Business-wise, ‘Revenge of the Worthless’ made nothing: Jamal Shah

Actor-director Jamal Shah talks box office failure of ‘Revenge of the Worthless’

ISLAMABAD: Revenge of the Worthless was a venture that Jamal Shah had been working on, and anticipating, for years; the same cannot be said for Pakistani movie-goers.

Despite the fact that he had promised a movie that packed a punch in terms of entertainment and quality production, it failed at the box office.

Shah however, takes the results in his stride, standing by his decision to make the film, and looks forward to touching upon similar topics in the future.

The film may not have garnered impressive numbers or ratings, but it definitely gave Shah a lot to learn from. According to box office statistics, it made a total of Rs10.6 million on its opening weekend.

“Business-wise, I made nothing,” shared Shah. “I am waiting for an international run so I can break even.”



His wife Amna, who was the producer of the movie, said its dismal performance was so because it was not a typical commercial film. “It wasn’t a masala type of film,” she said, adding, “This is something that a Pakistani audience is not accustomed to [seeing]. It is about politics, and clearly, the youth of our country isn’t really interested in that. ”

The earnings may be pointing in the opposite direction, but Shah maintained that he was satisfied with the overall response and feedback he had received.

“The response from the public was very good. They praised me for my decision and for taking the risk. This is an important issue for Pakistanis. Revenge of the Worthless represents our true stance against terrorism.”

The director was, however, disappointed with the way the movie promotions had been handled. “The distribution was shabbily done and the movie could easily have done better if it was publicised properly,” he said. “Apart from this, cinema owners prefer Indian films over Pakistani movies because they give them better business.”

He added that it was because if this that hardly any posters or promotional campaigns were seen prior to the release.

Surprisingly, Revenge of the Worthless received a much better response from movie-goers hailing from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), as compared to viewers in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. “People from K-P came to watch the movie in theatres in Islamabad since the film was most relevant for them,” shared Shah.

“It received a better response from the Pukhtun population because of its theme mainly. The response rate in cities like Multan, Gujranwala, Sukkur and Hyderabad was also quite good.”

The plot entails a disfigured cultural narrative of northern Pakistan and the struggle of the unsung heroes of the 2009 Swat insurgency. It depicts heritage in its pure, raw form.

Citing another major reason that may have contributed to the failure of his project, the director said he had faced a great many difficulties in bringing sponsors on board. “I approached many corporate sector clients but they were all reluctant because of the subject of the film,” he shared, adding that their response perhaps would have been better has this been an entertainment flick.

Because it is based on true events, and because it is the fruit of years of hard work and dedication, the project will forever remain close to Shah’s heart. He said that film-makers in Pakistan need to focus on delivering the right message through their projects, instead of blindly following trends.

“It is important to address relevant issues through film. The practice of aping Indian cinema needs to end because it is a lethal trap,” he said. “It is critical for the success of a film that its content and subject should be very strong.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2016.

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