While there is no official ban on releasing Pakistani films in India, theatre owners say the main fear is one of opposition from local community groups and vandalism in cinemas. The release of Pakistani hit The Legend of Maula Jatt, which was scheduled in India last month, was called off after strong opposition from political groups and a stay by the government.
However, trade experts said that even without an official stay, few cinemas would take the risk of showing these films in the first place.
“The concern is that politics could take precedence over business prospects for the distributors and exhibitors that decide to screen these movies,” said Rahul Puri, managing director of Mukta Arts and Mukta A2 Cinemas. “That said, if a film were to release without people really knowing that it is, in fact, a Pakistani title, there would be no reason for most to dismiss it and it would all boil down to content.”
“The sentiment (around releasing Pakistani films in India) would not go down well on the ground,” said producer Yusuf Shaikh who has released and distributed Pakistani films in the past. “Everything could be a risk in such cases for theatre owners. The public could break into your cinema and cause much damage. It is scary because there is a lot of money at stake.”
As of today, what was once a thriving market in theatres has died even though, ironically, films and shows continue to be available online and are lapped up by viewers.
A remake of the 1979 Punjabi film, The Legend of Maula Jatt is Pakistan’s highest-grossing film, having made Pakistani ₹400 crore worldwide. This would have been the first Pakistani film to release in Indian cinemas in over a decade since Bol in 2011 starring Humaima Mallick and Atif Aslam.
Easier access online
Puri added that there is an audience for Pakistani content, whether in theatres or on digital platforms, and it is relatively easy for viewers to access these shows and movies on OTT services. The same, however, is not true of movie theatres.
Shaikh said that not only is there great affinity among Indian audiences for Pakistani shows and actors on YouTube and OTT platforms, a film starring Pakistani star Fawad Khan and Indian actor Vaani Kapoor has also been announced recently.
In the past, Pakistani films such as Bol, Khuda Kay Liye and Ramchand Pakistani have seen some box office success in India, making over ₹1 crore in some cases. However, collaborations between Indian and Pakistani artistes came to a halt after the Pulwama incident in 2019, with India banning the export of films to Pakistan and the neighbouring country retaliating with a similar measure.
In 2023, however, India’s Supreme Court dismissed a petition seeking a complete ban on performers from Pakistan.
To be sure, it is the chaos on the ground that puts distributors and theatre owners off.
“There is a very strong emotional connect with the content on OTT, but cinemas seem to be getting a raw deal because of security reasons,” film producer, trade and exhibition expert Girish Johar said.
He added that while the market for Pakistani films in India is limited to Delhi, Punjab and parts of Mumbai, it could always throw up decent box office numbers.
