Lollywood is the name for the Pakistani Film Industry, based in the city of Lahore. The word Loolywood was first coined in a Karachi based magazine called “Glamour” by a gossip columnist Saleem Nasir. The film industry in Lahore (then a part of India) had started in 1929 with the opening of the United Players Studios by Abdur Rashid Kardar. Abdur’s directorial debut, Husan Ka daku was the first film to be directed in the Lahore’s locality of Bhaati Gate (place in Lahore where many artists, directors, lyricists, poets, musicians and actors were born and the place from where the first silent film in Lahore was made, it is said to have enjoyed its own history and cultural identity, that made it special).
Following the partition of India, most of the talented artists, actors, musicians travelled to India, which led to the degradation of the Lahore’s cinema industry (now a part of Pakistan, hence Lollywood). Its first feature film, Teri Yaad, in 1948 was released with much hardship. It was the film, Do Aansu, in 1950, which became the first film to attain a 25week viewing thereby making it the first Lollywood film to reach the Silver Jubilee status. Cinema viewership in Pakistan increased with the release of Noor Jahaan’s directorial debut Chanwey in 1951, later supported by the film, Sassi, released in 1954, first movie in Lollywood to reach Golden Jubilee status.
The decade of 60s is regarded as the Golden age for the Pakistani cinemas as it saw the introduction of the color films. It was a 1962 film, Shaheed, based on the issue of Palestine, which had become a great hit. Later following the India Pakistan war of 1961, ban was imposed on the Indian films in Pakistan. The period gave rise to many actors, directors, musicians and singers. In 1966, the film, Arman was again a super hit.
Later, following the partition of Bangladesh from Pakistan, country witnessed loss for Lollywood in terms of decreased audience and cinemas and migration of artistic talent to the new state. Further with the introduction of the VCR in mid 70s in the country, made people preferred to watch movies at the home rather than in the cinemas, also it leading to the birth of film piracy – all leading to the sorry state of the Pakistani cinema.
Following the Zia- Ul- Haq’s regime, who had imposed new registration laws for film producers which required them to be degree holders. Since, many directors and producers were not degree holders; they were not allowed to make the film. Harsh tax rates were introduced, which forced the cinemas to shut down. As a result, many who could not afford ventured into new business avenues by converting cinemas into plazas, petrol pumps, showrooms, etc. This had led to a considerable loss of the industry in the country. Keeping the fact in the mind, the government lifted the ban on Bollywood films. Since, by the virtue of the strict registration laws had already caused for the loss of the directorial talent, the viewing of Bollywood films was preferred by many Pakistani’s then. Though this led to people to go to cinemas to watch Bollywood movies but even the theater owners were taxed highly for showing foreign films. As the industry, began to decline, many actors, singers and musicians migrated to India order to get recognized their talents and many produced a great work and thereby made a great name in Indian film industry, like Atif Aslam,Nusraat Fateh Ali Khan, Shafkat Amanat Ali, Ali Zafar, Adnan Sami, etc. These days, aspiring singers from Pakistan come to participate in Indian music reality shows.
Towards the revival…
It was during 2007, under the rule of Mushraaf, that Lollywood movie, Khuda ke Liye by Shoaib Mansoor, was released in India after the 1965 war’s ban. The film was highly acclaimed in India and by many in eh industry for its take on religious extremism. Later, films, on the same, soci0-religious themes were made. The next being, Ramchand Pakistani, a film about an eight- year old boy crosses the Indo-Pakistan border. Again, the release of Bol, with the heady issues of patricide, religious intelorence, social hypocrisy, and lack family planning in the Islamic society of the country, was appreciated among the film critiques.
Presently, the directors and writers of the Lollywood have chosen to depict the contemporary life that is observed mostly among the upper class of the society, and hence focuses mainly on entertainment. Further, the fact that movies are being shot and produced in Pakistan again, a pool of technical people is being created. Even the young film makers are emerging from schools all over the country who wants to make films “about contemporary life, in a language and an idiom we speak in. At the end of the day, its entertainment”, says Gidh’s (2011 Film about how media manipulates news) director, Shamoon Abbasi.
All in all, the change in thinking, the importance laid on altering issues, coinciding with the infrastructural development of film schools and multiplexes and the phenomenal growth of digital media, have all paved a way for the renewal of Lollywood, by fundamentally changing the business model.
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