Major theatre owners in Pakistan have decided to ban screening Indian films to express solidarity with the armed forces in the wake of heightened tensions between the two countries following the surgical strikes by India on terror launchpads across the Line of Control (LoC).

The country’s largest cinema house, Lahore’s Super Cinema, announced in a Facebook post that, they would stop the screening of all Indian films in their theatre after which Karachi’s Nueplex Cinemas followed suit. It also called on the government to ensure that sale of DVDs of all Indian films was stopped.

Nueplex and Atrium cinemas in Karachi have ceased the screening of Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Pink.

The Super Cinema wrote in a Facebook post, that, “To express solidarity with the Armed Forces of Pakistan, the Management of Nueplex Cinemas has decided to stop the screening of Indian films with immediate effect. We will keep our patrons informed of further developments in this matter.”

Super Cinema owner Khorem Gultasab said that, “We didn’t wait for an official declaration by exhibitors. From Friday onwards, no Bollywood film will be screened at Super Cinemas for at least two weeks to show solidarity with our actors and our military.”

Nadeem Mandviwalla, owner of Mandviwalla Entertainment which runs Atrium Cinemas in Karachi and Centaurus in Islamabad, said that, “We will suspend the exhibition of Indian films till normalcy. No Indian movies will play in my cinemas from Friday onwards for sure.”

“I have not heard anything confirmed as yet, but if exhibitors do ban Indian films, then of course we will go ahead with it,” Cinepax General Manager Marketing Mohsin Yaseen said.

“We were taking things lightly initially, since the so-called ban (on Pakistani artistes in India) was just a few mischief-mongers hurling anti-Pakistan slogans,” he said.

Renowned Pakistani filmmaker Jami agreed with Gultasab, said that, “There are Indian drama serials playing on TV all the time and you have DVD shops selling Indian films. Why just target cinema? If you want a ban, just ban all Indian content.”

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Nandini