Cultural Heritage and Visual Media: Urdu Films as Drivers of Mughal Architectural Tourism in Lahore

Abstract

Mughal architecture is a strong artistic combination of the Persian and central Asian style of architecture which has by then evolved into Indo-Islamic Architecture. It depicts the diverse cultural landscape of Pakistan which can enhance tourism potential in the country. Lahore is considered as the most visited city in terms of local tourism but still it has potential to capture a large amount of tourists. Media practices are the best way to create an awareness regarding tourism potential of Lahore. Films can be an impactful communication source to depict the grandeur of Mughal architecture in various ways. Numerous researches have been found to study the impact of portraying Mughal sites in Indian films but there lies a research gap in terms of Pakistani film communication perspectives. This research paper explores how Mughal architecture can be visually communicated in the cinematic landscape, influencing perceptions and generating interest in Lahore as a tourist destination. For this purpose, an in-depth interview method under the lens of Agenda Setting Theory was adopted to explore the Mughal tourism portrayal in films. This study focuses on Urdu films as a medium to unravel the distinct ways in which Mughal splendor is portrayed, celebrated, or even reimagined in popular cinema and how these visual representations contribute to the promotion and development of tourism in Lahore. Inter-religious Architecture. The findings of this study shows that Urdu films can be a powerful source to engage and make the audiences aware of Lahore as an attractive Mughal tourism site. Due to non-consistency of Urdu film production in Pakistan, this potential is still not explored by film makers and there is a lot of room to create an impact.