Cinemas were once a lucrative business, being the only means of entertainment for rich and poor alike. Peshawar, being the provincial capital and business hub where people came from far and near, had many cinemas where shows of popular movies would be sold out days and weeks in advance. But the cinema industry is fighting for survival these days. Some blame it on poor production quality, some on availability of so many entertainment options but most say it is due to the fear of terrorist activities as cinemas can be easy targets of the extremist groups.

Poor business is driving cinema owners to convert the exhibition halls into shopping complexes. There were 16 picture houses in the city. Five of them have been turned into commercial plazas. These are the former Falakser, Palwashah, Novelty, Metro and Aman cinemas. Another cinema, Ishrat, though still there with no alteration in its building, has been locked up. The cinemas that have not given up and struggling to make do with falling viewership are the Capital, PAF, Arshad, Aeena, Sabreena, Shabistan, Tasweer Mahal, Shama, Firdaus, Picture House and the Naaz.

Despite attacks on shops selling CDs and net cafes which have affected cinema business, the former which have borne the brunt of the bombings have not only survived but seem to be thriving. Cable television has robbed much of the cinema business as the latest Bollywood movies can be watched in the security of one's home. However many CD shops in the suburbs that were attacked or threatened by the extremists have been shuttered up depriving many people of a source of living and the rural community of entertainment that it so badly needs to bring some cheer in their gloomy lives.

According to police at least 60 CDs' shops were blown up in parts of Peshawar during the past two years.

During visits to different cinema houses in Peshawar most wore a deserted look. In the good old days, evening was the time when people after a days work would be rushing to the cinemas to queue up outside the box offices before the windows closed. Now the ticket counter had no buyers. The supervisor of Arshad Cinema, Yousuf Khan, told Dawn that a number of factors were responsible for the decline of cinema industry in Pakistan.

He said due to decline in the number of cinema goers other businesses had become more profitable. Turning the hall into a shopping mall meant assured income for the cinema owner but it meant joblessness for the cinema employees. He blamed the security situation and poor law and order situation for the decline in cinegoers.

The cinema owner could not show movies to empty halls. Ultimately they had to close down. He said the closure of cinemas which used to provide healthy entertainment to the whole family is a great loss to social life.

A member of the cinema owners association, Alam Khan, said besides terrorism, the high cost of living was also responsible for declining viewership since when for the majority it was difficult to arrange two square meals for the children and pay their school fee how could anyone think of going to the cinema where entry tickets now cost in three digits. As for the rich, he said, they could bring the cinema itself to their homes. What was the solution? He said first of all cinemas to run need good films to show.

The industry needs government's support in terms of cheap production materials, no entertainment tax and educated filmmakers to turn out quality films. Security also needs to be beefed up around the cinema houses.

A cinema goer, Nasrullah Khan of Batgram, said he worked in a private firm and used to go to the cinema once a month but now he feared sitting inside a cinema waiting for the bomb to explode. Moreover watching a movie in the cinema was too expensive for daily wagers.

“The movies shown in the past were far better compared to those being screened today,” said a shopkeeper Nazar Khan of Khyber Bazaar. He loved Pashto movies but now there were no original Pashto films. They had to watch Urdu or Punjabi films dubbed in Pashto. Moreover the movies were extremely vulgar and full of violence. The cinema halls were poorly furnished. The owners had no funds for maintenance and upkeep of the halls.

The noted writer of Pashto movies and journalist, Younus Qiyasi, who has scripted some 22 Pashto films said he had quit writing for films since Mussarat Shaheen made her appearance on the screen and vulgarity and obscenity became the hallmark of Pashto movies. The government stopped its supervisory role and left the industry to fend for itself. Even the mainstream Urdu film industry was limping. Most film actors were trying to adjust in television or advertising. He said the industry suffered its biggest jolt during the MMA government which shut the Nishtar Hall for cultural programmes. A number of artists left the country and settled abroad.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Culture and Tourism Syed Aaqil Shah told Dawn that his government wanted to promote local culture and had exempted cinemas from local taxes. He said the law and order situation was gradually improving bringing the city's cultural life back to normal.