HONG KONG -- Pakistani cinema is entering the international age with moves to normalize the country's own movie industry and the reversing of a 43-year embargo against Indian films.
Caretaker minister for industries, Salman Taseer on Saturday announced that the entertainment sector has been granted 'industry status' following a decision by the Cabinet.
Spanning studios, production companies and animation, the status is intended to allow the sector to build infrastructure, conduct research and engage in training schemes.
"Duty-free import of equipment related to this industry will also be allowed," he said.
Industry status may also allow normal financial interaction with other parts of the economy. Neighboring India's granting of industry status eight years ago foreshadowed bank lending and outside financial investments in the sector and a modernization boom.
Taseer said Pakistani entertainment could expect to grow by an annual 7% following the reclassification.
"A notification allowing (Indian) imports is expected anytime," said Jamshed Zaffar, chairman of the Pakistan Film Producers' Assn. Other sources reported that government intends to allow 12 Indian films per year.
There have been signs of thawing in cinematic relations with India. High- level political intervention led to the screenings of "Mughal-e-azam" and "Taj Mahal" (both revolving around Muslim emperors of their shared history) to raise funds for earthquake relief.
And for the past three years Pakistan has allowed limited import of Indian films, such as "Bride and Prejudice" and "Goal," that were principally shot outside India.
"Indian films allowed entry since 2004 were those shot on third-country locales and brought here as foreign films. The new regime will do away with these restrictions," Zaffar said.
Pakistan has its own Urdu-language movie industry based in Lahore, which is inevitably nicknamed Lollywood, and its own stars. But Pakistani cinema has dwindled under pressure from intense piracy, cable TV and lack of investment in theatrical circuits.
Lobbying by exhibitors for a reversal of the 1965 ban on Indian films, is both an acknowledgement that video copies of Bollywood movies are widely traded on the black market and a move to drive revenue through Pakistani turnstiles.
Exhibitors urged Indian rights owners to be cooperative, rather than conquering. Day-and-date releasing either side of the border has best chance of B.O. success, but because of limited screen numbers, releases are unlikely to be wide.
The thawing relations look set to go both ways. The first commercial release of a Pakistanifilm in several decades is set for March 28. Helmed by Shoaib Mansoor Pic, "Khuda ke liye" (In the Name of God) focuses on the rift between radical and liberal versions of Islam. With a cameo role by veteran Indian thesp Naseeruddin Shah pic was a hit in Pakistan last year and previously showed at the Intl. Film Festival of India. India has 140 million Muslims, the largest religious minority.
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