Cinemas are back with a bang after difficult years

Lahore: There is, suddenly, a new entertainment option available in Lahore. This option offers an attractive alternative to restaurants and cafes that have for many years remained the only choice for couples, families or friends seeking to enjoy an evening out.

After a virtual "disappearance" for more than two decades, cinema is back with a bang. A plush new movie theatre in the Defence locality has brought the elite back into halls.

Other cinemas too are booming, and compared to the situation a few years ago when Pakistani films ran before rows of empty chairs, many are beginning to pull in spectators - and with it the revenue owners so desperately seek.

Better promotion

The secret behind the re-birth of cinema has been greater professionalism in the promotion and marketing of films. Major Hollywood blockbusters are being brought in by entrepreneurs behind new cinema halls and aggressive marketing to sell them to people.

Teenagers, who till now have had little opportunity to watch films on the large screen, are among those targeted.

"When I was younger, films meant an evening with some friends in front of the DVD player and raids on the kitchen while the movie played. The experience of watching action on a huge screen, inside a packed cinema, while digging into a giant bag of popcorn is quite thrilling," said Moeed Ahsan, 19. Moeed and several friends try to watch at least one film in the cinema every month.

Conscious efforts have also been made at new cinemas to tackle problems of the past. During the 1980s, rowdy behaviour at cinema halls had played a part in keeping women and families away. Tough security measures have been put in place to ensure this is no longer the case, with managements making it clear anyone engaged in making catcalls or other disruptive behaviour will be removed from the theatre.

This threat is been carried out now. Clean hallways, well maintained seats and a snack shop add to the charm of cinema.

The biggest blow to cinema in Pakistan had come as a result of tough censorship codes enforced under the regime of the late military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq.

As a part of wider "Islamisation" policies, the import of many Hollywood films was blocked. Indian films had been banned in Pakistan since the 1965 war between the two countries while new restrictions also hampered Pakistani films.

As a consequence, audiences drifted away from cinemas, while the arrival of video allowed free access to films at home. Dozens of cinemas closed down as a result and those that remain in the city have struggled to survive.

The biggest blow to cinema in Pakistan had come as a result of tough censorship codes enforced under the regime of the late military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq.