The eventual success of The Legend of Maula Jatt may be a story on its own`

[ghazi52]

.,.,

Nueplex says Maula Jatt distributors demanding terms ‘out of industry norms’ during economic instability​

Despite being possibly the biggest film to come out of the entertainment industry in recent years, Maula Jatt is not being screened at all cinemas across the country.

The release of The Legend of Maula Jatt, one of the biggest Pakistani films to date, took an unexpected turn when very few cinemas in Pakistan actually screened the movie. After a week of confusion and criticism, Karachi’s Nueplex Cinemas released a statement explaining why it has yet to air the big budget film.

On Monday, the cinema chain posted an official statement on Instagram. “As a cornerstone of our film exhibition policy, Nueplex Cinemas has always been at the forefront when it comes to screening Pakistani films,” they started. “Over the years a number of Box Office records have also been set due to the business we have generated for local films.”

Getting straight to the point, the company mentioned some disagreeable conditions at play. “We feel that it is highly unfortunate that the distributor of the title The Legend of Maula Jatt is asking for exhibition terms which are out of the industry norms. Such rigid terms cannot be afforded by exhibitors, especially during times of economic instability.” The distributor had asked cinema owners to increase ticket prices by Rs200 per ticket for the first 10 days of the screening.

“We are hoping for a fairer approach in the future as we are always here to welcome and screen any Pakistani film with open arms,” the statement concluded.

Images reached out to Nadeem Mandviwalla, the distributor of the film and owner of Atrium Cinemas (one of the only two cinemas where the movie is playing in Karachi) for a comment. He said he will address the matter at a press conference on Thursday. He had told Images earlier that negotiations with the cinemas are underway and should be resolved soon before the film was released.

Karachi’s The Arena Cinemas issued a similar statement on Friday on their Instagram account in which they apologised for the delay and blamed it on the distributors. “We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience faced due to potential increase in the ticket price of The Legend of Maula jatt. The issue is coming from the distributors of the movie.” They assured followers that through negotiations between the distributor and cinema, they will get back to everyone with “good news” soon.

Capri is the other cinema in Karachi where the film is being screened.

But it’s not just Nueplex and The Arena with unresolved issues. Images reached out to several cinemas in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, and many claimed to be still stuck in the negotiation process. Universal and Chalo Cinemas are screening the film in Lahore and Cinepax Cinemas in Islamabad said they will start playing it on Monday night.

 

[Hexlor]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1583461012564750342

https://twitter.com/x/status/1583439282341318657

It has become the Highest-grossing Pakistani movie ever in its first week.

Hopefully, it makes over 250Cr by the end of its run and then signs a deal with Netflix.

 

[Hexlor]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1583506748366725123

More screens are being added.

 

[ghazi52]

,.,.

‘Won’t rest till The Legend of Maula Jatt is screened in all Pakistani cinemas’​

Distributor Nadeem Mandviwalla explained why certain cinemas are not playing the much-talked-about film

Rida Lodhi
October 21, 2022



While Bilal Lashari’s The Legend of Maula Jatt is still wowing the audience with its impressive storytelling and stellar performances, the film still faces a challenge like no other.

The massive box office numbers from all over the world speak for themselves. Therefore, the screening woes that film faces in Pakistan make for an important discussion as to why major cinema chains are still not showing Pakistan's arguably most successful film.

Nadeem Mandviwalla, the distributor of the film, addressed a press conference on Thursday to shed light on the ongoing controversy after Nueplex cinema owners accused him of setting screening terms that were 'out of the industry norms'.

"When I met the producers of The Legend of Maula Jatt, they expressed concerns about maximising returns of their big-budgeted film," Mandviwalla said at the press conference. "So, we sat down with the major cinema owners of the country and presented a strategy that would work for all parties involved. What we offered was that the producers should get 10% more in the first 11 days of release. We compensated this by raising ticket prices for the said period and pleaded with the cinema owners to share the extra amount with the producers."

The strategy

The distributor shared that the strategy included the exhibitors sharing 60% of the film earnings with the producers for the first eight days. Ninth day onwards, exhibitors would share the usual 50% of the total earnings with the producers. Another imperative point was to increase ticket prices by Rs200 in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi for the first 11 days after the release.

Mandviwalla added that they made it clear to the exhibitors that they didn't want to disrupt the flow of the cinema's revenues and were only requesting help for a smoother box-office run for the film. "The most any film has made over the first week in Pakistan was Rs18 crore. The film was Ranbir Kapoor's Sanju in 2018," he said.

He further explained that their idea of releasing the film in October was to provide maximum screens for the film. "If all the exhibitors had agreed and this film would have been screened in all cinemas, we would have surpassed Rs20-22 crore in the first week, breaking Sanju's records," he shared. "Even with the inflation, we had calculated this to be the most successful Pakistan film in terms of revenue. But our plan was to make sure this film at least earns Rs100 crore. And for that, it was imperative that the film should earn at least Rs40-50 crore in the first eight days," the distributor further divulged.

"There are usually two ways of maximising returns for any big-budgeted film. One: you increase the number of screens. In the US, when a big-budgeted film is released, it's usually screened at 4000 cinemas. We only had 144 screens altogether. We didn't have the choice to increase the number of screens," Mandviwalla shared.

"If I had that, we wouldn't need a special strategy since the film would have worked anyway and the film recovery would have been easier. Hence, we increased the ticket prices; our plan was to not put any burden on any cinema owners, so their share would still stay fair. The exhibitors continued with the complaints. I kept explaining that I had watched the film, but you haven't."

He added, "I told the exhibitors that when you do watch the film, all these issues will look so paltry because the film speaks for itself. The six big players in the cinema industry agreed to the films and three didn't. And refusing or agreeing to the terms was their own right. We didn't pressure anyone, we only explained the strategy. There are 38 cinema owners in Pakistan. We had 34 onboard. The other four wanted us to bend the terms and we couldn't do that. There were a lot of speculations about the ongoing screening row."

Mandviwalla went on to elaborate that The Legend of Maula Jatt isn't the first film for which the ticket prices were hiked. "It's a norm in the world for ticket prices to be screened. This isn't new. The hoo-ha surrounding the same in Pakistan is troublesome. We had increased ticket prices when Avengers and The Dark Knight were released as well. The audience came in and watched the films. We had done that before as well. This isn't news. But since The Legend of Maula Jatt isn't screening in all cinemas, we have to sustain it somehow," he said. "We also shared that if the audience feels that the price hike is unjust, they can come on the 12th day and watch the film."

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Mandviwalla revealed that the negotiations with the other four cinema owners are still underway. "We aren't done yet," he shared. "I won't rest until this film is screened in every cinema in Pakistan. We're trying to find a middle ground here. The Arena has started screening the film as of October 20, I'm hopeful that the rest of the cinemas will come onboard soon as well."

Roaring success

The Legend Of Maula Jatt opened to a roaring success, both in domestic and overseas markets. According to a press release, in its opening weekend, the largest-mounted Pakistan-made, Punjabi language film to date has shown collections of Pakistani Rs50.91 crores – US$2.3mn.

According to a press release, The Legend Of Maula Jatt was released worldwide on 500+ screens across 25 countries, making it the highest and widest-ever release for any Pakistani or Punjabi film yet. The film grossed Pakistani Rs11.27 crores (US$ 526,902) in the domestic, Pakistan market. It grossed £315,000 in the UK in its first weekend (four days) from 79 locations. This marks the highest opening weekend collection for any Pakistan-made or Punjabi language film in the UK to date, entering the UK Box Office Top 10 at position 9.

In Canada, The Legend Of Maula Jatt grossed CA$324,000 ranking number 6 at the Canadian Box Office. Total collections for North America exceed US$600,000. In UAE too, The Legend Of Maula Jatt grossed US$515,000+ in four days and reached Number 1 at the UAE Box Office, indicating the enormous support audiences have shown for the film. Other performing territories are Australia (AU$255,000), Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Spain and South East Asia.

 

[lastofthepatriots]

Eh vichara sugar da mareez kamzor jya maula jatt banaya...

Sultan Rai te sher lagda si..

 

[Maula Jatt]

I watched it

Except for Mahira Khan it was a genuinely good movie, funny, hardcore, tense, action, great dialogues, Ali Azmat had a typical inner city Lahore butt Sahab accent lol, couldn't get enough of it
but it's more of a cinematic experience

I don't think people will enjoy it as much if they watch it on TV

And that only song in the movie was breathtaking and on point

Chan piche luki oi raat lai jaani ae
Duniya teh APNI khahaani lai jaani ae

 

[Maula Jatt]

I watched it

Except for Mahira Khan it was a genuinely good movie, funny, hardcore, tense, action, great dialogues, Ali Azmat had a typical inner city Lahore butt Sahab accent lol, couldn't get enough of it
but it's more of a cinematic experience

I don't think people will enjoy it as much if they watch it on TV

And that only song in the movie was breathtaking and on point

Chan piche luki oi raat lai jaani ae
Duniya teh APNI khahaani lai jaani ae

@lastofthepatriots

 

[lastofthepatriots]

@lastofthepatriots

I’m glad you liked it. The song seemed out of place and stupid especially with fawad trying to sing like a white guy, but whatever.

The punjabi was overall bad.

 

[Hexlor]

I watched it

Except for Mahira Khan it was a genuinely good movie, funny, hardcore, tense, action, great dialogues, Ali Azmat had a typical inner city Lahore butt Sahab accent lol, couldn't get enough of it
but it's more of a cinematic experience

I don't think people will enjoy it as much if they watch it on TV

And that only song in the movie was breathtaking and on point

Chan piche luki oi raat lai jaani ae
Duniya teh APNI khahaani lai jaani ae

Glad you enjoyed it. I agree the song was great.

 

[El Sidd]

The unhealthy obsession with violence, brutality and patriarchal attitudes of certain section of the society hasn't moved an inch from 1979.

Much of these hollywood western inspirations shaped much of the industry ever since the 60s.

 

[ghazi52]

,.,.,.

Thanking Bilal Lashari and Ammara Hikmat for giving him the opportunity to choreograph Saima Baloch’s dance number in The Legend of Maula Jatt, artist Rehan Bashir looked at the final piece and felt a sense of pride.

On Monday, he took to Instagram quoting Noori Natt’s catchphrase and wrote, “Nawaan aya e sohneya! I can look back now and honestly say I am so glad I agreed to take this project on when I was approached by Ammara Hikmat. I was really apprehensive because I thought I wouldn’t be able to deliver but when I finally saw this piece that I choreographed for the film, I can’t help but feel a sense of pride.“

Rehan Bashir is proud the Saima Baloch dance in Maula Jatt was executed with the elegance it was envisioned with​

The artist said that Lashari had a very clear vision for the performance and it was not supposed to be reduced to a distasteful item number. “I feel like our ideas combined together quite beautifully. We were on a very tight schedule and I choreographed and rehearsed this with Saima Baloch over a span of roughly 10 days. I was strict [but] she took direction well and executed this beautifully. She gave it subtlety, rawness, grit and femininity, and made it a powerful performance.”

Bashir was deeply concerned that the dance number may look “cheap, tawdry and devoid of elegance”. And he considers it his “biggest victory” when people tell him the execution was full of elegance. “Dance as it’s been taught to me is a spiritual and meditative endeavour and I always hope to take that message forward,” he wrote. The artist thanked the director and producer for the “amazing experience” and feels honoured to be part of it.

The Legend of Maula Jatt is a fan favourite not for one reason but because all elements have been so carefully crafted. Even the item song was gracefully meaningful, with Baloch’s movements both connecting to her backstory and matching the rhythm of the plot as Maula rides his horse.

The film released on October 13 and since then, has broken Pakistani cinematic records. A reboot of Yunus Malik’s 1979 cult classic Maula Jatt, the film is a re-telling the story of the rivalry between Maula Jatt and Noori Natt.

Directed by Lashari, The Legend of Maula Jatt stars Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Mahira Khan, Humaima Malick, Mirza Gohar Rasheed, Faris Shafi, Ali Azmat, Nayyer Ejaz, Shafqat Cheema, Raheela Agha, Zia Khan and Baloch. The Punjabi film is being produced by Hikmat’s Encyclomedia and Lashari Films.

 

[Hexlor]

The unhealthy obsession with violence, brutality and patriarchal attitudes of certain section of the society hasn't moved an inch from 1979.

Much of these hollywood western inspirations shaped much of the industry ever since the 60s.

This stuff is standard in entertainment nowadays. It has been proven that violence in games or movies doesn't increase violent behavior in the viewer. Like with everything there are a few exceptions.

Try to enjoy stuff.

 

[ghazi52]

.,.,
On Monday, the executive producer of The Legend of Maula Jatt, Ammara Hikmat, shared that the film made Rs1 billion worldwide within 10 days of its release. It has also become the highest grossing Punjabi language film in the UK.

The Legend of Maula Jatt released across cinemas worldwide on October 13. The film is a reboot of the 1979 cult classic Maula Jatt, reimagining Punjab’s own superhero for a world audience.

 

[El Sidd]

This stuff is standard in entertainment nowadays. It has been proven that violence in games or movies doesn't increase violent behavior in the viewer. Like with everything there are a few exceptions.

Try to enjoy stuff.

Proven? I would like to see such a study and how it got proven.

The mass projection and mainstreaming of violence is unconstitutional.

 

[Hexlor]

Proven? I would like to see such a study and how it got proven.

The mass projection and mainstreaming of violence is unconstitutional.

Playing video games doesn't lead to violent behaviour, study shows

Analysis of 28 global studies dating back to 2008 found a minuscule positive correlation

www.theguardian.com

"Video games do not lead to violence or aggression, according to a reanalysis of data gathered from more than 21,000 young people around the world."

News & Insights

Articles, interviews, and announcements on topics related to the intersection of neuroscience and society.

www.dana.org

"It makes sense that since playing violent video games tends to increase the level of aggressive behavior it would also result in more lethal violence or other criminal behaviors, but there is no clear evidence to support that assumption.”

There's your evidence. Blaming actual violence on mainstream media is just an excuse so that we can ignore the real problems in our society.

The problem isn't the media people consume, the problem is the lack of law and order in Pakistan. People in the West are exposed to much more violence than people are in Pakistan yet you don't see them going around destroying everything.