Nishat Cinema is considered one of the oldest cinemas of Pakistan. It has been witness to the evolution of Karachi. Located on M.A. Jinnah Road, Nishat Cinema was the true beauty of the 70s, 80s and the iconic 90s.
It was considered one of the prominent recreational spots of Karachi and was a complete delight for the elites. Nishat Cinema was inaugurated by Fatima Jinnah on 25th December 1947.
The Rising Glory of Pakistani Cinemas
Screenings at the iconic cinema initially began with Pakistani films, but with the passage of time, Indian movies were played as well. However, the war of 1965 resulted in the ban of Indian movies and therefore the cinema was only left with Pakistani movies.
In 1972, Hollywood movies made way into Pakistan, and Nishat Cinema started to flourish.
As time went by, the success of Nishat Cinema reached the skies. It was renovated often to meet international standards and it was also the first Pakistani cinema to be equipped with latest technology. From cinema-scope in 1971 to stereo sound system in 1988, in the following few years, Nishat Cinema was also the first to introduce digital surround sound in Pakistan.
Undoubtedly, it became the pioneer of Pakistani cinema and provided entertainment for the people of Karachi for more than 60 years.
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The Destruction of Nishat Cinema
In 2012, however, the cinema faced a tragic downfall and was burned to ashes by a group of protesters.
At that time, an anti Islamic movie titled Innocence of Muslims was released on YouTube. In the wake of campaigning against that movie, Nishat Cinema became the target of enraged protesters and faced a tragic wrath.
What is left now of that great cinema is nothing but rubble. What’s even more unfortunate is that instead of being restored, it has now been demolished and will soon be replaced by a residential high rise building.
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