A revival of the Pakistani film industry

I would love it if Pakistani cinema could be perceived how Pakistani television at one point was perceived, which was for good content, says Mahira Khan.

The Pakistani film industry is trying hard to revive itself for the last few years but apart from critically and commercially successful movies like Bol (2011) and Khuda Ke Liye (2007), they are churning out commercial masala films (Jawani Phir Nahin Aani, Jalaibee, Wrong No etc.), which are also known as formula films. Mahira is hopeful that things will change pretty soon. Her hope also comes from the fact that her last film Bin Roye took two years to finish, whereas Ho Mann Jahaan was wrapped up in 58 days.
Mahira: I think we are just making films at this time. Everyone in the film industry is doing what his or her heart desires. Why should we relegate ourselves to a Bol or a Ho Mann Jahaan or a Bin Roye? I would love it if Pakistani cinema could be perceived how Pakistani television at one point was perceived, which was for good content. You know you are going to watch a Pakistani drama and it will be good content. That is our USP. If you go back to our literature that is something we haven't even tapped into. I personally think that is something that we should be relying on and we should not be stopping ourselves and saying, "this works for us, so let's do this." We have no formula; that is a blessing. We don't have major stars; we don't have a star-driven industry. We are not stifling ourselves with formula films right now. We have an audience that is saying, feed us whatever you want.
Sheheryar: We are restricted on how much we can spend on cinema right now because the numbers don't do justice to it. We don't have money to throw away for flying fifty cars (was this a reference to directors like Rohit Shetty who shoot over-the-top stunts?) or to shoot a song in Switzerland. Then you work with what you are best in.
Sonya: I think we are heading in a right direction. Pakistani cinema will grow, more money will be invested, and there will be more cinema halls hence more audiences.
Mahira: If you really want to go into numbers, we have had simultaneous releases when Bin Roye was releasing, there was Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Bin Roye, and Wrong No, and all three did well. Then a bunch of other films came and all did well. Some tanked, but I will take the liberty of saying that the content there failed.
Adeel: We are lucky we don't have big stars or a huge number of screens right now. That is allowing us to experiment.
Mahira: Eventually, it will change and we will have a formula, unfortunately. But this is the time that we can build our own formula and why not make that formula something we want it to be. Let it not be flying cars, let it be flying scripts or flying whatever. Even if it has to be cars, so be it. But right now it's such a good time. We get scripts all the time and if you hear the kind of stories people are making, it's amazing.
arti@khaleejtimes.com