, it’s good, if not
then even a cultural celebration shouldn’t be filmed.”
After that, 2015’s blockbuster movie which shook the industry by taking the industry to the next level was Jawani
Phir Nahi Ani. The family entertainer film by Nadeem Baig made a new record in the history of Pakistan. Jawani Phir
Nahi Ani became the first Pakistani film to cross 40 crores. Yes, the movie did a business of approximate 49 crores. In
the same year, Bin Roye, Wrong No, and Karachi Se Lahore were also released among few others. The mentioned
movies successfully hit the mark of 10 crores while Wrong No did a business of 15 crores.
By then, it became a myth that no Pakistani movie would break the record of Jawani Phir Nahi Ani. Even after almost
2 years, no movie had crossed 40 crores except one movie which is directed by the same person. Nadeem
Baig’s Punjab Nahi Jaungi is the second Pakistani movie that has managed to successfully do business on 47 crores.
The movie had been released during Eid-ul Adha in 2017.
What has allowed the film industry to excel is the fact that people of the film industry are owning it and investing in
this industry.
The massive hit of Jawani Phir Nahi Ani motivated a lot of filmmakers. The next year in 2016, Sawal 700 Crore ka
and Actor in Law were the movies that successfully crossed a line of 20 crores. While Janaan, Ho Mann
Jahan and Bachana were the movies that did a business between 10 to 20 crores. A few more films were released by
the end of the year 2016.
2017 was also an eventful year for the film industry. Punjab Nahi Jaungi was the blockbuster movie of the year. On
the other hand, Na Maloom Afraad 2 and Yalghaar were the movies that managed to do business of 20 crores. While
Mehrunisa V Lub U clocked in business of approximately 11 crores. There are few other movies that released in the
year like Balu Mahi, Chalay Thy Sath, Verna, Rangreza and others.
It is safe to say that the industry has finally come on the right track. Slowly and gradually, the industry is moving
forward to success.
From Khuda Kay Liye, Bol to Waar, Jawani Phir Nahi Ani, Punjab Nahi Jaungi, there were so many films produced in
this period of 10 years. The movies with good content successfully made their place in the hearts of the audience
while the rest tried their best to impress the audience. The important thing is exhibitors, distributors and producers
have invested in the film industry. It will still take two to five more years to enter in a club of 100 crores. For that, we
have to wait and to see which movie will be able to cross the 100 crore mark in the film industry.

HISTORY OF PAKISTANI CINEMA

Silent era (1929-1946)
The history of cinema in Pakistan began in 1929, when Abdur Rashid Kardar set up a studio and production company
under the name of United Players Corporation , which would become the foundation stone for the Lahore film
industry. After scouting for locations, he settled for their offices to be established at Ravi Road. The dim-lit area
presented with many difficulties and shootings were only possible in the day-light, but nevertheless the area had
some very important landmarks like the Ravi Forest and the tombs of Mughal emperor Jahangir and his wife Noor
Jahan. It is reported that the team working at the studios would commute on tangas and even lost equipment once
while traveling on the bumpy roads on the horse-drawn carriage. However basic and crude their working conditions,
Kardar believed in his work and in 1930 he produced the first silent film in Lahore Husn Ka Daku(Mysterious Eagle),
under his studio's banner. The film had mild success at cinemas, but prominently established Lahore as a functioning
film industry. Kardar vowed on not acting in any other film and instead focusing on direction. Immediately
afterwards, the studio released the film Sarfarosh (Brave Heart) in 1931, with Gul Hamid playing the lead role with
more or less the same cast as in the previous film. This production proved equally appealing, but was able to stir
noise about the Lahore film industry. Roop Lal Shori, who was a resident of Brandreth Road in Lahore, upon hearing
of Lahore's growing film industry, returned to his hometown and produced Qismat Ke Haer Pher(Life After Death) in
1932, which would firmly ground the film industry in Lahore. In 1946, Sajjad Gul set up Evernew Studios in on Multan
Road. The following year, Eveready Pictures was established by J.C. Anand, which would go on to become the largest
film production and distribution company in Pakistan.
Independence and growth (1947–1958)
In 1947, after Pakistan was created out of India; Lahore became the hub of cinema in Pakistan. Upon independence,
there was a shortage of funds, filming equipment which initially paralysed the film industry. With hardships faced,
the first Pakistani feature film, Teri Yaad released on 7 August 1948, premiering at the Parbhat Theatre in
Lahore.[12] Over the next few years, films that were released reached mediocre success until the release of Do
Ansoo on 7 April 1950. Do Ansoo became the first film to attain a 25-week viewing making it the first film to
reach silver jubilee status. Recovery was evident with Noor Jehan's directorial debut Chanweyreleasing on 29 April
1951. The film became the first to be directed by a female director. Syed Faqir ahmad Shah produced his first
production 1952. Though "Jagga Daku" Saqlain Rizvi was the director, the film could not get much appreciation due
to violence shown in it. As cinema viewership increased, Sassi released on 3 June 1954 by Eveready Pictures
reached golden jubilee status staying on screens for 50-weeks. Legendary playback singer Ahmed Rushdi started his
career in April 1955 after singing his first song in Pakistan "Bander Road Se Kemari".Umar Marvi released on 12
March 1956 became the first Pakistani film made in the Sindhi language. To celebrate the success of these
endeavours, film journalist Ilyas Rashidi launched an annual awarding event on 17 July 1958.[13] Named Nigar
Awards, the event is since then considered Pakistan's premier awarding event celebrating outstanding performance
in various categories of filmmaking.
The Golden Age (1959–1977)
The 1960s is often cited as being the golden age of Pakistani cinema. Many stars were introduced during this period
that would go on to become cinema legends on the silver screen. As black-and-white became obsolete, Pakistan saw
the introduction of first colour films. Some that share the status of being firsts are Munshi Dil's Azra in the early
1960s, Zahir Raihan's Sangam (first full-length coloured film) released on 23 April 1964, and Mala (first coloured
cinema scope film). In 1962 Shaheed was released which introduced the Palestine conflict to Pakistanis in cinemas
and became an instant hit. In 1962, Pakistan's most versatile actor Mohammad Ali debuted in Charagh Jalta Raha. It
was premiered by Fatima Jinnah on 9 March 1962 at Nishat Cinema in Karachi. In September 1965, following the war
between Pakistan and India, all Indian films were completely banned. A light ban had existed since 1952 in West
Pakistan and since 1962 in East Pakistan, but was exercised rigorously after the War of 1965. Pakistani cinemas did
not suffer much from the decision to remove the films and instead received better attendances. Realising the
potential, Waheed Murad stepped into the industry. His persona led people to call him the "chocolate hero" and in
essence, he became the Marlon Brando and Elvis Presley of Pakistan. In 1966, Armaan was released and became one
of the most cherished Urdu films to ever release.The film is said to have given birth to Pakistani pop music, by
introducing playback singing legends like composer Sohail Ranaand singer Ahmed Rushdi. The film became the first
to complete a 75-week screening at cinemas throughout the country attaining a platinum jubilee status. Another
rising star during this period was Nadeem Baig, who received instant stardom with his debut film Chakori in 1967.
The same year, he would act in another film of a different genre. Horror films were introduced with the release
of Zinda Laash, making it the first Pakistani film to display an R rating tag on its posters.Meanwhile, Eastern Films
Magazine, a tabloid edited by Said Haroon, became the most popular magazine for film buffs in Pakistan. The
magazine had a question and answer section titled "Yours Impishly" which the sub-editor Asif Noorani took
inspiration for from I. S. Johar's page in India's Filmfaremagazine. Tabloids like these got their first controversial
covers with the release of Neela Parbat on 3 January 1969, which became Pakistan's first feature-film with an adults-
only tag. It ran for only three-to-four days at the box office. More controversial yet would be the offering of
distribution rights in the Middle East to the Palestinian guerrilla organisation, Al Fatah, by the writer, producer, and
director Riaz Shahid for his film Zarqa released on 17 October 1969. It depicted the activities of the organisation.
Towards the late 1960s and early 1970s, political turmoil once again returned with the East Pakistan conflict
brewing. Amidst concerns, the film Dosti, released on 7 February 1971 and turned out to be the first indigenous
Urdu film to complete 101 weeks of success at the box office, dubbing it the first recipient of a Diamond
Jubilee.[21] As political uncertainty took charge of the entertainment industry, filmmakers were asked to consider
sociopolitical impacts of their films as evident by the fact that the makers of Tehzeeb, released on 20 November
1971, were asked to change the lyrics with a reference to Misr, Urdu for Egypt, that might prove detrimental to
diplomatic relations of Egypt and Pakistan. So vulnerable was the film industry to the changing political landscape
that in 1976, an angry mob set fire to cinema in Quetta just before the release of the first Balochi film, Hamalo Mah
Gunj. Javed Jabbar's Beyond the Last Mountain, released on 2 December 1976, was Pakistan's first venture into
English film-making. The Urdu version Musafir did not do well at the box office. Signs of trouble slowly began in the
cinema industry as VCRs and piracy became an issue.
Decline (1977–2000)
Pakistani cinema entered into a decline during the regime of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, who began to Islamicise the
country. One of the first victims of this sociopolitical change was Pakistani cinema.[22] Imposition of new registration
laws for film producers requiring filmmakers to be degree holders, where not many were, led to a steep decline in
the workings of the industry. The government forcibly closed most of the cinemas in Lahore.[23] New tax rates were
introduced, further decreasing cinema attendances. Other factors such as VCRs and film piracy had a negative effect
on the growth of the industry.
Aina, released on 18 March 1977, marked a distinct symbolic break between the so-called liberal Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto years and the increasingly conservative cum revolutionary Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq regime. The film stayed in
cinemas for over 400 weeks,[25] with its last screening at 'Scala' in Karachi where it ran for more than four years. It is
considered the most popular film ever.[25] Films dropped from a total output of 98 in 1979, of which 42 were in Urdu,
to only 58 films of which 26 were in Urdu in 1980. The film industry by now was on the verge of collapse as people
began turning away from cinema. The filmmakers that remained in the industry, employed flaccid story lines to
produce Punjabi cult classics like Maula Jatt in 1979, telling the story of a gandasa-carrying protagonist waging a
blood-feud with a local gangster. Growing censorship policies against displays of affection, rather than violence,
came as a blow to the industry. As a result, violence-ridden Punjabi films prevailed and overshadowed Urdu
cinema. The middle class neglected the 'increasingly dilapidated and rowdy cinemas'. This film sub-culture came to
be known as the gandasa culture. In Punjabi cinema Sultan Rahi and Anjuman became iconic figures of this culture.
In Pashto cinema, filmmakers were able to get around the censor policies and filled their films with soft-core
pornography to increase viewership. This was done by the backing by powerful politicians.
The once romantic and lovable image of Pakistani cinema in the 1960s and 70s had transformed into a culture of
violence and vulgarity by the 1980s. This ironically came while the government under ZIa ul Haq's regime was
attempting to "Islamise" the country> Being an actress associated with the current crop of productions became an
understandable taboo and many middle-class people began shunning these films. Nevertheless, the influx of
refugees from Afghanistan, who were denied entertainment in their own country, kept Pashto cinema alive while
Punjabi cinema was fueled by young single men from the rural areas of Punjab. In 1983, legendary actor Waheed
Murad died and was yet another blow to the cinema industry. Some claim he committed suicide while the media
attributed his death to his disheartened view in the wake of Pakistani cinema's collapse. The director of his
unfinished film Hero, employed 'cheat shots' to complete the film and released to sold out cinemas across the
country. This enthusiasm soon disappeared and not even Pakistan's first science fiction film, Shaani, in
1989,[30] directed by Saeed Rizvi employing elaborate special effects, could save the industry. It received an award at
the Moscow Film Festival and even in Egypt and Korea, but sadly was shelved in Pakistan.
Collapse (1990–2002)
At the start of the 1990s, Pakistan's film industry was gripped with certain doom. Of the several dozen studios across
the country, only 11 were operational producing around 100 films annually. By now the annual output dropped to
around 40 films, all produced by a single studio. Other productions would be independent of any studio usually
financed by the filmmakers themselves. This number would lower further as studios went towards producing short-
plays and television commercials. The death of Waheed Murad in 1983 was only the start of the demise of iconic
cinema stars of the 60s which further led to decreased interest. Anjuman quit from playback signing, Sultan Rahi was
murdered in 1996, director Sangeeta put her career on hold to attended to family life while Nazrul Islam died.
Controversy raged over the 1998 film Jinnah, produced by Akbar Salahuddin Ahmed and directed by Jamil Dehlavi.
Objections were raised over the choice of actor Christopher Lee as the protagonist[33] depicting Muhammad Ali
Jinnah and inclusion of Indian Shashi Kapoor as archangel Gabrie in the cast combined with the experimental nature
of the script. Imran Aslam, editor of The News International, said the author wrote the script in a "haze
of hashish".[34] By 1999, a surge of new films began releasing. Haathi Meray Saathi produced and distributed by
Eveready Pictures celebrated its Golden Jubilee bringing audience back to the cinema for 66 weeks. Other hits
were Syed Noor's 1995 film Jeeva, Saeed Rizvi's Sarkata Insaan and his 1997 film Tilismih Jazira. 1998 saw the
release of Noor's Choorian, a Punjabi film that grossed Rs180 million rupees. In 1999, a Russian-Pakistani joint
venture was produced and Samina Peerzada's Inteha. Other notable productions of the late 90s included Deewane
Tere Pyar Ke, Mujhe Chand Chahiye, Sangam, Tere Pyar Mein, and Ghar Kab Aao Gay, which attempted to get away
from formulaic and violent story lines. It was predicted that Pakistani cinema would have a revival. However, the
public did not respond and low attendance at cinemas were recorded as the lower middle classshunned these films.
The industry was pronounced dead by the start of the new millennium. By the early 2000s "an industry that once
produced an average of 80 films annually was now struggling to even churn out more than two films a year". Partial
successes were recorded with Larki Panjaban and Javed Sheikh's Yeh Dil Aap Ka Huwa grossing over Rs200
million rupees.
REVIVAL AND RESURGENCE
By 2003, young filmmakers in Karachi began experimenting with film and released low budget films to demonstrate
that high quality content could be produced in Pakistan using limited resources.[39] Cinema houses were declining in
all major cities and a revival of cinema was being echoed throughout the media. With privatization of television
stations in full swing, a new channel Filmazia began airing old Pakistani films as well as newer low budget
productions. During this period Mahesh Bhatt, a celebrated Indian director, visited Pakistan looking for talent -
particularly singers who could lend their voices to his upcoming films in India. His visit to Pakistan was to coincide
with the third Kara Film Festival where he screened his film Paap in Karachi. Bhatt would later hire Atif Aslam for the
soundtrack of his film Zeher and Pakistani actress Meera to play a lead-role in one of his films. By 2005, a gradual
shift had begun whereby Karachi was replacing Lahore as the film hub of the country. Many film makers, producers,
directors shifted to Karachi to avail new opportunities. In August 2007, Shoaib Mansoor directed and released Khuda
Ke Liye - it became a surprise instant success at the box office and brought the middle class back to the cinemas due
to its controversial theme of addressing Pakistan's social problems. The film was also released internationally,
including India, where it became the first Pakistani film released there after four decades.[41] The release of Khuda
Kay Liye is seen by many as the revival of cinema in Pakistan and the cementing of Karachi as the Pakistani film and
showbiz capital. Despite optimism of a solid revival, progress continued to be slow. Alongside Geo Films, the
"Pakistan New Cinema Movement" was launched in 2009 with around 1400 members who facilitated networking to
stimulate newer film productions. Several films were released after Khuda Kay Liye which saw limited success
including Shaan Shahid's directorial project Chup, Syed Noor's Price of Honor, Iqbal Kashmiri's Devdas, Son of
Pakistan, Syed Faisal Bukhari's Saltanat, Reema Khan's Love Mein Ghum., Bhai Log' and Mehreen Jabbar's Ramchand
Pakistani. However it was Shoaib Mansoor to the rescue again with this 2011 film Bol which brook box office records
in Pakistan.
New wave
Shoaib Mansoor's Bol seemed to have officially "revived" the cinema of Pakistan. 2013 brought with it seven
Pakistani films that were theatrically released in Pakistan, and led commentators to ponder whether it was time to
announce the heralding of a 'new wave' of Pakistani cinema. Since 2011 from the digital scene two films have stood
out with box office success as highest grossing Pakistani films; Waar followed by Main Hoon Shahid Afridi. However,
as some commentators cautioned, declaring a film a 'hit' or a 'flop' is determined by the relationship of the budget
spent and box office returns of a film and therefore several of the top-grossing films of Pakistan were technically not
a 'hit'. Nonetheless, the lack of box office returns of a Pakistani film has less to do with the film itself but more to do
with the severely limited number of screens in Pakistan. Another film, Zinda Bhaag (Run for your Life, 2013) has been
critically acclaimed with reviewers calling it 'the best film to have come out of modern-day Pakistani cinema' and a
"new metaphor for Pakistani cinema" that "bode(d) well for the possibility of noteworthy Pakistani imports in years
to come". Zinda Bhaag went on to be Pakistan's official submission to the Oscars (Foreign Film Category), the first
after a gap of fifty years but did not make the final shortlist nominees.
The resurgence of new Pakistani film productions centres around the use of digital equipment and makes use of
cheaper distribution with DCP compliant cinemas which started to convert around 2011, increasing rapidly to 2014
with around 30 cinemas nationwide. Shoaib Mansoor's Khuda Kay Liye (2007) and Bol (2011) seemed to have
ushered in the revival of Pakistani cinema. By 2013, several Pakistani films were theatrically released - the first time
in over a decade. It led commentators to speculate whether it was time to announce the heralding of a 'new
wave' of Pakistani cinema. 2013 proved to be a great year for Pakistani cinema. In March, Siyaah (meaning Pitch
black) was the first horror thriller to be released in Pakistan in over 20 years. Directed by Azfar Jafri and written
by Osman Khalid Butt, the film starred Hareem Farooq, Qazi Jabbar, Mahnoor Usmanand Ahmed Ali Akbar. The film
was about a dissociative personality disorder patient who uses black magic against unsuspecting relatives. The film
collected over ₨2.65 crore (US$260,000) at the box office. The following month Chambaili, an Urdu-language
political thriller film directed by Ismail Jilani, was released starring Salmaan Peerzada, Khalid Ahmed, Mohammed
Ehteshamuddin, Maira Khan, Shafqat Cheema and Ghulam Mohiuddin also made a special appearance. The film was
a political drama exploring the subject of political corruption in Pakistan. Since the flower 'Chambaili' (lily flower) is
the national flower of Pakistan, the film-makers' intentions were to encourage patriotism and nationalism in
Pakistan. The film made ₨20 million (US$190,000) at the box office. Waar was the winner of 2013. The action-thriller
film directed by Bilal Lashari and written and produced by Hassan Rana featured Shaan Shahid, Meesha Shafi, Ali
Azmat, Shamoon Abbasi, Ayesha Khan and Kamran Lashari. At the time of its release, it became the highest-
grossing Pakistani film ever. This was broken by 2015 release of Jawani Phir Nahi Ani. The film depicts events
surrounding the war on terror in Pakistan, including the attack on a Police Academy in Lahore in 2009. Several other
films were also released between April to October including Ishq Khuda directed by Shahzad Rafique, Josh:
Independence Through Unity directed by Iram Parveen Bilal, Main Hoon Shahid Afridi directed by Syed Ali Raza
Usama, Zinda Bhaag by Meenu Gaur and Seedlings by Mansoor Mujahid. Main Hoon Shahid Afridi was an action-
drama film directed by Syed Ali Raza Usama and produced by Humayun Saeed and Shahzad Nasib. The film
starred Humayun Saeed, Javed Shaikh and Noman Habib in the lead roles. Nadeem Baig, Shafqat Cheema, Ismail
Tara, Ainy Jaffri, Hamza Ali Abbasi and Shehzad Sheikh also played important roles in the film, whilst Shahid Afridi
and Ayesha Omar made special appearances.[66] The film earned ₨22 million (US$210,000) in its first week of
release.However, as some commentators cautioned, declaring a film a 'hit' or a 'flop' is determined by the
relationship of the budget spent and box office returns of a film and therefore several of the top-grossing films of
Pakistan were technically not a 'hit’. Nonetheless, the lack of box office returns of a Pakistani film has less to do with
the film itself but more to do with the severely limited number of screens in Pakistan. Zinda Bhaag (Run For Your Life)
has been critically acclaimed with reviewers calling it 'the best film to have come out of modern-day Pakistani
cinema'[47] and a "new metaphor for Pakistani cinema" that "bode(d) well for the possibility of noteworthy Pakistani
imports in years to come". Zinda Bhaag went on to be Pakistan's official submission to the Oscars, the first after a
gap of fifty years but did not make the final shortlist nominees. The resurgence of new Pakistani film productions
centres around the use of digital equipment and makes use of cheaper distribution with DCP compliant cinemas
which started to convert around 2011, increasing rapidly to 2014 with around 30 cinemas nationwide.
2014 proved to be an equally great year, with Na Maloom Afraad (Unidentified Persons) taking the 2014 box office.
The Pakistani comedy thriller film was co-written and directed by Nabeel Qureshi as his directorial debut. The film
starred Javed Sheikh, Fahad Mustafa, Mohsin Abbas Haider with supporting cast of Urwa Hocane, Kubra
Khan and Salman Shahid. The story follows Shakeel (Sheikh), Farhaan (Mustafa) and Moon (Haider), three poor
struggling individuals who chase every possible means of becoming rich, all getting into trouble as they struggle to
fulfill their desires and ambitions through questionably moral ways. Other films released in 2014
included Tamanna directed by Steven Moore, Sultanat directed by Syed Faisal Bukhari, Dukhtar directed by Afia
Nathaniel, and O21 directed by Jami.
2015 picked off from the momentum of 2014 and 2013. Jalaibee (meaning twist) was a caper action thriller film
directed and written by Yasir Jaswal, produced by Eman Syed. Jalaibee was a joint production of ARY Films and
Redrum Films in association with Sermad Films and Jaswal Films. The film starred prominent TV actors Danish
Taimoornand Ali Safina in lead roles along with Adnan Jaffar, Sajid Hasan, Uzair Jaswal, Wiqar Ali Khan, Sabeeka
Imam and Zhalay Sarhadi. Jalaibee was the first Pakistani film to be shot with the Arri Alexa camera. and was about
the intertwined stories of numerous characters who are all struggling with their problems, and who somehow
connect on a unifying level. The film collected ₨5 million (US$47,000) before its release as Malik Riaz had bought
10,000 tickets in advance. The film had a good number of public previews came out well on them collecting ₨1
million (US$9,500) which is biggest preview collections ever in Pakistan. In total, the film
collected ₨7.50 crore (US$710,000) at domestic box office and around ₨3 crore (US$280,000) overseas, taking
lifetime gross to ₨10.5 crore (US$1.0 million) at the end of April.[85] In May, Pakistan's first 3D computer
animated adventure film was released. 3 Bahadur (lit. three brave ones) was produced and directed by Sharmeen
Obaid Chinoy. It was the first instalment in the franchise 3 Bahadur (film series) and was co-produced by Waadi
Animations (a joint-venture of SOC films) and ARY Films. 3 Bahadur became Pakistan's first computer-animated
feature-length film. The film focuses on three eleven-year-old friends, who rise from the unlikeliest of places to save
their community from the evils that plague it. The film is set in a fictional town called Roshan Basti (town of
light).Equipped with courage and super powers, they battle against the odds and stand up to injustice to restore
peace and harmony in their once thriving community and live a very happy life. The film was theatrically
released ARY Films. It became the highest-grossing animated film at the local box office breaking the previous record
of Rio 2. It grossed ₨6.63 crore (US$630,000) after 50 days of successful run in cinemas and became 7th highest-
grossing film in Pakistani cinema history. Between July – September, a number of films were released beginning
with Bin Roye (Without Crying). The romantic drama film directed by Momina Duraid and Shahzad
Kashmiri starred Mahira Khan, Humayun Saeed, Armeena Khan, Zeba Bakhtiar, and Javed Sheikh. One of the movie's
songs is directed by Haissam Hussain. The film was based on the original novel Bin Roye Ansoo by Farhat Ishtiaq and
released worldwide on 18 July 18, 2015, the day of Eid-ul-Fitr. Bin Roye was praised by the critics. It became the
third highest-grossing Pakistani film of all time behind Waar and Jawani Phir Nahi Ani. The film Bin Roye was later
adapted into a television series with the same name, that premiered on Hum TV on October 2, 2016.
2016 continued the momentum of new age Pakistani cinema - Ho Mann Jahaan was released on 1 January
starring Adeel Hussain, Mahira Khan, Sheheryar Munawar and Sonya Jehan, along with veterans Bushra Ansari. The
film opened to a highly successful box office weekend and went on to run for several weeks, making it the third
highest-grossing films of 2016. Janaan and Actor In Law both opened on Eid weekend, becoming the first and second
highest-grossing films of 2016.