There are many names behind a single film of all scopes. The ones which capture the public’s attention are typically those of the actors. The ones who are credited for pioneering a film or set of films range in popularity from a director to a production house. I wanted to learn what some of these names are to create a tangible framework for understanding Pakistani cinema. What becomes uncomfortable about this pursuit is the possibility that I may not have access to watch some of the films these names are associated with; films which may have had a significant impact on history. Most comfortable are those names whose works are most accessible.

The first two actors which come to mind are Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan (no relation). Both these actors had worked in Pakistani “dramas” and in Bollywood cinema until the ban occurred where Pakistani entertainers were banned from working in Indian cinema, having affected Pakistani singers like Atif Aslam as well. These three names have been considered the pride of Pakistan (such was the introduction for Atif Aslam at one of his US performances in 2023).

Without reflecting much more, I can only name a few other figures associated with Pakistani cinema. There’s Noor Jehan. I know there are two. Well, there are certainly faces I was introduced to in the films I did have access to when considering this exploration. But in all of my knowledge of Pakistani film, I can only say with confidence there are two figures of Pakistani cinema that the diaspora would learn of first. So what makes Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan so prevalent in popular culture beyond borders? For someone like me who is interested in Bollywood films, I became aware of and therefore gained access to Pakistani actors through their work outside of Pakistan. (For more on the difficulty of accessing or finding Pakistani films accessible, see “Where is Pakistani Cinema?”) Their roles in Bollywood cinema, involvement with Bollywood actors, and most notably, their ban from Bollywood make them historic figures in Pakistani cinema history.

While Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan became known through their international careers, it shouldn’t be taken lightly that many Pakistani filmmakers go abroad to find work at all. Opportunities abroad present new filmmakers with more resources to produce. It is desired to have a stronger foundation as to what the collective and specific circumstances are; but if someone like Sarmad Khoosat, a notable director in Pakistani cinema, faces issues in showcasing his films, up and coming filmmakers may feel hesitant to produce works that explore their full creative palette. Though his case may be different due to some controversy, Sarmad Khoosat did receive screening permits in some provinces, “Zindagi Tamasha” which features a monologue castigating a religious figure, but was unable to stage his work due to local riots protesting against showcasing the film. After two years of fighting for the rights of his film to reach its audience, Khoosat released the film on YouTube and Vimeo with an introduction of him explaining the film’s struggle to premiere while showing the images of screening permits he did have. Khoosat plays a role in the independent arts community in Pakistan to support and nurture new filmmakers through workshops and mentorship, but there is only so much one person and one organization can do. 

I had reached out to the organization that this work is sometimes done in support with to help create a platform for Pakistani cinema. I was told they would gauge interest in the community. The subsequent months of silence could be attributed to my own professional limitations and general influence. The silence also makes me wonder if my place is questioned in the conversation about striving to be someone who platforms Pakistani films. Hundreds of words into an article on Pakistani film figures, I have only provided somewhat substantive information about four figures. Perhaps I could have been clearer about my position and purpose in creating this platform. This work is meant to reach those in the the diaspora who are trying to find their way into the culture’s medium just as much as it is about helping Pakistanis find a user friendly platform to view independent content. It’s an all around access problem that Joja is looking to solve.

Joja’s materials will strive to showcase who are the people behind the industry of Pakistani cinema today. It will do this by showcasing the talent of works by filmmakers with strong voices and promising careers. The platform will also work to provide filmmakers a platform to discuss their experiences and their works. Undoubtedly, this time could have been spent with listicles highlighting major figures after a significant research process. But it is principally conflicting for a person like me, born and raised as part of the diaspora to attempt to do so. So much work cannot be accessed. Quite a few Pakistani films available on YouTube through major production houses or through pirated means do not have subtitles. My Urdu is a work in progress, meanwhile several films that are accessible are not in Urdu anyway. 

While universities are not the sole source of knowledge and analysis, there is something to be said about the language requirement for cinema studies doctoral students. The preferred languages are often European languages to study international films and their industries through accessing the films themselves on a deeper level. To be able to understand a film with the ability to caption it is one approach to having an understanding of a filmmaker’s intention. Relying on one’s own translation, even if it is a translation of a work from a country where one does not have a personal connection to otherwise, is key to an independent examination of a film. Researchers can research the film as a primary document, not a secondary one resulting from subtitles. 

For this reason, Joja aims to have its films subtitled by the filmmakers who produced these films, which invariably causes issues if English is not accessible to these filmmakers. Joja can’t be perfect to its principles, but it will strive to be accessible in as many ways as possible. The subtitling capacity seems essential for one who considers themself a credible figure to analyze a film which requires it. Joja’s goal of accessibility is also simply access. It is certainly possible that I could appreciate a Pakistani film without subtitles the way I had with Bollywood films before I could read. But it’s the issue as to why there isn’t an intention to caption which creates pause. The inhibition of captioning implicates the absence of a bridge between Pakistan and the rest of the world. Why?

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Danial Gondal