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Box Office: ‘Chhalawa’ and ‘Wrong No. 2’ cross the 10 crore mark over the 5-day Eid weekend

By
Zaryan Khawar
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Eid-ul-Fitr, this year, fell on a Wednesday which allowed all the Eid releases a good run of 5 days straight, at the box office. Chhalawa and Wrong No. 2 were the two big local Eid releases, accompanied by three Hollywood releases Godzilla: King of Monsters, Aladdin and Secret Life of Pets 2.

Wrong No. 2

Firstly, as for Wrong No. 2, the film started off well in terms of numbers and continued its winning collections over the coming days, making it the highest local grosser of 2019. The total 5-day collection for the film has come out to be a good 10 crores 60 lacs. Now that the Eid holidays are over, it is the content as well as a positive word of mouth that will decide its fate, in the coming days. The film has done really well in Karachi, Rawalpindi/Islamabad and some mass regions of Lahore.

Below is the film’s estimated business, so far:

Wednesday: 1.6 crore
Thursday.. 2.6 crore
Friday: 2.55 crore
Saturday: 2.25 crore
Sunday: 1.6 crore
Total: 10.6 core

Chhalawa

Of the two Eid releases, Chhalawa came 2nd in the collections race as it collected a total of 10 crores and 25 lacs over the first 5-day Eid weekend. The film has sustained well on the first 4 days with a significant drop coming on Sunday. Chhalawa, as expected, has performed the best in Punjab region with Lahore leading in collections while other cities, especially Rawalpindi/Islamabad region are doing pretty well too.

Below is the film’s estimated business, so far:

Wednesday: 1.5 crore
Thursday.. 2.5 crore
Friday: 2.4 crore
Saturday: 2.3 crore
Sunday: 1.55 crore
Total: 10.25 core

A final word

If we compare these collections with last year’s Eid-ul-Fitr collections, these two have fared better. It is, however, also important to note that last year’s Eid fell on a Saturday while this year, it was on a Wednesday so Chhalawa and Wrong No. 2 luckily got a longer Eid weekend.

7 Din Mohabbat In, despite staring Mahira Khan, could manage to amass a meager 9.8 crores only in two weeks while these two films have crossed the 10 crore mark in only 5 days. Similarly, Azaadi managed a total of 8.4 crores in 2 weeks which shows that Eid releases this year have fared better. With the collections of Aladdin yet to come (which we can tell has done really well considering the release size), this Eid weekend was fruitful for everyone involved.

Let’s hope the numbers are maintained over the weekdays too.

These box office numbers are given by an independent box office tracking site EPK Pakistan.

Zara Noor Abbas’ ‘Deewar-E-Shab’ hits all the right notes with the viewers

By
Kahkshaan Ismail
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The teasers of the upcoming drama Deewar-E-Shab came out last week and it looked nothing less than phenomenal. The period drama series has been created and produced by Momina Duraid of MD Productions and directed by Iqbal Hussain. It is the dramatization of the novel of the same name by Aliya Bukhari. The show boasts an ensemble cast including Asma Abbas, Zara Noor Abbas, Bushra Ansari, Shahroz Sabzwari, Shahzad Sheikh, Nausheen Shah, Sarah Khan, Mohsin Abbas Haider, amongst others.

The casting coup in Deewar-E-Shab

The play had been in the news for a while mainly because of Zara, Asma Abbas and Bushra Ansari sharing screen space for the first time. Interestingly, they will be switching their real-life roles as Asma Abbas will play Zara’s maternal aunt while Bushra Ansari would play her mother.  Expanding her versatility, Zara would be portraying the role of a courtesan for the first time in her career.

Not only this family but two members of the coveted Sheikh family are also on board for the play; Shahzad Sheikh and Shahroz Sabzwari will be for the first time, exclusively seen together on screen.

What Deewar-E-Shab is about

Set in the 1980s, the period drama is based on the culture of dance and music presented by courtesans. The story follows the much-acclaimed profession being enjoyed by elitists but due to changing times, the business experiences a downfall. Having dedicated their lives to singing and dancing, Sitara Mahal (courtesan house) is determined to keep the tradition alive by passing it down to generations.

The first episode gives us an insight into the trio of Zara, her mother, and aunt. Alongside, on the parallel lines, Nausheen Shah and Mohsin Abbas Haider’s story is carved into the narrative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mctQA7_q-c

Sitara Jahan (Bushra Ansari) tells her daughter Feroza (Zara Noor) Sur Sangeet, rang roop, ang aur ada humari zindagi hai which instigates the lifestyle they are born, bred and brought up in and will continue to live in throughout their lives. Feroza masters the art of singing and dancing, while on the other hand, her sister Nagina (Nausheen Shah) does not seem to be a fan of the profession.

Moving forth, as the story continues Dildar Begum (Asma Abbas) is brought in as Sitara’s younger sister (who also belongs to the same profession). She begs and pleads Sitara Jahan as she wishes to take Feroza to a grand dance program. While Sitara seems reluctant at first, she allows Dildar later on. Her worst fears come alive when Dildar returns without Feroza. What ulterior motives lie with Dildar, we will have to continue watching to find out.

The star of the episode – Zara

From Bushra Ansari to Asma Abbas, Mohammad Ahmed, and Mohsin Abbas, all the actors in the play bring their A-game to the front, but without a doubt, Zara takes the cake in this one.

As beautiful as she looks, with her expressions and moves on point, she dances impeccably well too. Not one but we are entertained with two of Zara’s dance numbers in the drama. From her acting to her dancing skills, Zara shone all out in her debut film Chhalawa as well and it will be safe to say that she stole the show in the first episode of Deewar-E-Shab

From the glitzy costumes to the traditional jewelry, the aaleeshan haveli to the classical dancing and not to forget the ensemble cast consisting of seasoned actors, I feel the drama will hit all the right notes.

Box Office: ‘Chhalawa’ and ‘Wrong No. 2’ own the Eid holidays with big numbers

By
Momina Mindeel
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Looks like our cinemas finally got the respite they so desperately needed as the two local Eid releases; Chhhalawa and Wrong No. 2 have been able to gather some remarkable numbers, all within the 3 days of Eid. Here is a complete breakdown of what has gone down for the said films in terms of numbers, ever since their release.

Chhalawa 

Wajahat Rauf’s Chhalawa, despite getting a number of negative reviews, has been able to sustain itself over the 3 days of Eid. The film has managed to cross the 6 crore mark in 3 days, with the major chunk of its business coming from Lahore and the twin cities (Islamabad and Rawalpindi).

Below is the film’s estimated business, so far:

Wednesday: 1.5 crore
Thursday: 2.5 crore
Friday: 2.4 crore
Total: 6.4 crore

With the weekend coming ahead, the film is expected to cross the 10 crore mark. Let’s wait and see how the situation unfolds.

Wrong No. 2 

Yasir Nawaz’s Wrong No. 2, following Chhalawa‘s suit, has shown even more remarkable numbers. The major chunk of its business is coming from Karachi and certain pockets of Punjab too. Below is the film’s estimated business, so far:

Wednesday: 1.6 crore
Thursday (revised): 2.6 crore
Friday: 2.5 crores plus

Total: 6.75 crore

Just like Chhalawa, Wrong No. 2 is expected to cross the 10 crore mark too, over the weekend.

A final word

As per our trade expert Zaryan Khawar, “if these numbers go down on the weekend, that would be rather alarming. As for the coming week, he had the following to say: “While the films are expected to sustain on weekdays, we’ll have to wait and see what happens on Monday or Sunday night.”

We have our fingers crossed.

These box office numbers are given by independent box office tracking site EPK Pakistan.

Box Office: ‘Chhalawa’ and ‘Wrong No. 2’ both show big growth on Day 2!

By
Momina Mindeel
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Two local releases; Chhalawa and Wrong No. 2 hit the cinemas, this Eid. While the day 1 business was rather decent with them earning 1.5 and 1.6 crores respectively, the numbers from day 2 are even better which is definitely good news for our cinema industry that has been suffering lately, on account of a blanket ban on all movies Bollywood. Here is a detailed breakdown of the box office numbers from Eid day 1 and 2:

Chhalawa 

Chhalawa was able to gather approximately 1.5 crore on day one of its release which was slightly less than what Wrong No. 2 made. However, Eid day 2 brought a breath of fresh air for the film as it made 2.5 crore and has now crossed Yasir Nawaz’s Wrong No. 2, with a 4 crore two-day collection.

Below is the film’s estimated business, so far:

Wednesday: 1.5 crore
Thursday: 2.5 crore
Total: 4 crore

The major chunk of the business is said to be coming from Punjab (Lahore in particular) and with the weekend coming, the numbers are expected to rise. Fingers crossed!

Wrong No. 2

Wrong No. 2 is not too far behind Chhlawa as the former has managed to gather no less than 3.9 crore in two days. Below is the film’s estimated business, so far:

Wednesday: 1.6 crore
Thursday: 2.3 crore
Total: 3.9 crore

The film is performing the best in Karachi, let’s wait and see how the coming weekend will add to its numbers.

A final word

Our trade expert Zaryan Khawar said that these numbers are good but they were expected since day 2 has almost always been good, as far as the films’ businesses are concerned. He, however, said that if these numbers go down on the weekend, that would be rather alarming. As for the coming week, he had the following to say: “While the films are expected to sustain on weekdays, we’ll have to wait and see what happens on Monday or Sunday night.”

Meanwhile, we are going to keep our fingers crossed!

These box office numbers are given by independent box office tracking site EPK Pakistan.

Wrong No. 2 (Review): A well-directed flick that dials all the right numbers

By
Hassan Hassan
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Movie Name: Wrong No. 2

Release Date: June 5, 2019

Director: Yasir Nawaz 

Review by: Hassan Hassan 

Wrong Number 2 is a demonstration of what quality commercial cinema is, made within the constraints faced by today’s local cinema industry. A comedy of errors made with a commercial appeal at its core, Wrong No. 2 is something that doesn’t defy logic but still remains highly entertaining for the most part, if not through and through.

It is a prime display, for the front row filmmakers of the Pakistani cinema, of how (if given a chance) the fresh scriptwriters can come up with tighter and glitch-free stories. Combine it with the directorial skills of a man who shows improvement with every film until you get an entertaining, wholesome, and a comforting Eid film, and you have your rather amusing flick; Wrong No. 2. 

What Wrong No. 2 is about

Without giving you any spoilers, Wrong No. 2 follows three to four parallel subplots that ultimately consummate at Gul Nawaz (Played brilliantly by Javed Sheikh) who is an arrogant, rich, and an aporophobic man with high political aspirations. In order to help realize those, he wants to get his daughter Zoya (Neelam Muneer), an intelligent but rebellious girl, betrothed to the son of a well established political figure.

Zoya obviously has other plans with Omar (Sami Khan), the son of her father’s confidante – a shrewd but adorable Wazir Ali (Mehmood Aslam) – who belongs to a lower middle-class socioeconomic background. Things get messed up when Gul Nawaz sets off to put an end to the romance by trying to reach the man his daughter loves but ends up finding a wrong man instead thereby, setting a vicious circle of errors that gets everyone confused and the viewers amused.

Add to that, a stalker who never ceases to leave his crush alone, his loud parents who wish to get him out of jail and another struggling family who want to get their daughter treated for a lethal cardiac illness. On paper, it may look like a mess when you see all the ingredients together but the final product is an onscreen sweet delicacy that you can’t help but enjoy. We urge you to head to the cinema to witness it for yourself. 

Wrong No. 2 dials all the right numbers with its veteran supporting cast 

What makes WN2 work is a super tight script and a swift screenplay. Especially the first half, which introduces you to pretty much all the characters, keeps you hooked so much so that you don’t want the interval to happen. The film is far better than what it looked like in its trailer and other promotional materials. Perhaps, a better poster and a trailer design could have helped the film strike a better buzz amongst the movie goers but since the content of the film is strong, it will stay afloat for a long time anyway.

Speaking of strong content, the supporting characters designed are some of the best you would see in recent times.WN2 is amongst those amusingly odd films which has its supporting cast running and stealing the show. Perhaps that was the reason Yasir chose Sami Khan, a promising but not so crowd puller of an actor on the cinematic front, to play the lead hero. 

It’s Javed Sheikh, Mehmood Aslam and Yasir Nawaz who own the narrative. The former two get the best lines, have amazing chemistry and comic timings and every time they appear together on screen, you get into fits of laughter. Particularly the moments, where Wazir asks Gul Nawaz to enact as a couple, in order to make him realize how to deal with his daughter’s love interest, and Gul Nawaz, persistently confusing Wazir’s ancestry with someone else’s, is something where you can’t help but laugh.

Cherry on top, Aslam and Sheikh adopt the Pashtun accent perfectly using their phonetic prowesses to their best. There are some other supporting characters too like Irfan Khoosat, Shafqat Cheema, Danish Nawaz, etc who add to the laughter value of the film and truth be told, everyone does their job with fineness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvkh9C_DeHM

The phenomenon that Yasir Nawaz is

Yasir Nawaz, as a struggling and an honest government employee who has to find resources for his daughter’s illness, is another fine actor who shines all the way. His weary face, huge waistline, and compassionate and concerned self when he is around his kids, instantly gain the audience’s sympathy.

As a director, he also shines at various places – especially the one scene where he, as an honest, man hesitates to take a bribe while there is a religious sermon on the vice of bribery being delivered, in the nearby mosque. The scene is not only well written but extremely beautifully directed. Kudos to both the writer and the director Yasir Nawaz harbors within himself. 

The ladies shine bright, too

Sana Fakhar as Yasir’s wife is another strong and accurately designed character. She is a hardworking woman, working as an instructor in a small lady’s gym, who has difficulty giving attention to her kids and their needs yet has to stay strong to support her family.

Neelum Muneer, on the other hand, plays an intelligent and a feisty girl who knows what’s happening around her and would do anything to get her love. Sami Khan, however, doesn’t have much to do but he performs adequately of whatever is tasked to him.

Of the jobs well done by the casting director, the choreographer and more

Moving on to the other aspects of the film, the casting director along with the costume and makeup department have done a great job in making these characters even more likable and relatable. Sana’s character, for example, wears minimal make-up in scenes where she is shown in distress however her curvy figure is explained by the fact that she’s a gym instructor.

Same goes for Yasir who does a desk job and gives minimal attention to his personal upkeep. Even the child suffering from heart disease looks like an actual cardiac patient. Same goes for Mehmood Aslam, Javed Sheikh, Neelum as well as Ahmad Hassan’s characters. Their wardrobe choices and make-ups are never off.

The film has a well-choreographed grand wedding song in the end and some beautiful locations where the narrative travels from one eye-catching place to another making the film fresh, fun and energetic.

Of the very few shortcomings

Of course, there are some flaws with the film but they never overpower the film’s pace and mood. As with all Yasir Nawaz Films, it has some double meaning jokes but thankfully they are less annoying and less abundant than his previous films.

I also think that the climax scene could have been written and directed in a less caricaturing way because nowhere else in the film the director confronts your basic intellect and there is always some obvious or subtle explanation to whatever is happening on screen. Despite its less serious nature, Wrong No. 2 is better than a lot of films that you may have seen recently.

However, Sami Khan’s wardrobe and makeup needed much attention, especially his hairdos. He looked rather tired in many scenes which could have been avoided. Similarly, while Hassan Ahmed (also the writer of the film) as Zoya’s rival suitor – who is a rich, narcissist, drug addict – does elicit some laughs in most of his scenes, but his jittery and elfin body language becomes unnecessary at times.

These minor shortcomings, however, should not let you rethink your decision to watch the film at the cinemas.

Verdict

If you have loved JPNA series or any other feel-good masala entertainers that don’t defy logic, Wrong Number 2 is the film you should go for. There are very high chances that you will leave the cinema halls amused, for all the right reasons.

Rating: 3.5/5*

Kaaf Kangana’s trailer makes us wonder if the direction will live up to the script?

By
Hassan Hassan
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When one of Pakistan’s well-known playwrights of the contemporary era decides to make a foray into film direction, you expect the script of the film to be the strongest department of the project as that’s where the primary strength of the above-mentioned individual resides. After watching Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar’s Kaaf Kangana‘s recently released trailer, the guarantee about the script of the film is already assured. We, however, are not too sure of its execution. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1cyfrPDeGg

After the resounding success of Pakistani cinema’s iconic Punjab Nahi Jaungi, Khalil Sahab decided to make his dream project which saw many cast reshuffles and consequent disappointments and now that the trailer is released, we are almost pacified and distracted to wait for the film instead.

Will actors be able to do justice to the script?

As it is already known, the film is a cross border love story and keeping the basic template of a cross border love story intact, Khalil seems to have woven an intricate story on this very template such that you don’t give much attention to the basic Indian girl-Pakistani boy (in Bollywood’s case the gender configuration is reversed in most cases, the only exception being Ali Zafar’s Total Siyapaa) and instead fall for the dialogues, the intense drama, and seemingly well-crafted characters.

However, as mentioned earlier, we are not too sure if the actors will be able to translate all those good dialogues and intensity into their performances or at least that’s what the glimpses of performances, by the main as well as the supporting cast in the trailer, suggest. The dialogue delivery by almost every character seems forced. They seem to be doing what Indian films do when portraying Muslim/Pakistani stereotypes; focusing too much on how certain characters SHOULD look and sound like instead of showing what and who they actually ARE. 

The trailer’s (maybe) redeemable characteristics

The trailer, however, is intense from beginning to the end and the reasons for that vary from moment to moment. There are rather unapologetic political and cultural references heating the environment in one moment and then there’s intense romance happening the very next moment. Either way, the trailer is laced with considerable intensity. 

Thankfully, Sami Khan is given better presence unlike his previously released films, the leading lady Eshal Fayyaz also looks impressive albeit the intensity of her character seems to follow gigantic stereotypes. She, however, looks good onscreen and her dialogue delivery is relatively better too. But it’s the supporting cast that ultimately steals the spotlight.

An encouraging trend in the currently made local films is the presence of strong and amicable supporting characters and not relying on the leads entirely (PNJ, JPNA 2 and the recently released Wrong Number 2 are just a few examples). Kaaf Kangana, similarly, seems to have a strong supporting cast, the most noteworthy of which is Fiza Ali. Her character looks that of a strong woman who is an influencer and a protester.

Sajid Hassan, a politician who plays the bad guy and Kangana’s father is another actor to look out for. You also see Ayesha Omer for a glimpse and we wish she was there for a longer time but maybe her character is meant to be a surprise, I mean who knew Urwa’s Durdana in PNJ would steal the show in the film while she was barely there in the trailer.

Moreover, Neelam’s dance number “Khwabon Mein Jab Bhi” eases the tensions but we hope it’s shot better than it looks in the trailer. As for the music, well when you have Sahir Ali Bagga on the driving seat so you don’t have to worry about the final product. The romantic track may get to the playlist of many when it releases.

A final word

Although overall the trailer is a well-cut video, the graphics could have been better. The opening text and credit visuals aren’t at all sophisticated, giving an impression of poorly-done graphics and hence may be a poor final product. While they may not be a very vital part of the film, what’s the harm in getting good packaging when you say you have put so much effort in the actual product. Let’s also hope that the actors are able to do some justice to their characters (but well, it’s usually a director’s responsibility to bring out the best in them so we are looking at you Khalil Sahab). 

Kaaf Kangana releases this Eid Ul Adha so let’s wait and see what the film has in store for us. 

Chhalawa (Review): An absolute wreck courtesy of a shoddy script!

By
Hassan Hassan
-

Movie Name: Chhalawa 

Release Date: June 5, 2019

Director: Wajahat Rauf

Review by: Hassan Hassan 

For a film, as full of clichés as Chhalawa, there is an equally clichéd French proverb, “Qui trop embrasse, mal étreint (He who embraces too much, has a weak grasp).

The proverb fits well as far as the makers of Pakistani cinema are concerned – especially the resurgent ones – as they have a chronic tendency of donning multiple caps for their projects. This, in part, is an austerity measure and, in part, due to the fact that in a fledgling industry like ours, we have a dearth of professionals and instead of trusting a newcomer who may have knowledge of all things new, they would rather trust themselves. The practice has resulted in more failed projects than successful ones yet the trend is here to stay for a while until (or if) the film industry gets in its desired shape.

Chhalawa is just another victim of such practice.

What Chhalawa is about

After the success of Punjab Nahi Jaungi, it looks probable that Wajahat wanted to make a family romcom on similar lines based in Punjab because well, the major box office market prefers colorful family sagas where song and dance sequences are rampant. The idea is very pragmatic and one can’t blame him for trying to cater to the masses. However, unfortunately, the gloss, colors, rampant songs, and dance numbers have never been enough to make a successful family rom-com.

Anyway, moving on to the plot, Zoya and Sameer (Mehwish Hayat and Azfar Rehman) are in love but Chaudry Rafaqat wants her daughter to get married to his nephew as its customary for them to not get betrothed outside the families. The couple has to find a way to either convince the patriarch to agree to their wedding or to simply elope, for which they come up with a scheme with the help of their friends and siblings.

As for how the story unfolds, you are welcome to watch the film in the cinema halls to witness it for yourselves. 

Of the very few redeemable features

This wedding run away formula is tried and tested but we all know subcontinent would never cease to make films on the said formula because it has higher chances to find acceptance amongst the masses. If done rightly, it could do wonders. However, if not, well, we know the rest. Unfortunately for Chhalawa, it’s the latter. 

Amongst the very few redeemable features of the film, it is the colors, music, and dances that stand out.

The title track, ‘Chhalawa’ and the dance number, ‘Chidya’ are not only beautifully written and composed, but they are also intricately choreographed. Especially the latter where a large piece of cloth is intelligently used to create choreographic feats. Mehwish looks stunning in these videos and so do the other cast members.

Of subpar script

Credit must be given to Wajahat for he hired some really talented people like Shiraz Uppal (music) and Wahab Shah(choreography). However, he kept the most critical department, script, to himself and I think that just might be his biggest mistake.

There are just so many loopholes. In order to give you an idea of what I am talking about, there is one scene where Zoya runs away with Sameer via a secret tunnel as she has the key to that tunnel but they are seen by some people as they are running away. The exit point for the tunnel point is just at the main gate by the way. However, my question is; If Zoya had the key already, why didn’t she just run away through that tunnel in the first place thereby, saving everyone the trouble?

Similarly, she writes letters to her deceased mom (the sequence added to gain sympathies of the audience, showing how deeply attached she was to her mom) but we are neither introduced to her mom nor those letters play any part in the story. All that we know about Zoya’s mom are the repeated references to her, by her dad, “Tu bilkul apni maa pe gayi ha” for instance.

Of blatant stereotyping

For a director, releasing his third film, Chhalawa insults the intelligence of the film viewers and the very people whose culture lends the settings to his film. The sloppy script isn’t just the only questionable feature, Wajahat’s blatant tendency to stereotype ethnic groups in an attempt to create relatable cinema is equally disturbing and saddening. The victims this time are Punjabis.

The loud, buffoonish Punjabi family living in a big haveli who are just one-dimensional caricatural figures with not a single character to balance them out, is something similar to what he did to Pashtuns and Sindhis in his earlier outings.

Of rather commendable performances by the actors

Given all of these circumstances, whatever job the actors did is to be commended. Mehwish Hayat, Azfar Rehman, Zara Noor, and Asad Siddiqui did their best to whatever spaces were given to them.

Zara shines in her masalay daar “Lollywoodish” avatar and in her references to and love for Lollywood, especially in a scene where she argues with her dad about comparing old and new cinema. You can’t help but get a glimpse of Bushra Ansari in her mannerisms. In short, she excels in her role but there are some scenes where her loud Punjabi accent is suddenly gone leaving you confused.

Azfar looks good on screen, a fine actor who should have been given more presence and a meatier role. Let’s just hope he keeps getting films because he definitely is film material. Asad Siddiqui does well too and leaves an impact with his debut performance.

As for the veteran actors, there is no doubt in Mehmood Aslam and Adnan Shah Tipu’s acting skills but again the script fails them. You don’t feel anything about their respective wooden and caricatural characters. Same is the case with Mohsin Ejaz.

Aashir Wajahat, on the other hand, is definitely the one who shines in whatever scenes he is given as a teenage younger brother, Haroon. Aashir is a talented kid who will definitely get better with time.

Lastly, as for Mehwish Hayat, who is a powerhouse performer and has given one award-winning performance after the other, all that can be said is that the script failed her big time. We saw glimpses of brilliance but they were overshadowed by the mediocre content she was given to perform.

A final word

The movie isn’t too long which fortunately helps it save from the ultimate disaster it could have become if it was lengthier. It could have been even shorter if the songs from Wajahat’s earlier projects were cut while that time was used exploring who Zoya’s mother was and what happened to her.

With respect to its production values and directorial credentials, Wajhat’s third film is miles ahead of his previous offerings but with such a weak script the masses probably won’t even notice what he has achieved. Most of the people leaving the cinema were simply “unsatisfied”.

Towards the end, I would just like to mention that it’s not an easy task, making a film in Pakistan. Wajahat deserves applause for the daunting task of making films on a regular basis but hiring a professional scriptwriter is all we ask for, for his upcoming projects. 

Verdict

Chhalawa will not utterly disappoint you if you leave your brain outside the cinema. We give the movie 2 out of 5 stars. 

Rating: 2*/5

Box Office: ‘Chhalawa’ and ‘Wrong No. 2’ open to good numbers on Eid

By
Momina Mindeel
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Two local films; Chhalawa and Wrong No. 2 hit the screens yesterday. We predicted that Chhalawa, being a Punajb oriented film, would do great in Punjab while Wrong No. 2, being a sequel to Wrong No., would already have an audience. Turns out, we were more or less right with our predictions as the two films opened to decent numbers on the Box Office. Let’s see a detailed breakdown of what the local releases brought in, in terms of numbers.

Chhalawa

While Chhalawa is a little behind Wrong No. 2, the film has earned approximately 1.5 crores on day one. The film did well in Punjab (Isb/Rwp and Lahore in particular) as expected, and has emerged as Wajahat Rauf’s biggest opener.

Moreover, the film registered the third biggest opening of 2019 and is only behind Avengers: Endgame and Wrong No 2.

Wrong No. 2

As for Wrong No. 2, the film surpassed even our predictions and beat Chhalawa on the first day of its release by earning 1.6 crores , making it Yasir Nawaz’s biggest opener. The film did the most remarkable business in Karachi/Hyderabad as the two cities brought in approximately 5.5 million, which is roughly 35% of its business from all over Pakistan

Moreover, the film registered the second biggest opening of 2019 and is only behind Avengers: Endgame.

These numbers come as good news especially given how our cinemas have had nothing substantial to play recently. Both the local releases have managed to gather decent numbers despite the release of two foreign films; Alladin and Godzilla. Let’s see what the coming days have in store, for our cinema industry. Until then, we are just going to keep our fingers crossed.

These box office numbers are given by independent box office tracking site EPK Pakistan.

Mehwish Hayat is the true dancing queen of the industry and we have proof

By
Kahkshaan Ismail
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Mehwish Hayat is a name which needs no introduction. Riding high on success for a long time, the Tamgha Imtiaz holder is a complete package. There isn’t anything the lady can’t do as she can act, sing and oh also, dance perfectly.

Without a doubt, the lady is a raging phenomenon for she has been churning out one hit after another; cases in point: Na Maloom Afraad, Punjab Nahi Jaungi, Actor in Law, Load Wedding and now the upcoming Chhalawa (well, we have our fingers crossed). Out of these hit films, she has popular dance sequences in most of them. It is, therefore, only fair to delve into her dancing abilities, so let’s just get on that.

Wahab Shah on Mehwish’s dancing skills

Let’s begin by having a look at what the leading choreographers in the country have to say about Mehwish and the subject of our discussion here aka her dancing skills. In an interview with the acclaimed choreographer Wahab Shah (that we did last month), he stated that Mehwish Hayat is a fantastic dancer amongst the current lot (and we wholeheartedly agree). He then went on to mention how Mehwish is one of the only few artists in the industry who have established themselves as the real dancers. While talking about his work in Chhalawa with the said actress, he said, “as far as how difficult my dance steps were, I think Mehwish can answer that in a better way, but I do know that she tried well and did justice to the steps. Both Zara Noor and Mehwish have done brilliant work and their dances are gonna be fun.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_cTtbOhYMQ

Moreover, Mehwish has another dance number titled Chidya in Chhalawa. Up until now, we have only seen a few glimpses of the song in the said film’s trailer, however, according to Mehwish herself, the song is definitely super great and will surprise people. It is choreographed by Wahab Shah and is, in essence, a “performance-based song” as Mehwish likes to call it.

Mehwish and the case of ‘Billi’

Mehwish Hayat first came on the silver screen as a dancer in the foot-tapping ‘Billi’ in Na Maloom Afraad, and honestly, there was no looking back for her from there. The Billi seems to be equipped with all the elements needed to be just the perfect dancer.  It won’t be wrong to say that Mehwish lights up the screen whenever she starts dancing; from her latkas and jhatkas to her facial expressions syncing with the beat; each and every element is on point. Here is another exhibit for y’all!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp6fTOcwfHs

A final word

With a charismatic on-screen persona, it is safe to say that with the passage of time, Mehwish has acquired different forms of dancing. In Load Wedding; she shook a leg to a Punjabi number while perfectly immaculating the zest and zeal needed in a Bhangra number. One can clearly tell that she has established herself as a dancer while she continues to give us unforgettable dance performances one after the other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35STuKuuDFU

This year, we get to watch Mehwish alongside debutante Zara Noor in a peppy song (which we are sure will become our mehndi jam of the season). With her smooth moves and fun-filled expressions, Mehwish has surely made the steps worth imitating on mehndis. With another song yet to be released (Chidya, as mentioned earlier), we can’t wait to watch what she has in store for us.

GL Predicts: How will Eid releases fare at the Box Office?

By
Galaxy Lollywood
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Eid is just around the corner. The Eid releases, too. We, at Galaxy Lollywood, have our fingers crossed for the local as well as foreign releases to bring some respite to our cinemas. With Chhalawa and Wrong no. 2 hitting the cinemas tomorrow, alongside three major Hollywood releases; Aladdin , Godzilla, and The Secret Life of Pets 2 we are yet to see what happens at the Box Office. A while ago, we did a piece on how according to our cinemas’ track record, Hollywood releases might outshine our local releases this time too but well, nothing can be said with certainty unless we actually see it happen.

Anyway, the films are good news for our otherwise deserted cinemas. We, therefore, recently asked some of our senior team members to share their point of views on how they think the Eid releases will fare at the Box Office. Here’s what they had to say:

Momin Ali Munshi

This clash is actually very interesting because both the films (Chhalawa and Wrong No. 2) fall in the romantic comedy genre, they are both the third directorial ventures for their respective directors who both had underperforming second films. So this is actually a clash in the true sense of the word.

If you ask me who’ll lead the race, well without having seen both the films and not taking into account the quality of the content, I fee Chhalawa will lead. Firstly, it has Mehwish Hayat who is the most bankable female star of the country, then the trailer generated the right noise, the ensemble cast is a decent mix and the title track has already become a hit. Add to that the Punjabi factor, which is bound to connect with the Punjab audience which by the way is the largest share at the box office, so goes without saying that the film will lead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_cTtbOhYMQ

On the other hand, Wrong No.2 also has stars like Neelam Muneer and Sami Khan along with a plethora of supporting actors but a major box office pull is missing. Moreover, the trailer and the songs of the film haven’t really generated any considerable buzz. But, having seen Yasir’s previous two films, it would not be surprising if the content of the film connects with the audiences as both of his earlier films found acceptability with the masses.

As for lifetime, it hugely depends on the content, because both films will get a good opening thanks to Eid, but after that, it’s the content that will do the talking.

Hassan Hassan

To be honest, unfortunately for me, both films are very pheeky. While both Chhalawa and Wrong Number 2 have their own USPs (Unique Selling Points), they have their own baggage of shortcomings as well. Chhalawa, although looks strong on audiovisual fronts, has a clichéd storyline that cine-goers have seen one too many times.

Wrong Number 2, on the other hand, although has a mass appealing genre and an apparently very layered storyline (The Sana-Yasir angle, the Neelum-Sami romance and the presence of a strong supporting cast), it doesn’t have much on audiovisual fronts. So both the films will run a neck to neck race, in my opinion.

Lastly, since both have comedy in them, they will definitely sell. Chhalawa will most probably be the preferred choice for families while Wrong Number 2 will most likely be the choice for the younger lot. Comparing the BO record of Wajahat and Yasir, the latter obviously has an edge on the former so if the content is strong, WN2 may even lead Chhalawa but the opening numbers won’t have much difference. However, in the end, the content is always the king and the deciding factor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUdOqm89JCo

Zaryan Khawar

Chhalawa will do good business in Punjab as its content is likely to resonate with many mass centers’ audience here. It is, therefore, expected to do well in the multiplexes of Punjab. As for the rest of Pakitan, the business might not be as big but if we look at both the local releases, Chhalawa is likely to do better.

Wrong No. 2 will be able to find some audience due to it being a sequel to Wrong No. Since the star cast is not that big, mostly the audience will be walk-in and if the film is good, it may find acceptance beyond the 5 day weekend. It is likely to do well in mass centers mainly.

As for the Hollywood releases, Godzilla and Aladdin will do good business as both are popular brands. Last year, Jurassic did well too for these films have the ability to do well with Urdu versions and also on account of their universal appeal. The Punjab market has been really slow since the ban on Bollywood so some of these films bring breaths of fresh air with them.

Let’s wait and see how the situation unfolds. Fingers crossed!

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