Bringing Bollywood to the land of the pure
Letter to the editor…
Sir: Recent talk of showing Indian movies in Pakistani cinemas has prompted many people to theorise about what the reaction of the public would be and what it would do to Pakistani cinema. In the first case, the important thing to remember is that we, as Pakistanis, can’t deal with people enjoying themselves or being entertained, which is why we should expect some protests. The truth is that we are an entertainment-starved nation. In fact, if we’re not careful we will soon become the most boring and intellectually barren country in the world, but that is a different matter.
So while some people might come out on the streets to protest and threaten cinemas and cinema owners, the public will probably not react too badly. Some might grumble but in the end people will go to see the movies. However, it would probably be wise to take it easy and introduce such things in small doses so that people are not shocked.
This brings us to the second issue: what it would to Pakistani cinema? Probably nothing because nothing worthwhile is happening in our cinema in the first place. Pakistani cinema has no one to blame for its demise except itself. Where Indian cinema has excelled, Pakistani cinema has regressed. Indian cinema has created many stars and tried various new techniques and technology; we have stuck to our two stars and somehow slept through the technological boom in films.
This doesn’t mean that I will be going to see an Indian movie in a cinema in Pakistan. Simply because I canÂ’t sit through three hours of dancing and singing and a predictable ending. However, I would suggest that people look at this objectively. The move might be instrumental in bridging the gap between the people of the two nations. And perhaps it will give our cinema the much-needed kick in the backside, compelling it to accept the modern techniques of film making. But my real objection is with those people who say that the vulgarity of Indian movies will pollute the minds of our youth and public. For heavens sake, have they ever seen a Punjabi movie? The word ‘vulgar’ doesn’t even begin to describe them!
Zainab Afzal
Lahore.
Source: Daily Times
Date:7/10/2004
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