PAKISTAN has lifted a 40-year-old ban on Indian films after the Government permitted the public screening of Sohni Mahiwal, a classic 1984 Bollywood movie based on a popular Punjabi love legend.

The move is seen as a significant step in the warming of relations between the countries after decades of hostility. It also opens up a lucrative new market to Bollywood which, in terms of overall viewers and numbers of features produced, is already the world’s biggest film industry.

The ban, introduced after the 1965 Kashmir war, had badly damaged the Pakistani film industry. Cinema audiences had declined sharply as viewers turned to pirated video or DVD versions of Indian films.

There were 1,300 cinemas in the 1970s, compared with 270 at present, many having been converted into petrol stations or shopping centres.

As well as Sohni Mahiwal, a joint Indian and Russian production, Pakistani authorities have also allowed the screening of Mughal-e-Azam, another Bollywood super-movie of the 1970s.

The development came after the censor board deleted the words “Indian artiste” and “Indian director” from the guidelines, which had prevented release of Indian films.

The decision could pave the way for joint film productions and greater cultural cooperation between the nations. This is likely to prove popular with wide sections of Pakistan’s 162 million population, although it is also expected to provoke angry protests from powerful Islamic groups.

Although public screenings were forbidden, millions of Pakistanis already watched the latest Indian movies aired by cable networks sometimes on the same day that they were released in India. Indian film songs have been very popular in Pakistan. The country’s fashion and modelling industry is also deeply influenced by the Indian film culture.

For years the Pakistan film industry campaigned for the screening of Indian movies in the country. They argued that was the only way that the country’s film industry could be revived. “We have wanted this to happen for a long time,” Saeed Rizvi, the chairman of the Pakistan Film Producers Association, said. “With this notification, things definitely look bright for our industry.”

Domestic film production has decreased dramatically in recent years. Only 18 films were produced in Pakistan last year, compared with 300 or so per year in the 1970s.

The peace process, which started around two years ago, has seen a gradual thaw in relations, the lifting of travel restrictions and continuing talks over the disputed border in Kashmir. It had already opened opportunities for Pakistani actors to work in Indian films. Some half a dozen Pakistani actors have appeared in Bollywood films since.

Meera, a top Pakistani actress, recently provoked controversy in Pakistan after she appeared in a kissing scene in an Indian film. Some Islamic groups demanded that she should be tried under Islamic laws.

Despite the decision to lift the ban, many observers believe that the Pakistani authorities would maintain some restrictions on what films could be allowed in. The powerful Islamic elements strongly oppose the screening of Indian films, arguing that it would increase “Indian cultural influence”. The Islamists also oppose any form of entertainment in public — especially where genders could mix.

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