Legendary actor Nadeem Baig has spoken openly about the downfall of Pakistan’s film and cinema industry.
In a recent chat, he said our movies now feel more like TV dramas because the true film legends are no longer with us.
“Today’s filmmakers mostly come from television. At least they’re making films, but the reality is clear—cinemas are closed, studios are gone, and the film culture has collapsed,”
he remarked.
Nadeem Baig pointed to multiple reasons behind the decline: the loss of East Pakistan’s big market, the shutdown of studios, no proper film academies, and ticket prices that ordinary people simply can’t afford.
He stressed that Pakistan’s real cinema audience—the lower middle class—has been priced out. “We need to bring cinema back for them,” he said.
Industry experts agree, adding that weak storytelling, low budgets, poor infrastructure, and stiff competition from Bollywood, Hollywood, and OTT platforms have pushed Pakistani films further behind. Censorship battles over films like Joyland also show how bold ideas are often crushed.
Once a thriving industry, Pakistani cinema is now fighting for survival—but as Nadeem Baig reminded, “We should still be grateful that some people are doing whatever they can with the limited resources left.”