Karachi: With the successful screening of Singh is Kinng and Kismet Konnection in Pakistan, distributors, who have been laughing all the way to the bank, now want more Bollywood films to be shown in the country.

The two latest Bollywood releases, whose screening rights for Pakistan were purchased at nominal rates, have proved to be big hits, setting off moves by distributor-exhibitors to start lobbying for direct imports from India.

“The success of some of these films has shown that people are willing to come to the theatres to watch good entertainment,” Nadeem Mandviwalla, a leading exhibitor, said.

Mandviwalla’s famous Nishat cinema on the busy MA Jinnah Road in Karachi has been screening Bollywood films for the last few months and has done good business with Goal,Welcome, Race and now Singh is Kinng.

“These films have set our cash registers ringing and after a long time, we are doing good business with clean and family entertainment films. I think government should think about allowing direct imports from India instead of allowing only Indian films shot on foreign locations,” he said.

He said Pakistani distribution rights for Singh is Kinng were bought for around $200,000 (Rs88.6 lakh) or approximately 1.5 crore Pakistani rupees, and the film is expected to make distributors and exhibitors richer by around Rs8 crore.

While Kismet Konnection was sold in the country for less than the price sought for Singh is Kinng, it has already made its distributors and exhibitors happy with returns.

Both films are running to full houses, prompting cineplex owners to increase ticket prices to a steep Rs300.