In 2025, Mahira Khan had two film releases. Love Guru, in which she starred opposite Humayun Saeed, emerged as one of the highest-grossing Pakistani films, earning approximately PKR 80.1 crore worldwide (approximately $2.88 million, USD).
On the other hand, Neelofar, featuring Mahira Khan alongside another top-tier actor, Fawad Khan, did not perform as well at the box office. Despite having a reported budget of around PKR 18 crore, the film earned only between PKR 11.6 crore and PKR 18 crore globally.
This contrast openly declares that the Pakistani audience desires escapism, often met by Bollywood or formulaic local films. The "masala" entertainment accompanied by glamorous diversion is the requirement of this generation, as they want to break from daily life fatigue. The familiar themes with music and well-known stars are preferred over serious social drama films.
Indian cinema has had a strong hold over the Pakistani region for quite a long time, especially before a de facto ban imposed by the Indian government on Pakistani artists, actors, and musicians working in Bollywood. Indian films were a staple in Pakistani cinemas, and their acting and stories shaped Pakistani culture significantly. The language, fashion, and lifestyle had an immense impact on Pakistani youth. The Bollywood fan culture that had prominent faces like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan had dedicated fan bases in the region.
At that time, since the percentage of the cinemagoing population was quite large, the ticket prices were affordable. More recently, the air-conditioned multiplexes serve as a barrier to the "common person" as the ticket prices are high, i.e, more than PKR 1000 (US $3.57; keep in mind that the average monthly income is less than $300 monthly). Multiply this by the number of your family members. Although student discounts are available, cinema-going in Pakistan remains largely limited to a small segment of the population.
The upper class, which makes up about 2-4% of the population, and the middle class, estimated at 15-20%, are the primary audiences. Meanwhile, the remaining 75-80% lower-income population, as reported by Dawn, is generally less likely to purchase cinema tickets and instead prefers watching social dramas or entertainment-driven commercial content at home or on YouTube rather than on the big screen.
Though young filmmakers, such as those of The Legend of Maula Jatt (2022), Bol (2011), and Khuda Ke Liye (2007), are exploring diverse genres, the audiences are maturing and want to move away from low-quality single-screen-style films. They often compare them with international standards, as most of the Pakistani audience consumes international content with complex storylines and better visuals.
Stories like Gunjal (2023), Wakhri (2023), and Nayab (2024) do not make much commercial noise in Pakistan. Why? Audience preference for escapist entertainment exists with limited theatrical infrastructure and a risk-averse industry favoring mainstream blockbusters. Despite receiving national recognition, social drama films like Gunjal and even Chikkar face structural barriers.
Audiences seem to prefer watching purely entertaining movies in cinemas, while they choose to watch thrillers, social dramas, and more controversial stories at home on streaming platforms. Speaking from my own experience, I find that I am able to focus better and enjoy these types of films more when I watch them alone with headphones on, compared to watching them on my LED TV or in a cinema.
This is also illustrated by an example from an article in Asia News, first published in January 2024, which reported on the situation inside a cinema hall, one week after Chikkar (2023) premiered. Twenty people, whose attire suggested they belonged to the upper-middle class, sat quietly. The report noted: "There is no applause when the end credits roll. The only sound is that of small moans as bodies stretched to bring the joints back to life. When people walk out of the movie, one can guess that their reaction isn't bad, but it isn't excellent either."
The article further went on to elucidate the happenings inside the opposite cinema hall, where The Legend of Maula Jatt brought dozens of viewers, even for a one-and-a-half-year-old film. High ticket prices force audiences to reserve cinema visits for spectacle-driven films, reinforcing the dominance of escapist cinema.
The socially relevant storytelling and acting skills over commercial viability is the type of content produced by small, indie-minded productions, which actually offers value. Business-wise, this model doesn't seem viable since these stories require the attention of a specific mindset. Filmmakers should keep in mind that audiences have reached a point where they will choose to pay such high ticket prices for content that offers the best return for their investment.
Someone like me, who drools over such stories, would rather watch them alone in a room with headphones and a full sound experience than in a cinema that may have a surround-sound system but not the quiet and peace needed to fully enjoy them on the big screen. I might find a newly married couple sitting behind me, discussing their future plans, or a newborn baby who does not like the heavy bombing speakers, or those who are just entering the hall with their popcorn and drinks, and trying to make their way to the assigned ticket seats.
Cinema is not only meant to entertain; it is a medium of voice for the stories that have the power to create an impact. Pakistan rarely allows such stirring films, which further discourages serious storytelling in cinemas. The Korean film Silenced (2011) exposed child abuse in a school that forced the government to change its laws. The Pakistani censorship board has restrictions upon such stories, never wanting to let out intense stories to the locals or to the world. Pakistani cinema is forced to avoid serious issues like abuse or corruption, favoring forgettable comedies.
The weak filmmaking infrastructure is one of the biggest reasons that the industry has not thrived as yet. However, recently, the Punjab government has launched a PKR 30 million film fund to support local filmmakers, offering a renewed hope to the sector that has long complained of the financial and technical production restraints.
Several distinguished figures have been approved under the scheme, such as Humayun Saeed, Shaan Shaid, Yasir Nawaz, Vasay Chaughary, and Syed Noor. This is a small but significant step towards addressing the concerns that will help filmmakers bring fresh stories to the forefront. You never know, any of them could be Oscar-worthy next year.
Such endeavors in rebuilding confidence in local film production and strengthening Pakistan's cinematic landscape might create a shift in the audience's vision for the cinema, and the same gigantic footfall is brought back to the theatres with nominal ticket prices as was half a decade ago. When audiences are exposed to well-crafted stories that match international standards, their willingness to engage with socially relevant or genre-diverse films may increase.
Supporting Pakistani cinema does not mean I go to every Pakistani film released all year round to show my patriotism. Rather, spending time and money on the cinema is an outing that is worth my while. Until the industry consistently delivers films that balance artistic value with engaging cinematic experiences, this tension between wanting escape and demanding art will continue to shape the future of Pakistani cinema.
Echoes is an opinion column on film and television from the perspective of a writer based in Pakistan.