PESHAWAR: Cinema houses in Peshawar experienced a low turnout of cine-goers on the first, second and third day of Eidul Azha owing to the repatriation of Afghan refugees.

Most cinema managers around the provincial metropolis cited ‘repatriation of Afghan refugees’ the biggest reason among many other factors for the low turnout of movie-buffs on Eidul Azha.

Cinema houses ran four shows with almost empty seats on the first day of Eid as cine-goers remained busy in sacrificing animals and sharing Eid greetings. The return of Afghan refugees also caused low turnout of cine-goers, in addition to other factors.

Ajmat Hussain, a resident of Kohat said that he and his friends came to Peshawar for watching all new Pashto movies. He said he along with his friends enjoyed the big screen as new Pashto films were full of fun, romance and music. He said Gulpanra, Shah Sawar, Rahim Shah Hashmat Sahar and Nazia Iqbal as playback singers proved their mettle.

Khalil, another young movie-buff, however enjoyed the roles of Shahid Khan, Tariq Jamal and Afareen Paree and termed the new Pashtun runs as the ever best movies as compared to last year’s releases. He said even one quality song could make a film super hit.

Tall claims by film producers before releases of their productions to earn a better business on Eidul Azha faced a deep slump and low turnout as only a few people were witnessed at the gates of cinema houses where new Pashto runs were being screened. The ticket for a new Pashto film show ranged between Rs400 to Rs800 on the first day of Eid. The cinema managers witnessed a downward spiral of 60 per cent in cine-goers turnout on this Eid.

Pashto film superstar, Shahid Khan told Dawn that they had several times requested the officials concerned in Peshawar to grant them one kanal plot free where he would build a cineplex for 400 viewers. He said that the authorities insisted installation of digital gadgets in our old fashioned cinema halls. “This experience has been a total failure even in a city like Lahore. Peshawar needs at least 10 cineplexes,” he explained.

Farmanullah, a resident of Landi Arab, Peshawar told this scribe that he had come to watch a Pashto movie only for its strength of music.

He said that Pashto had no storyline except guns and characters never corresponding to our cultural identity. Suhail Khan, another movie-buff, said that youth only visited cinema houses to drive away their mental depression. “There is no substance in Pashto films whether new or old. Look at the other cities of the country, the same youth frequently visit cineplexes in large number,” Mr Khan commented.

Wiylat Babu, manager of Arshad cinema, told Dawn the cinema business recorded a low sink also citing Afghan refugees’ return as the one big reason among others as Afghan youth at the most had already been repatriated or were busy in pack-up and the rest were restricted by police for lack of valid documents.

He said cinema culture in the present shape would never survive. He warned that the return of Afghan refugees would prove last nail in the coffin of cinema business if proper steps were not taken.

“I am in this field since 1975, it was used to be golden era of Pashto film industry and then things began deteriorating in late 80s when bomb blasts took place in cinema houses.

Pashto film industry survived despite odds but this time around, little hope is left in its rebirth. A complete overhaul of the film industry is need of the hour if we want to bring back the golden era of Pashto movies,” the manager envisioned.

Gauhar Khan, manager of Sabrina cinema, said that normally the turnout on Eidul Azha remained low on the first day and it gradually went up on the second and third day. But this time he said the sudden orders of Afghan refugees’ return pushed our business to the brink of a total collapse. “Sometime, we have to run the show with only 40 seats filled in a cinema hall with 600 seats,” he maintained.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2016