Pakistan Adult Film Industry

It’s late at night and the room is dimly lit. The walls are decorated with paintings, posters of sportsmen and some birthday cards. There is silence. A boy and a girl are sitting hand in hand. In due time, the boy starts playing with the girl’s hair. She walks away from him and he follows her to the edge of the bed. The girl looks coyly up at him and says, “Please don’t.”

The moment of intimacy is broken as someone shouts, “Repeat.” The young couple has been shooting a scene for an adult movie at a studio in Defence, an upmarket Karachi suburb. The studio, which is considered one of the best in the country, combines the innovative with the traditional in its products. Two of the four rooms in the bungalow serve as sets. The room in which this movie is shooting has been designed to look like a study

“The movie has been made to attract students and to show them how to enjoy intimate relationships,” claims Junaid, owner of the studio and producer of the film. While the use of hi-tech equipment has given his work a more sophisticated look, Junaid credits another factor for the rapid rise of his career.
“The reason for our success is not the use of sophisticated equipment but the introduction of youngsters,” says Junaid. Producing such flicks can be very lucrative. A film typically costs Rs 400-600,000 and can make as much as one million rupees. “Last year,” says Junaid, “we produced seven films.”
Do the math and it becomes obvious that this little makeshift studio is minting money. As for the actresses, they are paid between Rs 30,000 to 50,000 per film. For three of the seven films he produced, says Junaid, youngsters volunteered themselves for the main roles. And what of the rest? Tina, a director who was once an actor herself, adds somewhat menacingly, “We have the ability to convince people.” Junaid and Tina laid the foundations for the studio in 2002 and claim to have produced more than 90 films since.
They have, in time, learned the ropes of the industry. At first they mimicked the moves and plots of English movies but then slowly gained the confidence to add a hint of local flavour to their productions. Tina says, “We wanted something that would appeal to the local audience and show them something about sex in Pakistan.” Tina remembers the first time they produced a film without providing directions to the actors. It was in 2005 and, in Tina’s words, “it rocked the market.”
The studio initially hired commercial sex workers for their films. Soon, though, they began to expand by hiring enthusiastic volunteers. They felt it would make the performances look more natural. During the filming none of the actors are allowed to use condoms. “Condoms take away from the viewer’s pleasure,” is Junaid’s calculation, proffered with a loud smile. He does not think it necessary to carry out HIV tests before employing performers. Defying all odds, the producers of both of Pakistan’s leading adult film-studios claim to never have encountered a single HIV-positive actor in this field.

Beena, 24, volunteered for a movie in 2007 and has appeared in seven since. She says, “My friend Aliya worked in them and would tell me stories. One day I asked her to take me with her to a shoot and she agreed.” After attending, she decided to give it a go herself. Zunaira, who is 5’6 and has blonde streaks in her hair, followed a similar path to the adult film industry. “After attending classes at college I would come to the studio. It turned into a sort of addiction.” Twenty-three-year-old Zubaida is sitting in a well decorated ‘guest room’ at her Tariq Road flat. Located in a commercial building, the interior is adorned with colourful prints.