Abstract
Starting from the independence of 1947, Pakistani cinema has gone through various transformations. These
include the “golden era” of 1959 – 1977, the downfall of this cinema in the 1980s and 90s, and then the current
“new wave” when this cinema industry is in the “revival” phase. In one of the most recent developments,
among several others, it has started making a new genre of films that is bilingual. It is neither solely based on
Urdu nor Punjabi but a mix of both Urdu and Punjabi languages. The current study focuses on this shift of
language in cinema. It is based on the premise that the contemporary cinema of Pakistani uses the Punjabi
Language as a tool for commercial as well as entertainment purposes. This new formula has helped Pakistani
cinema attain not only huge commercial success but also develop a unique identity among South Asian cinemas.
We also argue that this current use of language has distanced Pakistani films from the earlier Urdu and Punjabi
language cinema of the country.
Zubair Shafiq, Sajjad Ahmad Paracha, Muhammad Shahzad, Muhammad Kashif . (2019) The Bilingual Cinema of Pakistan, Journal of the Research Society of Pakistan, Volume 56, Issue 2.
-
Views
516 -
Downloads
68
Article Details
Volume
Issue
Type
Language
