Day 14,15 and 16: Both ‘Wrong Number’ and ‘Bin Roye’ hold well in their third weekends.

By

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August 4, 2015

We cannot vouch for the authenticity of these box office numbers given by independent box office tracking sites. While we had the official numbers from ARY Films for ‘Wrong Number’ for the first few days now we do not have the numbers for either ‘Wrong Number’ or Roye’. So until the official numbers come from the makers themselves or until we have some official box-office tracking system in Pakistan this is all we have got. Also the numbers are revised at times and hence you may find th numbers a bit different for certain days.

It was surely a clash of the titans as two big budget films were releasing on the very same day. Both the films had stars attached to them and the promotion/marketing for the films was a success as the buzz around them both was worth seeing. But what happens at the box-office window, well nobody can really predict. People thought that the Mahira Khan starrer would emerge as the clear winner given her recent escapades in Bollywood, but well the box office has a different story to tell.

It was evident from the first day itself that Wrong Number would be leading this box-office battle as it had registered huge numbers for the first day. Moreover it also managed to maintain those numbers as the days passed. A week after the release one could safely say that ‘Wrong Number’ not only won this war but had generally established itself as a ‘hit film’. Specially since it was holding up exceptionally well after the Eid holidays which proved that the film was being liked by the audiences and that the word of mouth was positive.However the biggest magic trick the film pulled was when it had a bigger second weekend as compared to its initial release. The international norm is that the second week sees a fall in the collections. But ‘Wrong Number’ not only maintained the collections rather it improved on them! It has already crossed the 10cr mark. It’s worth mentoring that except ‘Waar’ , ‘Na Maloom Afraad’, ‘Bol’ and Chooriyan’ no Pakistani film has ever crossed the 10 cr mark so it’s a huge achievement. Now lets see whether the film is able to cross the collections of ‘Na Maloom Afraad’ which has approximately 12.28 cr collections at the box office. The film has already grossed about 11 cr at the box office and given the fact that it is holding well after the release of Karachi Se Lahore it should be able to cross these collections.

Moreover ‘Bin Roye’ also is a winner in the sense that is has recorded good numbers at the box office. After a somewhat slow start the film picked up on day two and three and its due to this growth that the film had managed a strong first week. Moreover Bin Roye also held really well despite the fact that the Eid festivities had ended. Moreover even ‘Bin Roye’ improved on its first week figures and shows a growth. Well the film has crossed the 7 cr mark at the domestic box office and once you add the numbers from the international markets this film has huge numbers. ( We will be doing a post on the Bin Roye international box office soon)

Here is the day to day breakdown for both the films.

Wrong Number:

Thursday + Friday (Limited release): 40 lacs
Saturday (Eid Day One): 75 lacs
Sunday (Eid Day Two): 90 lacs
Monday (Eid Day Three): 88 lacs
Tuesday: 92 lacs
Wednesday: 75 lacs
Thursday: 70 lacs
Friday: 70 lacs
Saturday: 90 lacs
Sunday: 90 lacs
Monday:60 lacs
Tuesday: 55 lacs
Wednesday:55 lacs
Thursday:53 lacs
Friday: 30 lacs
Saturday: 38 lacs
Sunday 37 lacs

Total:11.08 cr

Bin Roye:

Total: 8.05cr

And those who wanted to know Bajrangi Bhaijaan numbers.

Bajrangi Bhaijaan:

Friday (Limited Release):0.5 cr
Saturday(Eid Day One): 1.3 cr
Sunday (Eid Day Two): 1.5 cr
Monday ( Eid Day Three): 1.6 cr
Tuesday: 1.4 cr
Wednesday: 1.35 cr
Thursday: 1.3 cr
Friday: 1.35 cr
Saturday: 1.5 cr
Sunday: 1.75 cr
Monday: 1.15 cr (estimates)
Tuesday: not reported
Wednesday: not reported
Thursday: not reported
Friday: 80 lacs
Saturday: 85 lacs
Sunday: 80 lacs
The day to day collections from Tuesday onward will be updated.

Total: 20cr

*inlcudes collections from tuesday ownwards

We did ask some cinema people for their opinion and they maintained the same stance that both films are doing well but they did mention that ‘Wrong Number’ has been doing better. Well let’s see what the next few days have in store for both the films.

Box Office Update: Karachi Se Lahore registers a strong first weekend at the box office.

By

Momin Ali Munshi

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August 3, 2015

We cannot vouch for the authenticity of these box office numbers given by independent box office tracking sites. We tried to get official numbers from the makers but the makers did not want to reveal the numbers. So until the official numbers come from the makers themselves or until we have some official box-office tracking system in Pakistan this is all we have got.

It came and it conquered!

The film ‘Karachi Se Lahore’ hit cinemas this Friday and from the very first day itself it became obvious that the film was going to register some big numbers. Almost all shows were sold out and the word of mouth was extremely positive. So it did not come as a surprise when the film showed great growth on the second and third day.

Despite the fact that the film released on a non-holiday weekend it has had a solid weekend. Here are the numbers:-

Day 1: 45 lacs

Day 2: 75 lacs

Day 3: 80 lacs

Total: 2cr

Lets see how the film holds in the coming days. Stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood for updates.

Karachi Se Lahore (Review): This prolonged trip is one you should surely take for its laugh out loud moments

By

Momin Ali Munshi

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Movie Name: Karachi Se Lahore

Release Date: July 31, 2015

Director: Wajahat Rauf

Review by: Momin Ali Munshi

Just as I was starting to write this review, I received a message from a friend asking how I found the film ‘Karachi Se Lahore’. I replied, and he messaged me back asking whether it was ‘Momin the friend’ or ‘Momin the critic’ answering. This response had me baffled and made me wonder why the ‘critic’ is always seen as someone alien and someone whose opinion is not the same as the average cine-goer. I am sure you all have the same perception when it comes to critic reviews. ‘These critics are harsh, they scrutinize every tiny detail, have their own unique lens through which they view the film right, have very diverse opinions, do not represent the public?’

Well I am a film critic myself and have been reviewing films for more than four years now. In my reviews, however, I have always made a conscious effort and tried to make my review more audience friendly. I have always viewed the films as an average member of the audience and in my reviews, I have always conveyed how the audience would react to the film. And why not, for it is the audience who has the power to make or break a film. There are dozens of examples where a critically acclaimed film has been a box-office dud while films that have been trashed by film critics have become box office blockbusters, so what is the definition of a good film? Well for me a film is good if it has the power to entertain you and to have you hooked and waiting for whats going to happen next. That is a good film!

Moreover lots of people have been complaining that I am too lenient when it comes to reviewing Pakistani films and that I am biased. Well yes, I’ll openly admit that I do not view a Pakistani film with the same lens I use while viewing a film from Hollywood or Bollywood. Put quite simply it is not justified and is completely unfair on so many levels to use these international films as benchmarks for comparison. No, I am not saying that there exists a blanket mercy for all the errors made in Pakistani films and that I close my eye to the mistakes they make. But what I am trying to say is that we need to highlight the positive parts more while we also address the short comings. I am not asking you to blindly follow the ‘Be Pakistani Support Pakistani’ campaign. All I am asking of you is to keep in mind that we in Pakistan have just started doing (this revival is actually a re-birth) what our Bollywood and Hollywood friends have been doing for decades. We are just starting out and are in a period of experimentation. We don’t have huge budgets, the returns on investment are not that great, we lack the infrastructure, and we are an infant industry that is just striving hard to make its presence felt.

Now I am sure you are wondering why this long rant like speech. It’s just that the film premièred in Karachi before Lahore and lots of reviews have started coming out, highlighting the shortcomings of the film.Therefore I thought it necessary to put my cards on the table so you know where this review is coming from. This review is more a reflection of the 600 people including me who could not stop cheering and hooting while the film played and not the 0.0001% of the population; the hardcore critics.

This road-trip comedy film directed by Wajahat Rauf gives you exactly what it promised in the trailer i.e heavy doses of laughter. This is probably the only film which not only lived up to its trailer but had a lot more to offer. Usually for comedy films, the best one-liners are already made public via the trailer and there is not much comedy left for the film. But the case here was competely different. Although the trailer did have its fair share of humour but the real surprise is when you go see the film. Although the story as such is not that strong, but the dialogues, specially the one-liners by Yasir Hussain more than just make up for it.

The story in a nutshell is of a young banker Zaheem (Shahzad Sheikh) who makes the titular journey from Karachi to Lahore to stop the wedding of his lady love Ayesha (Eeshta Syed). Accompanying him on his journey are his two best friends; Moti (Yasir Hussain), Sam (Ahmed Ali), his next door neighbor Maryam (Ayesha Omar) along with Maryam’s younger brother Zeezu (Aashir Wajhat). What follows is a mad journey from Karachi to Lahore that will not only force you to fall of your seat while laughing but will also make you fall in love with Pakistan.

Amongst the new wave of Pakistani Cinema, this is the first road trip film we have seen and the director Wajahat exploits this genre to the fullest. The entire journey has been shot beautifully and there are surely some picturesque views that you can enjoy on the silver screen. Moreover, making full use of the road trip angle, Wajahat introduces a plethora of interesting characters who our main five come across on their journey. These characters not only bring more comedy, but also add a freshness to the film, which is extremely crucial for a film that could otherwise become a bit boring. Full marks to the director for cleverly using each character to the film’s advantage.

However, the film did seem a bit dragged at times and was unnecessarily stretched. But the director did announce that the film screened was an extended version and that the film that would play in cinemas would be about 15 minutes shorter. But anyhow, the film could have been more crisp in its editing.

Coming to the acting I would like to start by Yasir Hussain who is surely the star of the film. He perfects the stammering act and makes a strong film debut. Although the stammering act could have gotten redundant and boring but his witty liners and the way he says them will have the viewer in fits of laughter. Moreover, since the dialogues have also been penned down by this talented individual, he deserves double the appreciation. This guy surely has a bright future in the film business.

Shahzad Sheikh makes a promising debut and surely shows spark. Although he needs to work a bit on his dialogue delivery, but he surely has the hero like persona. And specially since we don’t really have many young film actors, it was a breath of fresh air to see a young hero.

Ahmed Ali as the third member of this gang also shows lots of potential. Being a theatre actor, he is very expressive and makes full use of his acting talents. This guy can make a plain dialogue sound funny with the way he emotes. This guy is a complete package as he has everyone going for him from looks to acting. Hope the directors are listening and cast this young man in some interesting roles.

Ayesha Omar does well in her role despite the fact that she doesn’t have much scope for performance. However, there is a small Punjabi portion where Ayesha gets a chance to showcase her comic side. She does that scene to perfection and it’s due to her finesse that the oridinary scene becomes one of the highlights of the film. Moreover, while the ‘Tutti Frutti’ dance number may have been a let down due to Wahab Shah’s unimpressive choreography, but Ayesha surely impresses. She knows how to groove and it’s solely due to her latka jatakas and expressions that the song becomes ‘seethi worthy’.

Aashir Wajahat as the young ‘Zeezu’ is a treat to watch. This young kid knows how to deliver dialogues and he surely impresses with his performance.Javaid Sheikh, Eeshta Syed and the others do a fine job and provide the much needed support to the film. They are all good in their roles.

Moreover, the film has a plethora of cameos and I will not take away the surprise but will mention that each and every cameo is outright hilarious! The lonely lights sequence, featuring Rubya Chaudhry, is just too good.

The music of the film by ‘Noori’ and ‘Shiraz Uppal’ is another strength of the film. The duo knows exactly how to use the music to the film’s benefit. It would not be wrong to say that the film would loose its soul if we were to take away the music from it. This surely is one hell of an album.From the peppy dance numbers ”Tutti Fruiti” “Rabi Ralli” ,the melodious “Aja Re Aja” and the energetic ‘Lahoriya’ each song has something to add to the film. This is one music album you should all have.

Karachi Se Lahore had its glamorous premiere in Lahore.

By

Momin Ali Munshi

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July 31, 2015

The Pakistani road trip comedy film ‘Karachi Se Lahore’ had its glamorous premiere in Lahore’s Cinestar Cinema where the film was screened for a select group of media people.The event was managed by the JBnJaws Productions with Public Relations by Amjad Bhatti.

This Red Carpet premiere featured a host of stars including leading cast and crew along with prominent names from Pakistan’s film, music and fashion fraternity. The evening was attended by Ayesha Omar, Ali Zafar, Shahzad Sheikh, Yousaf Salahuddin, Juggun Kazim, Wajahat Rauf, Junaid Khan, Fariha Pervez, Shiraz Uppal, Ali Noor, Ali Hamza, Rabia Butt, Farhad Humayun, Syed Noor, Umair Fazli and Saleem Sheikh amongst others.

Galaxy Lollywood team of Momin Ali Munshi, Zeeshan Mahmood and Iman Ali were covering the event for all our readers.

Speaking on the nationwide release of his film, Director and Producer Wajahat Rauf said: “Karachi Se Lahore is a laugh out loud comedy and I hope everyone has fun watching it. True revival of Pakistani cinema started with Shoaib Mansoor’s Khuda Kay Liye and that is when I decided to make a film. It has taken us a lot of years but we are part of the first ten to fifteen films ofthe new age Pakistani cinema and the revival that is coming with it. We will need the audience’s support, not just for this film but for all new Pakistani films.”

Galaxy Lollywood will publish the review of the film tomorrow. Till then enjoy the photos from the event.

Humayun Saeed hosts THE party to celebrate the success of Pakistani Cinema.

By

Momin Ali Munshi

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July 31, 2015

Humayun Saeed is surely one of the biggest names of the Pakistan Showbiz Industry and he is one of the few superstars we have. Moreover, ever since the revival of Pakistani Cinema has started he has been the key player and has done it all from acting to producing. In a recent interview with Galaxy Lollywood Humayun revealed how he has always wanted to see the Pakistani Cinema flourish and that he has an undying love for films. Well keeping true to his word he showed how much the film industry meant to him when he celebrated his birthday this year in a very unique manner.

Humayun, who had been traveling extensively for the international promotions of his movie Bin Roye, was in no mood for arranging a birthday party this year since his busy schedule now includes the post production and marketing of his upcoming home production Jawani Phir Nahin Aani. However, on the insistence of his family, the actor decided to organize a get together at his house which was not just to celebrate his birthday but also the successful revival of Pakistani cinema. The actor dedicated the evening to all directors and cast/crew members who are working on various anticipated upcoming Pakistani movies.

Incidentally, it was also the birthday of Yasir Nawaz (director of recent blockbuster Wrong Number and a close friend of Humayun’s) on 25^th July. Humayun suggested that the get together be arranged on that specific date so that Yasir can also be included in the cake cutting. The birthday cake itself was custom made and featured posters of Pakistani movies

Bin Roye, Yalghaar, Jawaani Phir Nahin Ani, Wrong Number, Dekh Magar Pyaar Se, Kambakht, Moor, Ho Mann Jahaan and Karachi se Lahore.

Humayun personally invited the directors of all upcoming Pakistani movies including Asad Ul Haq, Wajahat Rauf, Jami, Asim Raza, Yasir Nawaz, Bilal Lashari and Hamza Ali Abbassi. Bilal and Hamza arrived in Karachi from Lahore and Islamabad respectively, especially to attend the birthday activity.

Other attendees included Sikander Rizvi, Shahzad Nawaz,Sohai Ali Abro, Maria Wasti, Saqib Malik, Syra and Shahroz Sabzwari, Shehzad Sheikh, Momal Sheikh, Anoushey Ashraf, Nida Yasir, Ayesha Omer, Javed Sheikh, Mahira Khan, Adnan Malik, Sarwat Gillani, Gohar Rasheed, Angeline Malik, Deepak Parwani, Marina Khan, Danish Taimoor and Fahad Mirza.

Thanking everyone for their kind wishes, Humayun posted on his official Facebook page, writing: “Probably a little late in doing this, but I have been extremely caught up. I would like to extend a big thank you to everyone including fans, well-wishers, colleagues, family and friends who took the time out to send me a birthday wish whether through SMS, phone call or online. Everyone who came over personally to wish me, including Hamza Ali Abbasi and Bilal who came from Islamabad and Lahore respectively – thank you to you all as well. All of you guys put together made it a very special day and memory.

Here are a few photos from this star-studded party.

Ho Mann Jahaan delayed, to not release on Eid-ul-Adha ’15

By

Aayan Mirza

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July 31, 2015

A shocker for the fans, yes. But definitely a blessing in disguise for Pakistan Film Industry. Mahira Khan’s upcoming ‘Coming-of-Age Drama’ Ho Mann Jahaan, which was previously all set to release this Eid-ul-Adha, is no more going to be an Eid treat for you, reported Dawn.com.

The news came while the cast member Sonya Jehan was conducting a live twitter chat with the film fans yesterday. In an answer to a fan’s question about film’s release date, Sonya replied, “InshaAllah after Moharram. :).”

Continue

Day 11, 12 and 13 Box Office: The second week ends on a high note for both ‘Wrong Number’ and ‘Bin Roye’

By

Momin Ali Munshi

-

July 31, 2015

We cannot vouch for the authenticity of these box office numbers given by independent box office tracking sites. While we had the official numbers from ARY Films for ‘Wrong Number’ for the first few days now we do not have the numbers for either ‘Wrong Number’ or Roye’. So until the official numbers come from the makers themselves or until we have some official box-office tracking system in Pakistan this is all we have got. Also the numbers are revised at times and hence you may find th numbers a bit different for certain days.

It was surely a clash of the titans as two big budget films were releasing on the very same day. Both the films had stars attached to them and the promotion/marketing for the films was a success as the buzz around them both was worth seeing. But what happens at the box-office window, well nobody can really predict. People thought that the Mahira Khan starrer would emerge as the clear winner given her recent escapades in Bollywood, but well the box office has a different story to tell.

It was evident from the first day itself that Wrong Number would be leading this box-office battle as it had registered huge numbers for the first day. Moreover it also managed to maintain those numbers as the days passed. A week after the release one could safely say that ‘Wrong Number’ not only won this war but had generally established itself as a ‘hit film’. Specially since it was holding up exceptionally well after the Eid holidays which proved that the film was being liked by the audiences and that the word of mouth was positive.However the biggest magic trick the film pulled was when it had a bigger second weekend as compared to its initial release. The international norm is that the second week sees a fall in the collections. But ‘Wrong Number’ not only maintained the collections rather it improved on them! It has already crossed the 10cr mark. It’s worth mentoring that except ‘Waar’ , ‘Na Maloom Afraad’, ‘Bol’ and Chooriyan’ no Pakistani film has ever crossed the 10 cr mark so it’s a huge achievement. Now lets see whether the film is able to cross the collections of ‘Na Maloom Afraad’ which has approximately 12.28 cr collections at the box office. Lets wait and see how the film fares in the third week given that another comedy film ‘Karachi Se Lahore’ will be hitting cinemas.

Moreover ‘Bin Roye’ also is a winner in the sense that is has recorded good numbers at the box office. After a somewhat slow start the film picked up on day two and three and its due to this growth that the film had managed a strong first week. Moreover Bin Roye also held really well despite the fact that the Eid festivities had ended. Moreover even ‘Bin Roye’ improved on its first week figures and shows a growth. Well the film has crossed the 7 cr mark at the domestic box office and once you add the numbers from the international markets this film has huge numbers. ( We will be doing a post on the Bin Roye international box office soon)

Here is the day to day breakdown for both the films.