People in Pakistan and overseas had been waiting patiently for the release of both local and international films. However, the movies could not be released due to the coronavirus pandemic that resulted in cinemas closing their doors.
Consequences as such have hurt local film industries worldwide, and the situation for Lollywood isn’t any different.
Among other movies, these Pakistani films were set to air during the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays: Mahira and Fawad Khan’s The Legend of Maula Jatt, and Urwa Hocane’s production debut Tich Button.
Moreover, the production of many upcoming movies has also come to a halt, due to the imposed lockdown for the safety of the public. Pakistani cinema, among other businesses, is suffering a great loss for the aforementioned reason.
Speculations were made that these movies will be aired at the end of May, but given the current dynamics, there is no guarantee of how things will turn out in the future. Almost all the production houses are on the verge of losing millions of rupees and even thousands of jobs over this self-isolation period.
Even though censorship certificates were issued to the movies in the month of March, the world has changed in the face of a raging pandemic. The Central Board of Film’s approval for the screening of these local films could not make a difference, because the government ordered the closing down of cinemas.
Unfortunately, no dates can be provided for the release of the upcoming movies till the ban is lifted and the cinemas re-open according to new SOPs.
Even with the gradual easing of lockdown conditions, there has been no word if cinema houses in Pakistan will be allowed to open in the run-up to Eid.
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