Cinema lovers were in for a special treat this past weekend as the makers of upcoming magnum-opus, “The Legend of Maula Jatt,” released the first official look of the film. While this not only kickstarted the pre-release promotions of the project, it put all the rumours surrounding the title of the film to rest as well.
While we were still not over with the first look, the makers dropped yet another bomb by revealing that the film would be releasing in China. This would make Maula Jatt the first Pakistani film to be screened in the country.
The reason why this is such a big news is that not only is China the second largest box office territory after North America, but over the past few years, it has emerged as a lucrative market for desi films as well. Bollywood has been scoring big in this regard, as several Indian films were not only released there in recent past, but they also collected great box-office numbers there.
It must be noted that China has a set quota for foreign films, which is why only a handful of them are released there every year.
The Same Day Release
What makes this news all the more exciting is that the film will release in China on the same day as its releases here in Pakistan. If no other movie achieves this feat in the time between now and the release of Maula Jatt, it would be the first time a film from the subcontinent does this.
In the past, films like Dangal, Secret Superstar, Bajrangi Bhaijan, and Hindi Medium released in China, but months after their original dates.
All About the Numbers
Despite their late releases, these films did remarkably well at the Chinese box office. Where Amir Khan’s Dangal made $193 million, Secret Superstar did a business of $119 million.
Although most Indian films have done considerably well at the box office, not all have succeeded. Bahubali 2 had a poor reception at the Chinese box office while a recent release, 102 Not Out, has completely fizzled out as well.
This was particularly shocking as 102 Not Out with its strong emotional connect seemed to be a tailor-made film for the Chinese audience. Padman and Thugs Of Hindustan are both releasing later this month and it will be interesting to see how they fare at the box office.
China’s acceptance of these films can be traced back to Aamir Khan’s efforts, who has been trying to build a film-relationship with the oriental giant over the years. The content of the released films also deserves a credit, since the shared Asian value system with its focus on the education, family, and career were touched upon in these films that eventually attracted people.
Coming back to ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’, the film will be releasing worldwide on Eid-ul-Fitr 2019, and it will definitely be interesting to see how the film fares at the box office.
While it is almost a given that the film will do ridiculously well at the local box office; given the buzz surrounding it, we are waiting to see how the film does on the international front. But one thing is for sure, the most expensive film of Pakistan is already setting benchmarks and will definitely prove to be a milestone moment for the Pakistani film industry.
