No new Urdu, Punjabi films, Pakistanis flock to watch Batman

Islamabad: With no new Urdu or Punjabi films releasing on Eid in Pakistan, movie buffs in the port city of Karachi are flocking to theatres showing action movies ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and ‘The Expendables 2’. Moviegoers were excited with reports that said at least a couple of Urdu films and a few Punjabi movies were to see the light of day on Eid. The only new Urdu film is Syed Noor`s ‘Shareeka’, but that will be shown only in Lahore, the Dawn reported Monday. However, three Pushto films have been lined up in Karachi`s cinemas – ‘Toofan’ starring Shahid Khan, Jehangir Khan, Sono Lal and Sahiba Noor, ‘Fakhr-i-Afghan’ starring Shahid Khan, Asma Lata and Dua Qureshi, and ‘Ghaddar’ starring Arbaz Khan, Jehangir Khan and Sobia Khan. Meanwhile, the superhero known for his courage, cape and cowl in Gotham City, is back. On Eid, the final chapter of the Batman trilogy, "The Dark Knight Rises", is the most talked about film in Karachi. Pakistani film distributors thought it best to showcase the Christopher Nolan-directed movie on the festive occasion of Eid. Fans are waiting to watch Christian Bale, but it is Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy who have impressed them the most. The other big Hollywood catch is ‘The Expendables 2’, the sequel to its 2010 edition. Pakistanis are equally eager to watch macho men Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren and Bruce Willis, all of whom are famous for their action-packed antics. However, Hasan, a worker at Nishat Cinema, said the movie business has changed over the years. "English films in this area are not watched with eagerness any more," he said. "This happened after 9/11. Before that, Hollywood movies were a rage. Now only Indian films are received with excitement. For example, recently `Bol Bachchan` did very well at the box office." On Pakistani films, Hasan says: "They are no good. They don`t have content or anything else to impress the viewers with. Last year `Bhai Loag` was screened. I don`t think many people liked it." IANS