Eid days are always big when it comes to film releases. These release dates are highly coveted by every film studio due to the incredible box office business that’s done on these days.

Every year, on both Eids, we see a stacked release schedule with sometimes four to even five or six films being released at the same time. Since this time of the year is best for business, naturally, film studios spend the most bank while marketing these films.

So, while this year’s Eid slate is just as stacked as any other year, the lack of marketing around these films is alarming.

Eid-ul-Fitr 2023 Films

We are getting five films on Eid-ul-Fitr this year: Money Back Guarantee, Huey Tum Ajnabee, Daadal, Dorr and Lahore Qalandar. These films include big ensembles with all-star casts including names such as Fawad Khan, Wasim Akram, Sonya Hussayn, Mikaal Zulfiqar, and Saima. For more details on these films, read here.

In the past, film studios spent the entire month of Ramadan in marketing these films before Eid. The promotions ramp up half-way through the month and go on till after Eid. This marketing period includes multiple TV spots, character posters, music videos, online challenges, fan events, cast interviews, soundtrack releases and much more.

However, this year, the film industry has gone almost completely silent. This is worrying since a majority of the business is done this time of year by studios and cinemas alike.

The Pandemic Factor

Every single business was hit hard by the pandemic, companies were bleeding cash experiencing huge losses. The show business was no different. Multiple projects across the globe got shelved, delayed or dropped on an OTT platform with zero marketing.

Pakistan’s film industry, which is still in its infancy trying to gain some momentum also experienced irreparable damage. It was a concern of industry analysts and insiders last year that not enough projects were in production once COVID restrictions were being lifted.

Keeping films on hold is also not a cost-free task. We saw films such as Yasra Rizvi’s Senti Aur Mental and Faisal Qureshi’s Sorry – A Love Story shelved last year due to lack of funds. Production teams decided to cut their losses rather than spend any more on these projects. Marketing these films is no economical task either. Blockbusters usually require an amount equal to the film’s production budget to be spent on a well-done marketing campaign.

Potential Reason for Lack of Promotions for Eid Films

So, it’s safe to assume that the reason behind this lack of promotions is low funding. While the trailers have been released for most films, running an entire promotional campaign may not be affordable.

Studios seem to be relying on star power to save the day, particularly in the case of Money Back Guarantee which is Fawad Khan’s first project after the success of The Legend of Maula Jatt.

While media outlets rush to generate positive PR for these films, the promotions are non-existent and could signal low audience turnout when the movies do release.

We can hope that albeit later and smaller, the promotional runs eventually do start for these films as the industry is counting on them. This is still a developing story and Galaxy Lollywood will be covering any updates.