Posts for 'Lollywood' Category

Pakistani film actress Meera  has run into another controversy with police including her name in the probe into a kidnapping case registered against her brother, Syed Ahsan Abbas, by his former wife.

Defence-A police station registered a case of kidnapping of a six-month-old child against Meera's mother and two brothers about three weeks ago on the complaint of Asma Zohra, the former wife of Ahsan Abbas.

Zohra filed a complaint with police that she had contracted marriage with Abbas around four years ago. The couple developed differences later on and Zohra moved out of the house along with their son. She alleged that Abbas, his brother Hassan and their mother Shafqat Bibi had forcibly taken away her son.

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In almost every Punjabi film, the lead actor is supposed to have a moustache which he touches as a symbol of pride. Director Syed Noor says, “The moustaches are considered an important part of a hero’s personality. Though in real life none of the young Lollywood heroes have moustaches but in movies it’s considered an integral part of a ‘solid man’.”

The ‘moustache mania’ is not limited only to Punjabi films, but is a fixation for many. One such man is Haji Razzaq, who is an employee of a cultural body in Lahore. Razzaq is a senior official and his duties include handling of the commercial theater activities other than taking care of his moustache, which he says has brought him fame.

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The last Pakistani movie to hit cinemas was Ijaz Bajwa’s Channa Suchi Muchi in April and since then not a single producer or director has announced any new ventures. Virsa, an Indo-Pak joint production could not do well at the box office despite receiving support from the Censor Board, cinema owners and the Culture Ministry.

It was expected that the budget would include an allocation for the film industry, but that did not pan out. The two feuding groups of Lollywood (led by Amjad Farzand Ali and Sangeeta respectively) have been silent for the last few months and are avoiding giving any statements to the press.

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The once booming Pakistani film industry known as Lollywood—a term coined by Glamour magazine in 1989 is on its last legs. The Karachi-based magazine that created the neologism is defunct. The industry survived many setbacks. After its most successful era, spanning the 1960s and 1970s, it suffered a huge blow after Gen. Zia-ul-Haq’s military coup in 1977.

Haq’s Islamization of the country led to the forcible closure of many theatres and stringent censor laws forced film-makers to abandon popular themes of love and jealousy.The industry saw some resurgence when Gen. Pervez Musharraf served as president (2001-2008).

Seen by many as a patron of the arts, even he couldn’t reverse the downward spiral the industry had fallen into. Cable television and pirated DVDs of local and international cinema had their own roles to play in strangling what was once a cultural institution.

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United Film Association of Pakistan (UFAP) led by Amjad Farzand and Film Federation of Pakistan (FFP) led by Sangeeta had decided to call a truce in a meeting chaired by the Senate Standing Committee on Culture and Tourism Chairman Nilofar Bakhtiar in Lahore. However, the two groups have once again separated from each other on ‘ideological grounds’, according to Sangeeta.

Sangeeta had earlier agreed to become the vice chairman of UFAP but then backed out quoting her differences with the UFAP. Sangeeta told The Express Tribune that she was making films and not mere claims. She said that three of her movies would hit the cinemas soon.

“Two Punjabi and one Urdu movie will be released by the end of this month. I am hopeful these movies will do well at the box office,” she said. Sangeeta alleged that UFAP was dominated by producers who just made claims, while her association represented technicians of the film industry.

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Office bearers of the United Film Association of Pakistan (UFAP) were very ‘depressed’ after finding out that the government had not reserved any additional funds in the federal budget. However, their hopes were somewhat restored on Monday when senior government officials said that funds would be allocated for the film industry through a special grant.

A source told The Express Tribune that funds for the establishment of a digital lab would be given through a special grant. The chairperson of the Standing Committee on Culture and Tourism Chairman Nilofar Bakhtiar also confirmed that the government had not given up the idea of funding the revival of the film industry.

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 Pakistan's film industry - is facing its worst crisis in decades. In its heyday during the 1970s and 80s, the film industry based in the city of Lahore churned an estimated 200 films per year, but now it produces a much smaller fraction of that. Crippling competition from Bollywood, India's mult-billion dollar film industry, and a dramatic shortage of funds are blamed for the downturn in fortunes. Hashem Ahelbarra reports from Lahore.

Film and TV Actress Veena Malik said Wednesday Muhammad Asif has returned Rs3, 243,000 from a total of Rs10.64 million she gave to the fast bowler. Veena told Geo that she met Asif at the residence of a common friend, where Aisf paid the first installment through a draft.

However, she said Asif is yet to pay the remaining Rs10.32 millions. According to the actress, Asif has asked for two-week time to pay the remaining amount.

Pakistani cricketer Muhammad Asif and actress-model Veena Malik is said to have settled.

Their much-hyped money dispute as the two held a meeting in Lahore Tuesday, reported ARY NEWS.

“Asif returned me in today’s meeting 3.2 million rupees that I had lent him and he promised to return.

The remaining Rs 12 million in next one week,” Veena told ARY NEWS on telephone.

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Pakistani film and TV actress Veena Malik has served a legal notice to her former boyfriend and Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif for recovery of Rs 3.4 million.

The notice, sent through her counsel, reportedly states that Asif was given different amounts on different occasions by Veena on the promise that he would return it, but he did not.

"If Asif fails to return the same within seven days after receiving the notice, an FIR will be lodged and legal action will be taken against him in a court of law," The Daily Times quoted the notice, as saying.

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