Pak film distributors demand new policy allowing screening of Indian films

Lahore, Oct 7 : Thanks to a vague policy of Pakistan's Culture Ministry, films shot in India or produced by an Indian are not allowed to be filmed in Pakistan, even if Pakistani actors have performed roles in it.

According to film exhibitors and distributors, the Pakistan government should adopt a clear-cut policy regarding the screening of Indian movies, as currently, Indian movies are censored under the "Import Policy" devised by the Culture Ministry.

Under the policy, only those films are presented before the censor board whose producers do not have Indian nationality or which have been filmed outside India. The policy, therefore, bars the screening in Pakistan of those movies which have been filmed in India even if Pakistani actors have appeared in them.

The film exhibitors and distributors say that it seems that the problem is with the Indian land and not the Indians "who can well propagate their ideas in the movies filmed outside India", reported the Daily Times.

An Indian movie is typically bought in for around Rs seven million and can do business of around Rs ten million in the first week of its screening, the paper quoted Pakistan Cinema Management Association Chairman Qaiser Sanaullah Khan as saying.

He said that almost all the Indian movies that had been released in Pakistan had done good business, and added that 'Singh is King', 'Race', 'Awarapun' and 'Jannat' have done good business.

Khan said only 12-15 Indian movies were allowed to screen in Pakistan, which, according to him, was not enough to run around 200 cinemas across the country. He said that Indian movies had good business potential and that they often recover the initial investment in the first week of their screening.

ANI