Bollywood Giving Resuscitation to Our Industry, Says Pakistani Filmmaker

Panaji: Bollywood films continue to provide a 'lifeline' to Pakistan's film industry, says Jamshed Mahmood Raza, a leading filmmaker from across the border. (Also Read: 'Aamir Khan is Saying This, Maybe He's Right,' Says Pakistani Filmmaker)

"It's very simple. We are cousins. We share the same language. We share the same songs. We had cinemas, but we were not making films. New cinema came because of Bollywood. Once the cinemas started to emerge, the filmmakers were ready. We can't make films if there's no cinema to show it. Bollywood is still giving CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to our industry," Mr Raza told IANS.

Mr Raza's film Moor, which is Pakistan's official entry to the Academy awards this year, was screened at the 46th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) which concluded recently.

Moor, which means 'mother' in Pashtun, is set in the terror-inflicted region of northern Balochistan in Pakistan.

"It's slightly abstract for a Pakistani audience. Critically, it's one of the best, but financially it's probably the worst right now. The film was not for the masses and we had 11 am screen timings. I mean nobody would come on a weekday at 11 am. We were sidelined as an art film," Jamshed Mahmood Raza said.

He also quipped that the film was perhaps selected as Pakistan's entry for the Oscar awards, precisely because it did not make any money.

"Well, I mean if you look at all the Oscar entries only Whiplash or some other film made money. It's interesting, if you don't make money, it is pretty much of a guarantee that you will make the Oscar entry," Mr Raza said.

The filmmaker also spoke about the influence of legendary American director Stanley Kubrick on his work.

"I have a very different story from Bollywood or Lollywood. I was trained in an American film school. I loved Kubrick and in Pakistan not many people understood him," he explained.

Asked about shooting in the terror-affected and kidnapping-prone region of Balochistan, he said, "Balochistan is sensitive. Yes, it was tough working there, but it was secure also because we went through so many security agencies. We have Taliban insurgencies going on there too.

The army and the government were really protecting us because we had an American with us, a Pakistani American, and they don't want any kidnapping cases," Jamshed Mahmood Raza said.

A fan of Bollwyood actor Aamir Khan, Jamshed Mahmood Raza said that banning films 'simply does not work.' In fact, as per him, the 1971 ban 'actually finished' the Pakistani film industry.

"From 1971 we banned (Indian films), our industry was destroyed, not the Indian industry," he said.

However, he said there were signs of a 'cultural revival' are all over the country.

"Actually what people don't know about Pakistan is very interesting that right now it's exploding, in every direction. We are sick and tired of terrorism. Everyone is getting over this religious thing now, slowly, slowly. So many bands are coming back, so many films are being made, so many cinema halls are coming up. There is definitely a change on cards," the filmmaker said.