Lollywood celebrating 60th anniversary

LAHORE: The 60th anniversary of Pakistani film industry is to be marked by 60 days of celebrations, which will begin in the last week of the current month. The event is being organised by the Asian Cultural Association Pakistan at the Alhamra Cultural Complex, Gaddafi Stadium. The celebrations will include screenings of Pakistani films, an exhibition of film posters and other paraphernalia, a fashion week; musical concerts; and the distribution of awards to showbiz personalities.

Asian Cultural Association Pakistan General Secretary Sohail Bokhari told Daily Times that the celebrations aimed to boost the film industry, which had been on the decline for a long time. He said that the celebrations had been scheduled to commence in the second week of April, but had been postponed following the formation of the new government in the province. “The top 60 Pakistani flicks, including Urdu, Punjabi, and Pashto movies, have been selected to be screened for 60 consecutive days at the event. Many of these movies date back to the 1960s and 70s, and have been obtained after a tough struggle,” Bokhari maintained. He said that some of the films’ producers and directors had retired from the industry, and had to be specially contacted to obtain copies of their movies. He said that the directors, producers, and cast of those 60 movies had also been invited to the event so that they could enjoy those golden moments. A three-day exhibition of film posters and other publicity materials has also been arranged for the occasion. Rare posters and informative material about the film industry will be displayed. Every evening, a programme will be staged to pay tribute to legendary artists of the film industry.

A weeklong fashion show arranged for the occasion is likely to be a unique event, as it will encompass 60 years of various fashion trends in the film industry. Models will walk the ramp wearing a diverse range of clothing of bygone times. The fashion week will be followed by musical concerts and dance performances. The celebrations will wrap up with a prize distribution ceremony, which will be attended by renowned artists from the showbiz world. “It will be a mega show, featuring dance, music, and live performances,” Bokhari said. He said that the association was organising the event on its own. “The event will be the biggest in the history of the Pakistani film industry. We want the government to collaborate with us, as it is an attempt to boost and revive the film industry. If not, it (the government) should at least give us the cultural complex hall at utility charges,” he said.