Will newly-announced Easter, Holi and Diwali holidays impact Pakistani box office?

KARACHI:

For many reasons, Steven Spielberg’s 1975 thriller Jaws is considered to be the first blockbuster in the New Hollywood era. Released during a less commercially-viable summer window, the movie went on to become a runaway hit amongst audiences. Even more so, it redefined the Hollywood business model to one that is implemented till today: Premiere an action-adventure with simple, high-concept premise in the summer to ensure maximum box office returns.

The concept poses a very important question regarding local cinema. With the government having announced Easter, Holi and Diwali as public holidays recently, will the local box office undergo a similar makeover in the near future?

While it is still too early to say, stakeholders of the Pakistani film industry are already experiencing mixed feelings about the change. Despite conflicting viewpoints, one thing everyone seems to agree upon is that it will help inflate the box office in the long-run. Renowned film distributor and cinema owner Nadeem Mandviwalla of Mandviwalla Entertainment thinks for an industry that is still growing, it may take some time before the holidays are rendered major box office weekends. “Any holiday – short or long – is bound to have an effect on the earnings of a movie,” Mandviwalla told The Express Tribune.





But while Eid lasts up to three days, none of the new religious holidays is longer than a day and may possibly fall in the middle of a week — barring Easter Sunday. According to Mandviwalla, however, this should not matter. The holidays may present film producers and cinema owners with an extra day. “Holidays basically give at least a day’s worth of bonus earnings to films,” he explained. “From the night before the holiday up till the evening, there is bound to be a high demand in cinemas.”

Building upon Mandviwalla’s statement, IRK Films producer Imran Kazmi added that this was a great step forward, not just for minorities in Pakistan but local cinema as well. “Now, film producers and investors can afford to look beyond the usual Eid holidays to release their films,” stated the producer, who is awaiting the release of Janaan. Kazmi also lamented over how releasing more than one Pakistani film on the same weekend may affect local films adversely. “When more than two Pakistani films are released on the same day, both end up eating into each other’s box office gross,” he reasoned.



Interestingly though, for all the hype surrounding the holidays, Pakistani films to have released outside the Eidul Azha and Independence Day weekend slots have done well too. Even in terms of sheer numbers, Eidul Azha stands out as the main event on the calendar for Pakistani cinema. Two of the highest-grossing local releases — Waar (2013) and Jawani Phir Nahi Ani (2015) — premiered during the Eid weekend. Both films enjoyed stellar openings, with Waar earning Rs42.5 million and Jawani Phir Nahi Ani setting a local record for the highest Eid opening, with Rs74.5 million.



On the other hand Jalaibee — which was released on Pakistan Day (March 23) – was an exception that earned little in excess of Rs40 million. Bin Roye and Wrong No released during Eidul Fitr and managed just Rs20 million and Rs25 million, respectively. However, a major reason for this could be that they were competing against Salman Khan-starrer Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Ultimately, this implies that Pakistani films releasing on Diwali or Holi may end up contending with Bollywood’s tendency to reserve major film releases for those particular holidays.

Cinema owners and producers argue that while there is great risk involved in competing against an international release, the reward is also greater. The performances of Bin Roye and Wrong No lend credence to the notion that quality content will always prevail. For all the excitement and hype surrounding Diwali and Holi, it is unlikely that they will perpetrate the same impact as Eidul Azha. “It is highly unlikely that these holidays will be as lucrative as Eidul Azha because those are the days (Eid and Independence Day) when there is a true spirit of festivity and people want to go out and celebrate,” concluded Mandviwalla. “This is why you see Pakistani films do well then.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2016.

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