LAHORE: Punjab’s cinema infrastructure has experienced a dramatic reduction, contracting by nearly 88% from its peak in 1978 to 2020-21, according to a press release by the Gilani Research Foundation. The data, which covers the period from 1971 to 2020-21, shows a sharp decline in both the number of cinemas and their seating capacities, indicating broader structural shifts in cultural and entertainment patterns.

According to Gallup Pakistan’s Big Data Analysis Series, initiated by Bilal I. Gilani, Executive Director of Gallup Pakistan, the dataset tracks the number of cinemas and seating capacities across Punjab as part of the Punjab Development Statistics for 50 Years (1972-2021) report. The findings reveal a peak of 369 cinemas in 1978, which decreased to 45 by 2020-21. This long-term decline reflects a contraction from a large-scale, widely accessible entertainment model to a more limited and niche infrastructure.

The decline was gradual through the 1980s and 1990s but accelerated in the late 1990s and early 2000s. A temporary recovery occurred between 2014-15 and 2017-18, increasing cinemas to 84, but this growth was not sustained. The data also highlights periods of no recorded cinema infrastructure between 2006-07 and 2013-14, suggesting a critical decline during these years.

The consistent drop in both the number of cinemas and seating capacity points to a systemic reduction rather than isolated instances, resulting in a fundamental transformation of the cinema sector in Punjab. The shift from high-capacity venues to a smaller-scale structure underscores significant changes in recreational infrastructure and public entertainment preferences over the decades.