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(Person) Percentage - Sabanci University Research Database

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The Asian Media & Mass Communication Conference 2010 Osaka, Japan<br />

The Decline of Pakistani Cinema: The Government, Pakistan Electronic Media Authority<br />

(PEMRA), and the Interjection of VCRs, Pirated DVDs, and Cable Channels<br />

Wajiha Raza Rizvi<br />

Institute of Communication Studies, <strong>University</strong> of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.<br />

The film eras of Lahore, the Lollywood, are clearly divided into three: silent films from 1924 to<br />

1934, Black & White (B&W) talkies from 1932 to 1970, and color 1961 onwards. The cinema<br />

that survived the 1947-Partition of Pakistan and India was fully matured by the 70s despite the<br />

stealing of its talent and intellect by television in the 60s. It is perceived that Zia’s Islamization<br />

shied the audience away from entertainment in the 70s. However, a process of decay and decline<br />

began with the interjection of VCRs, pirated DVDs, and cable TV channels in the 80s and 90s.<br />

The illegal broadcasting of foreign films maximized the pace of the decline because of<br />

Musharraf’s tremendous expansion of the electronic media at the advent of the new millennium.<br />

The audience no longer wishes to compromise the comfort of home viewing of the latest Indian<br />

and American blockbusters at minimal costs. The revival awaits the enforcement of the<br />

intellectual property rights and governmental support for the production of popular commercial<br />

and parallel films that mark the audience division in Pakistan. The low audience turnover has<br />

caused a steep decline of the cinema industry as compared to the past decades.<br />

‘<br />

Fig. 1a Annual film production under different forms of state power, 1947-2010<br />

Governor-Generals: Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Khawaja Nazimuddin, Ghulam Muhammad, Maj. Gen. Sahibzada Sayyed Sikander Ali<br />

Mirza.<br />

Presidents: Maj. Gen. Sahibzada Sayyed Sikander Ali M trip irza, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Muhammad Rafiq Tarar...<br />

Chief Martial Law Administrators/Presidents: Field Martial Muhammad Ayub Khan, General Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan,<br />

General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, General Pervez Musharraf.<br />

(Semi)martial law regimes: General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, General Pervez Musharraf.<br />

Parliamentarian Prime Ministers: Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif...<br />

29

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