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Box Office: ‘Chain Aye Na’ and ‘Geo Sar Utha Kay’ end their disastrous runs!

By
Momin Ali Munshi
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We cannot vouch for the authenticity of these box office numbers given by independent box office tracking site Box Office Detail. However, until we have some official box-office tracking system in Pakistan this is all we have got. The numbers are also revised at times and hence you may observe fluctuations.

It was a clash of old school Lollywood titans as Syed Noor’s ambitious ‘Chain Aye Na’ and Shafqat Cheema’s ‘Geo Sar Utha Kay’ released in cinemas all over Pakistan 11 August. (Yes, we know that GSUK is directed by Nadeem Cheema but the film was primarily riding on Shafqat Cheema’s stardom).

Interestingly it was also a clash of star kid debuts as ‘Chain Aye Na’ marked the debut of Shahroz Sabzwari (son of veteran TV actor Behroze Sabzwari) and Sarish Khan (grand daughter of veteran film actress Sabiha Khanum). while ‘Geo Sar Utha Kay’ was the launchpad for Sheheryar Cheema (son of Shafqat Cheema) along with a plethora of new actors.

Now both the films had minimal pre-release buzz and a box office success was never on the cards but the box office tally for both the films has been disappointing, to say the least. The opening day itself was not that great where ‘Chain Aye Na’ raked in 6.29 lakhs and ‘Geo Sar Utha Kay’ collected 6 lakhs because shows all over Pakistan played to almost empty cinema halls.

The word of mouth for both films was negative so a growth never really happened. The Independence Day festivities gave the films some push but not as much for the films to register decent opening weekend numbers. ‘Chain Aye Na’ raked in 16 lakhs while ‘Geo Sar Utha Kay’ collected 23.5 lakhs

The first week didn’t add much either as the number of shows were minimal. The second weekend ended things for Chain Aye Na which had no shows in Lahore and almost negligible shows all over Pakistan. Interestingly, the film did get one show in Lahore’s Super Cinemas when the second weekend ended and weekdays began. Geo Sir Utha Kay fared somewhat better at the single screens with it having fairly better amount of shows in the second weekend and so on. However, now that the third weekend has ended both films are out of cinemas and other than maybe a small centre somewhere in Punjab the films have ended their box office runs.

The total tally is as such:

Geo Sir Utha Kay: 0.35 crore ( approximate)

Chain Aye Na: 0.25 crore ( approximate)
 

2017 is definitely turning out to be quite a depressing year for Pakistani Cinema, but we hope that Eid releases ‘Punjab Nahi Jaungi’ and ‘Na Maloom Afraad 2’  bring back some festivity at the box office.

Stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood for updates.

Punjab Nahi Jaungi vs Na Maloom Afraad 2: The fight for showtimes gets dirty!

By
Momin Ali Munshi
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This Eid-ul-Azha is all set to witness a clash of titans as Humayun Saeed’s Punjab Nahi Jaungi and Fahad Mustafa’s Na Maloom Afraad go head to head at the box office! Two mega budget films releasing simultaneously may not be a big deal else where, but for our infant industry it’s nothing short of a milestone and fight for the top spot is getting intense with each passing day as both films reveal their cards. However, now with less than a week to go to release, cinema schedules have just been updated and this fight just got super dirty super soon!

Fight for showtimes is not a new issue for Lollywood, and film-makers have often complained how cinema owners discriminate against them by giving them fewer shows and that too at odd times. But the cinema owners have a fair point that it’s all about the demand and they’ll play whatever the audiences want to see. So if a film is in demand it gets more shows and vice-versa. But what these same cinema owners are doing this Eid-ul-Azha, well that’s a different story.

Before I get to my point let me share with you the schedule of Nueplex Cinemas, one of the leading multiplexes of Pakistan, for the coming week:-

For the first four days, including the three Eid holidays, the show breakdown is as such:
Na Maloom Afraad 2  has 58 shows  while Punjab Nahi Jaungi 28 shows

Then for the next three days, the break down is as such:
Na Maloom Afraad 2  has 46 shows  while Punjab Nahi Jaungi 15 shows

You might go like hey that is only one multiplex chain, well the situation at Cinepax  Cinemas all over Pakistan may not be as extreme as Nueplex but a similar trend is clearly visible. Here is a screenshot of their Rawalpindi schedule :

Punjab Nahi Jaungi
Na Maloom Afraad 2

And while Cinestar Cinemas is yet to upload a schedule we are fairly certain that the trend followed would be similar.

Why are these multiplex giants favoring one film over the other while the hype and buzz for both films is at par, you ask? Well, the answer goes by the name of Excellency Films. Excellency Films is a Pakistani film production and distribution company established by Cinepax, Nueplex and Cinestar cinemas. It is worth mentioning that Cinepax already has a distribution wing Footprint Entertainment while Cinestar has its distribution wing HKC Entertainment ( which also dabbles into production at times). Nueplex did not have any such wing, but with the creation of Excellency Films these three multiplexes now are on the same page and have complete control over film production, distribution, and exhibition.

The first production by Excellency Films is Na Maloom Afraad 2 and to promote their homegrown content the showtimes have been devised as such to give Na Maloom Afraad 2 a huge push. While this push may work for the film and the box office numbers might be great, I strongly feel that this polarization is not healthy for our film industry and such measures will only have disastrous results in the long run. Showtimes for the first few days for both the films should be equal and then depending on the audience reactions, alterations for future shows should be made.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Comments.

 

Box Office: ‘Chain Aye Na’ and ‘Geo Sar Utha Kay’ open to empty cinemas!

By
Momin Ali Munshi
-

We cannot vouch for the authenticity of these box office numbers given by independent box office tracking site Box Office Detail. However, until we have some official box-office tracking system in Pakistan this is all we have got. The numbers are also revised at times and hence you may observe fluctuations.

It was a clash of old school Lollywood titans as Syed Noor’s ambitious ‘Chain Aye Na’ and Shafqat Cheema’s ‘Geo Sar Utha Kay’ released in cinemas all over Pakistan yesterday. (Yes, we know that GSUK is directed by Nadeem Cheema but the film is primarily riding on Shafqat Cheema’s stardom).

Interestingly it was also a clash of star kid debuts as ‘Chain Aye Na’ marks the debut of Shahroz Sabzwari (son of veteran TV actor Behroze Sabzwari) and Sarish Khan (grand daughter of veteran film actress Sabiha Khanum). while ‘Geo Sar Utha Kay’ was the launchpad for Sheheryar Cheema (son of Shafqat Cheema) along with a plethora of new actors.

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The case of Zarrar; a debrief with producer Adnan Ahmed Butt

By
Aayan Mirza
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“Zarrar.” Pakistan is not a nation unfamiliar with this name. With our main battle tank named that, as well as the force at the foremost front in our domestic war against terrorism; the ‘Zarrar Company’ of Special services group (SSG), the name carries for us a lot of pride.

But this is hardly a platform where military affairs make any sense. What does make sense here is films, and the name, Zarrar, has just made its entry into that arena. A spy-thriller from the superstar Shaan Shahid film brand, Zarrar is one of the pillars Pakistan film industry expects to stand on in the approaching year.

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Final spell in Europe marks the camera closure for ‘Teefa in Trouble’

By
Aayan Mirza
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Ali Zafar and Maya Ali starer romantic/action-comedy, Teefa in Trouble (TNT), has concluded its shooting with its final spell coming to an end in Warsaw, Poland.

Directed by Ahsan Raheem, TNT has completed its camera work in record time, considering the shooting started only in February this year, and now in July the film has wrapped up its entire filming that included a forty day spell in Lahore and the rest of it in Poland.

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Sheheryar Munawar will romance three ladies in ‘Saat Din Mohabbat In’

By
Galaxy Lollywood
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Lead cast of 'Saat Din Mohabbat In' - Sheheryar Munawar, Mahira Khan, Mira Sethi, and Amna Ilyas.

Project Ghazi might have been shelved indefinitely, but Sheheryar Munawar is gearing up to romance not one or two but three super gorgeous ladies in his upcoming film ‘Saat Din Mohabbat In’. The star-studded comedy stars three divas, Mahira Khan, Mira Sethi and Amna Ilyas, as leading ladies opposite the heartthrob. It is certainly a casting coup!

We were aware of Mahira Khan and Mira Sethi being part of the film, but Amna Ilyas is the new name joining the cast. We cannot hold our excitement over the announcement of the final cast of the film. This casting coup is reminiscent of the all-star cast of Jawani Phir Nahi Aani, which had five stunners in the list. Something equally interesting is in making again.

We are wishing its saat din and film in, already!

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Box Office Update: ‘Yalghaar’ and ‘Mehrunisa V Lub U’ rapidly decelerate in the second week!

By
Galaxy Lollywood
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We cannot vouch for the authenticity of these box office numbers given by independent box office tracking site Box Office Detail. However, until we have some official box-office tracking system in Pakistan this is all we have got. The numbers are also revised at times and hence you may observe fluctuations.

The Eid festivities are far over for ‘Yalghaar’ and ‘Mehrunisa V Lub U’, as both films are reaching the finish line by the end of the second week.

The 11 days extended Eid week proved to be quite prosperous for both films. They performed brilliantly on Eid holidays and held their positions strongly on the first weekend. The films slowed down nominally on the following weekdays, as it was expected after Eid festivities. However, the second week decelerated them rapidly as two new films ‘Mom’ and ‘Spiderman: Homecoming’ joined them in cinemas. The films could not hold up to new releases and performed very poor.

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Just in: Project Ghazi not releasing today! Gets postponed at 11th hour

By
Aayan Mirza
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Yes, you read it right. In unprecedented turn of events, the upcoming superhero film, Project Ghazi, starring, Humayun Saeed, Shehryar Munawar, and Syra Shehroz in lead roles, just had its theatrical release postponed at the eleventh hour, indefinitely (for now at least).

Directed by Nadir Shah, the film was supposed to release nationwide in today’s date, 14 July, 2017, but citing some technical shortcomings of the film, the producers and other relevant people behind the film have decided to pull it out of the cinema race for now.

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Project Ghazi – The Unwanted Child?

By
Momin Ali Munshi
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Project Ghazi releases nationwide tomorrow, Friday 14 July! Yes, you read that right. Pakistan’s first superhero film which stars Humayun Saeed, Sheheryar Munawar and Syra Shahroz will be playing in cinemas all over Pakistan in just a day. Are we excited? You bet we are! And why not, for the trailer was quite promising and we really are eager to see history being made this Friday when a Pakistani superhero makes his way to cinema screens! (Although factually, 1989 release Shaani is the first superhero sci-fi film from Pakistan)

But while we are ecstatic for the release, our enthusiasm is not really shared by quite a lot of people, including the general ticket paying public, the makers of the film, the film’s PR team, hell the cast itself! And this makes us question why is this poor film even releasing? Don’t believe us, well check out these pointers where we explain why we feel that the people involved with the film haven’t really been that generous with the film, and have led us to believe that this film is the unwanted child nobody really cares about.

1. Poor Release Date

We wrote an entire article on this blunder. (Click Here)
The crux being that ‘Mom’ and ‘Spiderman’ released last Friday and are running to packed houses while Ranbir-Katrina ‘Jagga Jasoos’ and the much awaited ‘Planet Of the Apes’ release this Friday. Oh, and Eid releases ‘Mehrunisa V Lub U’ and ‘Yalghaar’ are also playing in cinemas, so yeah! Whoever chose this date needs to reconsider career options.

2. Inadequate Promotion Time

Okay, so the chosen release date was a bad idea to begin with, but what made it worse was the fact that the promotions kickstarted on 19 June when the trailer came out, meaning less than a month to promote the film! It should be noted that Na Maloom Afraad 2 and Punjab Nahi Jaungi trailers have already been released and promotions for PNJ started while the films will be releasing in September.

3. Where art thou Humayun?

So the team had less than a month to promote the film and their biggest star was missing from the promotions from the word go. First we thought he’s pulling a Shaan Shahid on the film (you know how Shaan wasn’t promoting Yalghaar) but we talked to Humayun Saeed and he informed us that he is very much on board for the promotions, it’s just that he was busy with the Yalghaar’s international premieres and kickstarting the promotions for his next, Punjab Nahi Jaungi which releases on Eid-ul-Azha. So, unfortunately, Humayun was completely absent from the promotions and well that further weakened the promotions.

4. The PR push missing

Samra Muslim and Walnut Media are known as the go-to people as far as film marketing is concerned and the track record they have proves their worth.  Visiting TV Show Sets, Cinemas, Schools, Universities, Magazine Covers gives the film a PR push and team Walnut has been known to successfully do this and generate hype for a film. However, this time around, the PR push wasn’t strong enough and our phones can prove this because generally when a Walnut PR film comes out, our phones are filled with pictures of the cast from here there and everywhere, but this time around, my phone just has my selfies.

5. Lahore ignored?

Okay, this might be a bit personal, but hey, you can’t ignore the mighty Punjab now, can you!? Punjab brings in the most money for a film which is why all film promotions are incomplete without a visit to the province. However, Project Ghazi has very conveniently skipped this step and are happy with the Karachi promotions, whatever little they did there. Now it is being said that the team will visit Lahore post release and that is their plan. Well, I guess the plan is to visit empty cinema halls, because the buzz for the film here in Lahore is at a record low and the film would need a thunderous word of mouth to do well.

We know that making a film is not an easy task and are aware of the blood, sweat, and tears that go into making the film. Thus, we hope that the film does wonderfully at the box-office and wish the makers all the best, but given the current situation and thinking realistically, only a miracle can save this film.

I apologize Armeena Rana Khan, but you misunderstood, I am a rooting fan, not troll!

By
Galaxy Lollywood
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Hi Armeena Rana Khan,

Couple of weeks back, you posted a collage of derogatory comments you received on Instagram with a deeply moving message. You spoke against cyber bullying and called out people for their hypocrisy. Your heartfelt message resonated with many, as hundreds of people poured out their appreciation on Instagram and Twitter. The world is rooting for you, including me, for speaking out against hate. But, unfortunately, I also made it to that unfortunate collage (twice actually), with my comment which you misunderstood.

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