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Pakistani Films are ruling the cinema houses – A look into 3 major films this season

Pakistani Films are ruling the cinema houses

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A look into the major films of this season

By Syed Ali Arshad

If you haven’t noticed, August 2019 is the best season for any filmmaker to release their films. Two major festivals, Eid Ul Azha and National Independence Day, have coincided, incentivizing a one week long public holiday by the Government. Afired with patriotism, and celebrating a juicy and meaty Eid, masses are flocking into nearby cinemas to enjoy films with their friends and family. In the wake of Karachi’s unfavorable weather and subsequent condition of the city, one would expect lesser enthusiasm by the public. But be pleasantly surprised because it didn’t stop Karachiites from making the most of their holidays. With possibly the biggest box office competition of the year, all three major Pakistani films are boasting record-breaking numbers. 

Our industry has made its preparations. The casts of all three films have embarked on different promotional tours from Karachi to London, in order to ensure maximum returns not only on the local box office but in the international market as well. It is also worth mentioning how our local box office relies on its leading women to earn them returns, dismissing the age-old practice of centering movies around a male star. This is also due to the fact that our film industry has evolved out of our wildly successful drama industry, where women rule.

Now lets have a look at our three major releases this season. As the films have locked horns in a fierce competition, we have also included box office earnings record as published by Galaxy Lollywood

Parey Hut Love Poster

1

Parey hut love

The first movie in this list is none other than much talked about Maya Ali and Shaheryar Munawar starrer, Paray Hut Love. The film revolves around the life of a relaxed and goofy struggling actor who goes gaga for a strong willed girl. As the trope suggest, a love triangle is ensued leading to troubles but including chances of self-discovery for the male lead. The movie is still very unique in its plot for it is based on the 1994 British film, “Four Weddings and a Funeral”.

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As one can see from the trailer, the production values are top notch, with all the must-have ingredients for a desi film – romance, comedy, drama and cameo appearances of superstars Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan (I know, you instantly thought of Humsafar). You will also see Hina Dilpazir, Ahmad Ali Butt, Zara Noor AbbasNadeem Baig and Parisheh James in supporting roles. The film has been directed by Asim Raza and the screenplay is written by Imran Aslam.

Critical reception

reception

The film has garnered generally positive reviews. Sadiq Saleem from Khaleej Times commented, “It’s a great cinematic experience with a few dips; overall, the canvas is just too luminous to notice them”. Similarly, Adnan Murad from Daily Times deemed it a “cinematic victory” and overall calls it, “an elegant ode to love and loss”. Dawn’s Images sings praises of the film and leaves you anticipated when it says, “Parey Hut Love is best enjoyed if you keep in mind what you’re heading into the cinema for — two hours of pure rom-com escapism in a beautiful, meticulously crafted world with endless, dreamy nights, perfect outfits and tons of inspo for any upcoming weddings, whether your own or a friend’s/cousin’s”. 

Box Office Performance

performance

Promoted aggressively by ARY Films, the film has so far been performing exceptionally well. The film garnered 6 crore rupees in its opening three days and if overseas collections are to be included, Parey Hut Love is leading the charts, raking a whopping 12.15 crores with a worldwide release.

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Superstar

Perhaps the most anticipated films of the season, ‘Superstar’, is a romantic, musical-drama film starring the gorgeous superstar Mahira Khan opposite Bilal Ashraf. The movie tells the story of Noori, who works in a theatre, which is run by her uncle Agha Jan. Noori, struggles to enter the film industry and in the process, has to deal with different flavors and troubles of life including love and betrayal.

Superstar featuring Mahirah Khan

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Directed by famous director Ehteshamuddin and produced by Momina Duraid Productions (also one of the leading production houses for Pakistani dramas), the film also casts Kubra Khan, Hania Aamir and everyone’s beloved, Osman Khalid Butt in special appearances.

Critical reception

reception

The film has received highly positive reviews. Hassan Kazmi of Masala.com heavily praised the lead actors stating, “Mahira Khan and Bilal Ashraf have blown away everyone with how good they are in this film”. Shahjehan Saleem of Diva Magazine Pakistan congratulated the film for its music, cinematography and overall acting skills. He also remarked, “While both Bilal and Mahira in the past have received critique over their acting skills, Superstar will prove to be the turning point in their careers”. Critic Yousuf Mehmood of Pakistani Cinema.net also liked the film and wrote in his review, “Subtle nods to the film industry of yesterday, clever dialogues, charming details, an overall freshness to the script despite a formula we’ve seen a hundred times, and some great performances by Mahira Khan and Nadeem Baig, give the film the emotional weight it needs to resonate with the masses”. Similarly, Mohammed Kamran Jawaid of Dawn gave the film a very positive response by stating, “With its emotion-raising climax, director Ehteshamuddin’s Superstar is an intelligently crafted film that has only a few snags”.

Box Office Performance

performance

The film opened with excellent numbers and went on to collect bigger numbers in the coming days, taking the three days total to a massive 6.3 crore mark, the highest among all the films released this season. This is the highest opening three-day number for Mahira Khan and Bilal Ashraf. Including its international earnings, the film has grossed well over 11 crore rupees.

3

Heer Maan ja

This is yet another rom-com film starring film stars Hareem Farooque and Ali Rehman Khan in leading roles, alongside Faizan Shaikh, Shamayale Khattak, Sami Khan and Mojiz Hasan in the supporting roles. The film also includes cameo appearances by film stars Mikaal Zulfiqar and Amina Sheikh (who also starred in the popular film, Cake). The story is simple, and hence leaves a lot of room to craft comedic narratives and punch lines: The lead parts ways with each other after a misunderstanding. The story is about how they reunite, and find a meaning in their relationship to hold by. This cutesy premise, if well executed is a guaranteed hit formula for cinema in a festival season.

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Critical reception

reception

Haider Rifaat of The Express Tribune deemed the film “a crowd-puller”. Haider also commented, “There were no loose ends and each character got closure, especially Heer. Many stars made brief cameos that positively influenced the story. With emphasis on minute details, the film was shot and acted out smartly.” Faisal Ali H of Hip in Pakistan also praised the performances of Ali Rehman Khan and Hareem Farooq along with the screenplay and direction. Regarding the supporting cast he also made a remarkable claim, “No review of Heer Maan Ja would be complete without the brilliant supporting performances and cameos.” He felt that The film had lighthearted sequences, romance & emotions, which were woven into its chase-driven narrative. The magic of the simple story seems to have worked when it was said, “The film’s positive issue-based messaging is indicative of socially responsible filmmaking which must be lauded. The film easily has all it takes to keep you entertained for the over two hour of its runtime and will definitely spice up your Eid festivities.”

Box Office Performance

performance

Albeit with a slow start, the movie is quickly gaining momentum. It recorded a 2.9 crore number at the box office for its first three days from Pakistan only. The movie is slated to release for international audience by late August, earnings from whom will help the film with a decent overall gross earnings. 

User Rating: 5 ( 1 votes)

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