Pakistan finally opening doors to Bollywood films

BEYOND BORDER: Welcome got a huge response in Pak and made Rs 90 lakhs in a month.

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Mumbai: Bollywood filmmakers have a reason to celebrate for it looks like a new territory is opening doors for them - Pakistan.

With comedy flick Welcome getting a positive response, now more and more distributors are releasing Hindi films in Pakistan.

The release of films like Awarapan, Goal and Welcome has shown that Pakistan may be finally working to lift its 1965 ban on Indian films.

After releasing the John Abraham and Arshad Warsi-starrer Goal in Pakistan, UTV is all set to release multi-starrer Race and Aamir Khan's Taare Zameen Par on march 28. Taare Zameen Par will be released without changes while Race will be edited slightly to make it acceptable for the Pakistan Censor Board.

If Pakistan opens as a free-flowing market for Bollywood films, it will open another big territory for the Hindi film industry. Right now, the two major overseas markets are only the UK and the US.

The figures for Welcome from Pakistan only go to prove that Hindi films are popular among film buffs. In four weeks, Welcome managed to collect almost Rs 90 lakhs at the box office.

Here are the box office collections:

Welcome

Total: Rs 88,33, 572

Hindi films so far have not had an easy release in Pakistani theatres and the piracy market is booming, with pirated DVDs of almost every new film being easily available. The Indian industry is also very much aware of this fact.

“People in Pakistan anyway watch our films through pirated DVDs, but they all watch our films, so it will be better if films release there,” said veteran filmmaker Yash Chopra.

A piracy market is being regularised if Pakistan’s film market opens for us. O spoke to the distributors of Welcome and they have done very well over there,” producer Bobby Bedi stated.

If Pakistan's box office opens for Indian filmmakers, it will not be a one-way deal; our distributors and exhibitors can count on Pakistani films, as well. In one week’s time, Pakistani film Khuda ke Liye is scheduled to hit Indian cinemas.