Bollywood’s Popularity in Pakistan
Pakistani viewers keep watching Bollywood films even when these movies show Pakistan in a bad light. Many Indian films reach the top of Netflix’s trending list in Pakistan. This does not mean Pakistani viewers are less patriotic. It is a social puzzle worth looking at closely.
This is surprising because India follows policies that harm Pakistan. India supports groups like Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and armed Baloch separatists.
Why Bollywood Wins in Pakistan
Since the 1980s, Pakistan’s culture moved to the right under military rule and moralist groups. Local media could not offer big-budget movies because of social limits and lack of money. Pakistani audiences wanted action, music, and big stars.
Bollywood gives all of this. Hindi is easy to understand across Pakistan. When a big Indian movie comes on a streaming platform, it becomes hard to resist.
How do Pakistani audiences reconcile their appetite for Indian cinema with the hostile political narratives increasingly embedded in Bollywood films?
How Viewers Handle the Contradiction
Research suggests Pakistani viewers separate politics from entertainment. They see the screen as a fantasy world. For them, the movie matters more than the political message. This lets them enjoy the film without feeling their national identity is under threat.
In discussions with observers and people from Pakistan’s cultural industries, a clear pattern emerges. Pakistani viewers watch hostile Indian content not to agree with it, but with detachment and amusement. This creates a shield, letting them enjoy a Bollywood blockbuster without feeling their national identity is compromised.
Shared language and history also help. Common idioms, music, and emotions make Indian content feel familiar.
Soft Power and Cultural Control
There is another side to this. It is called “soft-power hegemony.” An Italian thinker, Antonio Gramsci, said a strong group controls others not just with force, but by shaping culture and values.
From the 1980s, Pakistan’s middle class became more Indian in lifestyle. This shift was driven by state-sanctioned ‘Islamism’ and the gradual ‘Indianisation’ of daily life. State-enforced strictness in the 1980s left a cultural gap. Indian culture entered through VCR tapes, satellite TV, and digital platforms. For over 40 years, Bollywood movies, Indian soap operas, and wedding styles shaped the Pakistani middle-class imagination.
This hurt Pakistan’s own culture. Local popular culture was replaced with a fake show of religious seriousness. This could not stop the pull of Indian content, even when the content turned against Pakistan.
Indian cultural products act like cultural weapons. They work much like Hollywood products did in former communist countries during the Cold War. Back then, Hollywood equated Western consumerism with democracy and freedom. Getting a pair of Levi’s jeans became an act of fighting communist rule.
Media Trade and Propaganda
If India and Pakistan exchanged movies, money would control extreme nationalism. Filmmakers would avoid stories that anger audiences in the other country. But when trade stops, movies become propaganda.
Pakistan bans Indian movies in cinemas. India bans Pakistani cultural products. Still, Bollywood earns from Pakistani viewers through foreign streaming platforms. Pakistani subscription money goes to Indian filmmakers.
Corporate Examples and Local Industry
Sometimes this detachment goes too far. During the 2025 military confrontation between India and Pakistan, some Pakistani companies asked ad agencies to hire Indian talent. This happened while Indian drones were hitting buildings in Pakistani cities.
Bollywood is a giant industry. Pakistan’s cinema faces money problems and lack of support. One country exports its views while the other cannot offer a strong reply. Pakistani cinema mostly makes simple rom-coms.
A Question for Readers
Pakistanis may say they watch Indian propaganda to laugh at it. But they are paying money to watch it. Many Pakistanis boycotted global brands over Israel’s actions in Gaza and chose local options. The same can be done with Bollywood films that show clear anti-Pakistan propaganda.
Published in Dawn, EOS, November 8th, 2026.
Source: dawn