Lollywood, home to Pakistani films, is an industry that once was thriving. However, more recently, they have seized to create too much noise in Pakistan and otherwise. While over 1000 films are made in India annually, only 20 films are made a year and brings in close to $1.3 billion a year. And Pakistan cinema blames Bollywood for their decline simply because Bollywood is far too advanced in filmmaking compared to Lollywood. Acclaimed Pakistani to over 400 local films, Ghulam Mohiudiin claims, “We have some good cinemas but we can’t provide so many good, new films. People are used to good technical movies and they don’t want the smaller budget films.”
Many of the local talent has decided to shift from Lollywood and focus on Bollywood instead including local talent Ali Zafar who was a part of 2010’s hit Tere Bin Laden. Officials higher up the culture and tourism board for Pakistan claim that a tie-up between both cinema industries may help to revive what is otherwise a dying movie industry. “Indian cinema is extremely advanced and we want Indian filmmakers to work with us. We also want training opportunities for our actors and directors in India.”
However, oppositions such as Qaisar Sanaullah Khan believe that this would further “lead to an exodus of Indian talent.” He further added that Bollywood has been stealing talent from Lahore for many years. “It has always been one way. We just cannot afford to pay the sort of money that they do…The Pakistan film industry is completely finished. In the 1980s we were producing up to 100 movies a year. Now there are no studios and our cinemas are closing.”
Lollywood firmly believe that is courtesy of Bollywood that they now find themselves lacking in talent and full cinema halls.
