RAWALPINDI:
Rawalpindi’s entertainment arena is losing its landmarks as yet another historic venue is being erased.
Nishat Cinema, located on Liaquat Road near the historic Liaquat Bagh, has been demolished after 75 years.
Built in 1950, during the golden era of Lollywood, the cinema primarily showcased Punjabi films, with occasional Urdu screenings.
At that time, a general transport terminal operated next to Liaquat Bagh, and moviegoers would often catch the last show at Nishat before departing to cities like Lahore.
Once home to 24 cinemas, Rawalpindi no longer screens any films. Fourteen cinemas have been replaced with plazas and commercial centres, three converted into wedding halls, two occasionally hosting theatre performances, and five remaining shut for 25 yearswhose owners have also applied for demolition permits to build commercial complexes.
Nishat Cinema once enjoyed packed audiences, including screenings of Indian films until 1952. It flourished until the 1990s, after which the decline of Pakistan’s film industry led to the closure of many theatres. Internal disputes among the owners and court cases forced Nishat’s closure in 2000.
Following a settlement between the parties and the end of litigation, demolition began on Friday to make way for an approved eight-storey commercial plaza.
The site, considered prime property on Liaquat Road, has long been a focal point for passersbyand even the subject of disputes and gunfire.
With this demolition, Rawalpindi’s once-thriving film industry has all but disappeared.
Cinemas such as Naz, Shabistan, Gulistan, Sangeet, Rose, Novelty, Taj Mahal, Imperial, Nigar, Tasveer Mahal, Rex, Capital, and Qasim have all been converted into plazas. Kahkashan, Nadir, and PAF have become wedding halls. Moti Mahal and Rialto occasionally host theatre shows while Khurshid, Plaza, Odeon, Serose, and Garrison have been shut for over two decades.
