Content is the king, but ...

THE recent release in Pakistan of Hollywood film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has sparked outrage among celebrities, netizens and Pakistani audiences over the issue of international releases coinciding with local ones. Can local films shine with Doctor Strange attracting larger crowds?

I believe there is a straightforward explanation to this. The local cinema has long been producing films centred around the rom-com genre with prosaic stories riddled with cliches. It would not be wrong to say that they at best try to do nothing but entertain the audience.

On the other hand, Hollywood films are eclectic and meaningful. The filmmakers can easily make a film about Alzheimer's disease, like, say, Still Alice (2014), and it would still up earning $45 million at the box office.

As an...