Eid films London Nahi Jaunga, Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad, Lafangey do good business despite heavy rains in Karachi

Three Pakistani films were released on Eidul Azha. They are: Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad directed by Nabeel Qureshi, London Nahi Jaunga helmed by Nadeem Baig and Abdul Khaaliq Khan’s Lafangey. Two days prior to Eid holidays, July 8, the big Hollywood Marvel offering Thor: Love and Thunder was also screened.

Since it was expected that the movies would fare well at the box office during the holiday season, especially in Karachi, the demographically largest city of the country, it’s suspected that the torrential rains on the second day of Eid may have affected their earnings overall.

If word of mouth is anything to go by, Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad and London Nahi Jaunga saw footfalls that would not have disappointed their makers. They seem to be doing well.

It is difficult to ascertain which one had more public acceptance in terms of storyline but it seems that both QZ and LNJ with A-list Pakistani actors — Mahira Khan and Fahad Mustafa as the lead romantic pair in the former and Humayun Saeed and Mehwish Hayat in the latter — heavily rely on light-hearted humour — a trend of sorts for Eid.

Talking to Dawn about whether the heavy downpour on July 11 caused a considerable damage to the business of the holiday releases or to Thor, producer and film exhibitor Nadeem Mandviwalla said although Atrium cinemas were closed that day, the rains did not make a huge dent in the box office performance of the movies.

He believed they’re doing fine commercially.

Quoting an independent source, he added on day two of Eid alone (not combined), London Nahi Jaunga had collected Rs25.5 million and Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad, Rs17 million.

Compared to the Pakistani movies, Thor: Love and Thunder, with Taika Waititi in the director’s chair, up until July 11, had earned Rs49 million.

The cast of the film includes Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Natalie Portman and Russell Crowe. The film has not yet been screened in Islamabad as it not certified by the Central Board of Film Censors.

Originally published in Dawn, July 14th, 2022