Glitz & Glamour: There’s no business like show business

A report on the 2011 Pakistani box office.

KARACHI: The year 2011 has been an interesting one for Pakistani cinema, not only in terms of local film production but also in terms of film exhibition. A total of 100 films were released in Pakistan last year (as compared to 92 in 2010) with Hollywood and Bollywood being the largest contributors in terms of most number of film releases, with 39 English and 34 Indian films making 2011 a good year for cinema-goers.

A surprising trend last year was the increase in demand for English films with Rio and Fast Five receiving back-to-back housefuls in many cinemas in Pakistan. Surprisingly, most Hollywood films that were super hits in Pakistan did not receive the same success globally. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II and Kung Fu Panda 2 were the only films that were blockbusters both in Pakistan and in the international market.

Indian films that grabbed the largest chunk of the audience included Ready, Bodyguard, Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara, Merey Brother Ki Dulhan and Ra.One. Interestingly, consumer response to Bollywood films has been more or less the same in Pakistan and in India, as films like Bodyguard did record-breaking business on both sides of the border and the much-anticipated film Mausam, starring Shahid Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor, flopped both in India and Pakistan. The record set by Bodyguard was shattered by Farhan Akhtar’s Don 2 in December, which received the biggest opening of the year, providing Pakistan with some great year ending entertainment.

As far as regional language films are concerned, there has been no drastic increase in the number of cinema-goers for these films. Pashto films dominated the regional film release with 13 films showing in cinemas in 2011, followed by nine Punjabi films. Indian films have even given some competition to regional language films in circuit cinemas, affecting their business and overall demand as well.

As far as Urdu films are concerned, Bol was the highest grossing film in 2011, beating not only other Pakistani films but all Indian and Hollywood films as well. Films like Jarrar Rizvi’s Son of Pakistan and Khamosh Raho were major flops this year; whereas Reema Khan’s Love Mein Ghum and Bhai Log did well. However, there is little doubt that these films would have done better business had their opening not clashed with the release of the Salman Khan-starrer Bodyguard.

Punjabi films

1. Aik Aur Ghazi

2. Sala Sohra Te Jawai

3. Shah Murad

4. Jugni

5. Society Girl

6. Reshman Tey Shera

7. No Tension

8. Thakur 420

9. Dane Pe Dana

Pashto films

1. Aakhri Goli

2. Niyat Safa Manzil Asan

3. Baryali

4. Josh

5. Sabar Me Tamam Sho

6. Nangialy

7. Baazigar

8. Sholay

9. Za Rana Gul

10. Angaar

11. Turyaly

12. Prang Ba Na Chery

13. Dua Daata Koo

Urdu films

1. Khamosh Raho

2. Love Mein Gum

3. Bhai Log

4. Son of Pakistan

5. Bol

Bollywood Super hits in Pakistan

1. Ready

2. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

3. Bodyguard

4. Mere Brother Ki Dulhan

5. Ra.One

6. Don 2

Hollywood super hits in Pakistan

1. Gulliver’s Travels

2. Rio

3. Fast Five

4. Kung Fu Panda-2

5. The Adventures of Tin Tin

6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Part 2

7. Johnny English Reborn

8. Mission Impossible 4-Ghost Protocol

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2012.