Lahore was the cultural hub of north India, and a major film centre prior to partition. Unlike India, which had different centres of filmmaking like Bombay, Poona, Calcutta and Madras, Pakistan had just one – Lahore. In 1943, Ranbir Singh, then the editor of The Daily Milap, purchased 1000 shares of Sitara Films Ltd. in Lahore to promote entertainment.
Due to communal riots in the city during partition, Lahore's two major studios, Shorey Pictures and Pancholi Art pictures, were destroyed. In 1947, many stars like Pran and Om Prakash left the Lahore film industry and migrated to Bombay.