Zero Dark Thirty, a movie based on the killing of Osama Bin Laden, has been unofficially banned in Pakistan. Zero Dark Thirty, shows events from 2003 to May, 2, 2011, the day where terrorist leader, Osama Bin Laden has been found hiding and killed by Navy SEAL Team 6 in Pakistan. Pakistan’s movie industry, “Lollywood”, produces about 20 films a year compared to the 1000 films that Bollywood produces Mumbai.
According to Telegraph, Pakistan’s highest point in the film industry was during the 1960’s when Abbot Road in Lahore played the latest color films. Lately, Bollywood, which is a 1.3 billion dollar industry, has higher budget for their films. Bollywood has been blamed for “killing” their film industry. “The Pakistan film industry is completely finished. In the 1980s we were producing up to 100 movies a year. Now there are no studios and our cinemas are closing.” said Qaisar Sanaullah Khan, secretary of the Cinema Owners Association.
According to The Nation, the films that are shown in Pakistan must go through Pakistan’s Board of Censors for approvals. Pakistani film distributor, Nadeem Mandviwalla NBC News that, “There is no politics [regarding screening "Zero Dark Thirty"]. There are tons of movies that don’t make it here. It’s not a political decision the army or the ISI [Pakistan's intelligence agency] makes for us. We, as businessmen, make it. And it was bad business modeling to bring this movie to Pakistan.”
Pakistani movie theaters opt out of purchasing the Oscar nominated film, Zero Dark Thirty from international distributors. According to The Tribune, Pakistan had 1,300 cinema halls during the 1970’s with an annual production of over 300 movies. By 2005, there were only 270 cinema halls. Even though Pakistani distributors have made the decision to not screen the Zero Dark Thirty, films are wildly pirated in Pakistan.