Lahore cinemas lose audience after terror attack on Lankan team

Lahore, Mar. 23 (ANI): Cinemas halls in Lahore are faring poorly following the March 3 terror attack on the Lankan cricket team.

Even hit films like 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'Billu Barber' have not been able to pull viewers back to the cinemas.

Since the screening of Indian films has been adversely affected following the Mumbai attacks, Cinema owners believe Lollywood should introduce better films to restore its image and regain viewers, the Daily Times reports.

Most cinemas - Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Cinema, Sozo World, Plaza Cinema and Empire Cinema-complained of a lack of Bollywood movies.

They said most Indian films could not be screened in Pakistan as the government only allowed the screening of the films that were filmed outside India.

About 12 Indian films were annually aired in Pakistan, and government should either change its policy or entirely ban the screening of Indian films in Pakistan, Cinema owners said.

Most people did not want to go to cinemas anymore as they had already watched the film on television.

"That's exactly why Slumdog Millionaire did not attract as large a crowd as it should have. People had already watched it on television," a Sozo World source said.

Piracy is also giving Pakistani cinemas a tough a tough time.

"Piracy is a big issue. It must be controlled if the 'cinema culture' is to be revived," A Plaza Cinema employee said.

Pakistan Cinema Management Association claimed that several cinemas in Pakistan had already converted into plazas and restaurants.

"12 to 15 Indian films could not cater to the cinemas' demand for an entire year," Chairman Qaisar Sanaullah Khan said. (ANI)