Kariwood
Encyclopedia
Cinema in Karachi
or Kariwood had its golden days in 1960s when some of the prominent film studios were located in Karachi
, making films for the viewership of a large and growing middle class as well working-class population.
With a metropolitan area hosting the world's second most populated city, the film viewership is still popular in Karachi
. However, the interest has shifted more towards the Hollywood and other international productions. One of the reasons for the shifting trends is attributed to the moving of film-making industry to Lahore
, locally termed as Lollywood
.
In 1960s and 1970s Karachi was the centre of the Pakistan
i film industry with a host of cinemas
and film studios located in this city. Watching movies at the cinemas were major pastime and recreation activities. However, in 1980s two major changes came about:
These changes resulted in the closure of many movie theater
s, and majority of them were converted into shopping mall
s or apartment blocks.
of Karachi. Most effective of them all is the trend of the annual international Kara Film Festival
since 2001.
s in Karachi. Most of the cinema houses today present a variety of English
, Pashto, Punjabi
, and Urdu
language films. Many of the cinemas built earlier than 1947 were called "Talkies" which was eventually dropped in favour of the word "Cinema". In 1917, there were around 119 cinemas in Karachi that has been reduced to just 34 in 2007. Moreover, 1977 is considered as a peak year of cinema industry in Karachi when 110 cinemas were running with full occupancy .
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
or Kariwood had its golden days in 1960s when some of the prominent film studios were located in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, making films for the viewership of a large and growing middle class as well working-class population.
With a metropolitan area hosting the world's second most populated city, the film viewership is still popular in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
. However, the interest has shifted more towards the Hollywood and other international productions. One of the reasons for the shifting trends is attributed to the moving of film-making industry to Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, locally termed as Lollywood
Lollywood
Lollywood refers to the Pakistani film industry based in the city of Lahore. The word "Lollywood" was first coined in the summer of 1989 in the now defunct magazine "Glamour" published from Karachi by a gossip columnist Saleem Nasir. The film industry in Lahore started in 1929 with the opening of...
.
History of cinema in Karachi
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i film industry with a host of cinemas
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
and film studios located in this city. Watching movies at the cinemas were major pastime and recreation activities. However, in 1980s two major changes came about:
- First, the film-industry moved to Lahore. Also there has been a notable growth of Pashto films industry in PeshawarPeshawarPeshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
. - Second, the arrival of Videocassette recorderVideocassette recorderThe videocassette recorder , is a type of electro-mechanical device that uses removable videocassettes that contain magnetic tape for recording analog audio and analog video from broadcast television so that the images and sound can be played back at a more convenient time...
so that people could watch movies in the comfort of their homes.
These changes resulted in the closure of many movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
s, and majority of them were converted into shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
s or apartment blocks.
Revitalization
Amidst the growing concerns over the decline of the industry and viewership, and the need for revitalization, a number of initiatives have been taken at the cultural landscapeCultural landscape
Cultural Landscapes have been defined by the World Heritage Committee as distinct geographical areas or properties uniquely "..represent[ing] the combined work of nature and of man.."....
of Karachi. Most effective of them all is the trend of the annual international Kara Film Festival
Kara Film Festival
The KaraFilm Festival - Karachi International Film Festival is an internationally recognized film festival of Pakistan annually held in Karachi....
since 2001.
Movie theaters in Karachi
There are numerous movie theaterMovie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
s in Karachi. Most of the cinema houses today present a variety of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Pashto, Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
, and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
language films. Many of the cinemas built earlier than 1947 were called "Talkies" which was eventually dropped in favour of the word "Cinema". In 1917, there were around 119 cinemas in Karachi that has been reduced to just 34 in 2007. Moreover, 1977 is considered as a peak year of cinema industry in Karachi when 110 cinemas were running with full occupancy .
See also
- Cinema of the world
- BollywoodBollywoodBollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
- LollywoodLollywoodLollywood refers to the Pakistani film industry based in the city of Lahore. The word "Lollywood" was first coined in the summer of 1989 in the now defunct magazine "Glamour" published from Karachi by a gossip columnist Saleem Nasir. The film industry in Lahore started in 1929 with the opening of...
- Hollywood
- SomaliwoodSomaliwoodSomaliwood is an informal name for the Somali-language film industry that has developed in the diaspora community of Columbus, Ohio, centered around the Olol Films production company...
- Cinema of PakistanCinema of PakistanThe cinema of Pakistan refers to Pakistan's film industry. Most of the feature films shot in Pakistan are in Urdu language but may also include films in English, Punjabi, Pashto, Balochi or Sindhi languages....
- List of Pakistani films
- List of Lollywood films
- List of Pakistani actors & actresses