The recent banning, unbanning and banning of Ashir Azeem’s film ‘Maalik’ leaves one bewildered. The cultural ministry in its infinite wisdom has decreed the film as being biased and inciting violence. This judicious decision is based upon a ‘controversial’ depiction of the Taliban and the assassination of a political leader by his security detail.

How art imitates life? “It’s funny how the colors of the real world only seem really real when you watch them on a screen.” Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange.

Apart from these excuses, reading the subtitles, the issue stems from the fact that politicians are negatively portrayed. With the prevailing Panamanian backdrop, perhaps it was all too much for the political leadership.

This ban comes in the wake of a much proclaimed revival of the Pakistan film industry. Recently, one came across a book “The Lahore of my times,” by Zahid Akasi, which deals extensively with the development of the film industry in Lahore. The heart of the industry was Lakshmi Chowk. The place was named after the Lakshmi building, constructed in 1935, belonging to Lakshmi Insurance. The company also owned another building on the Mall, Lakshmi Mansion and one in Karachi. Lakshmi Chowk being what it is was always a hub of food and entertainment. In this nascent hub, apart from the Lakshmi building, other buildings included; Gita Bahwan, Bristol, West Indies and Mansarvar hotels. There were a few movie offices and cinemas including; Capital, Nishat, Odeon, Palace, Ritz, Parbhat (Sanobar or Empire), Jaswant and Moonlight.

Prior to 1940, the area was quite deserted and the adjoining Royal Park comprised an empty ground with hillocks and wrestling areas. In 1935, to celebrate the silver jubilee of George V, a grand exhibition was set up in this ground – hence the name Royal Park. After the conclusion of the celebrations the park was slowly built up between 1940 and 1945. One of the buildings was the OK printing press of B.R.Chopra, a journalist. He later went on to become a famous movie producer and director in India. At this time there were only two offices connected to the film industry; Mian Rafiq Akhtar and A.K.Jan’s Bilal productions. Also, Azad an artist from the Mayo School of Arts, now the NCA, designed the first movie poster ‘Pahlay Aap.’

In those days the evenings in Lakshmi Chowk glittered with stars. Some of the more famous included; Pran, Raza Mir, Soresh, Om Parkash, Saleem Raza, M. Ismail, Amarnath, M. Jamil, Dr. Narang, Majnoo, I.S.Johar, Aziz Kashemiri, Qateel Shifai, Zahir Kashemiri, D.N.Madhok, J.K. Nand, M.J Rana, Ashraf Khan, Ahsan B.A., Qamar Ajnawali, Baba ji A Chishti. These were the times when the bars were wet, the star shiner and atmosphere much more cordial. During the Partition the gaiety of the area was temporarily halted.

By 1948-49, the post-Partition movie industry was in full swing in the area. The Lakshmi building now contained the offices of Eveready and Oriental pictures and later Shabab pictures. Other offices soon rapidly mushroomed in the chowk and the Royal Park area. By 1948 the first Pakistani film ‘Teri Yaad,’ starring Asha Posley and Nasir Khan (Dilip Kumar’s brother), by Pancholi Studios had been released. The film proved to be flop but that is a separate story.

Fast forwarding to the seventies, the industry was thriving and churning out around 120 to 150 movies annually: then came Ziaul Haq’s regime. Soon the industry was throttled and slowly withered away. That was under a martial law and a strict puritan agenda. It would be shame if this was to happen under a democratic dispensation, where freedom of expression should have some eloquence.

An interesting anecdote in context of movies, the current anthem of the military band:

O holy warrior rise, the time of martyrdom here;God is great, God is great.

Is part of a song from the movie ‘Genghis Khan’ by Tufail Hoshyarpuri. – AM Lahori

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2016