Pakistani movies are always looking to cash in on festivities, with many local productions releasing around the time of Eid. The film industry’s plans for 2020 Eid-ul-Fitr were much like they have been for a long time; a series of movies lined up to be released in or around the Eid holidays.
Most production houses are skeptical of non-holiday releases even after the success of Teefa In Trouble, which was released in late summer.
While it is not desirable, most movies that were set to release around Eid-ul-Fitr have now changed their release dates. Those that haven’t done so, their producers are contemplating whether or not they should incorporate a change in the dates.
Damage Control
While film industries all around the world are evaluating how the COVID-19 pandemic can change its existence drastically, Pakistan’s situation is not any different. Some might say it’s even worse.
The movies that were set to release this Eid include The Legend of Maula Jutt and Tich Button. Some other movies that would have allegedly released around the same time include Dam Mastum, Lafangey, and Rehbara.
All the producers are now pondering over their release dates due to the coronavirus outbreak and the imposition of section 144 across the nation.
The Legend of Maula Jutt’s producer Ammara Hikmat says,
As of now, we are on schedule for the Eid release because it’s difficult to predict how things will shape up. It’s quite a testing time for everyone. We hope that this ever-shifting situation gets controlled worldwide and everything goes as per plan. No one wants to risk the health and safety for people for the sake of entertainment.
While Maula Jutt’s production team is laying low, Urwa Hocane’s production debut Tich Button‘s release date has been changed. Co-producer and CEO of ARY Digital, Jerjees Seja, says,
I was thinking of releasing Dum Mustum on Eid and was even about to make an official announcement but I don’t think that I will be doing so now. In the current scenario, even major movies like James Bond have been postponed. Bollywood has halted productions. We are a much smaller industry and have to make sure that we release at a time when audiences will happily frequent cinemas without worrying over their health.
While Faisal Qureshi’s directorial debut Money Back Guarantee’s date was changed before the viral outbreak. They are now waiting to see if another change is required.
When TLOMJ announced that they would also be releasing on the same date as us, we decided to back out. I felt that it would not be viable for two movies starring Fawad Khan to release simultaneously. We got relaxed and slowed down our pace. Now, if the corona outbreak is contained and still TLOMJ decides to delay release, we won’t be releasing on Eid. We made up our minds about this a while back and have been working accordingly.
Pull the Plug
Some movies have taken precautionary measures and halted all production for the time being. Among these movies is FatMan,
We had already given out advances but we couldn’t risk people’s lives by commencing shooting.
The team of Ghabrana Nahi Hai also stopped their shooting process after two days.
Wajahat Rauf announced that he too has stopped the shooting of his film Parde Mein Rehne Do. He says,
We had already wrapped up 50% of the movie and have about two weeks’ work left. But I couldn’t run the risk of someone falling ill on my set. We have stopped work for at least two to three weeks and will then decide how to proceed on.
Survival of The Fittest
Even if Pakistan was safe from the viral outbreak, most Pakistani movies make a big chunk of their revenue by releasing in countries where a majority of Pakistani immigrants live. So, changing the release dates would have been an inevitable circumstance for Pakistani producers.
Whether or not Pakistani cinema has the ability to withstand this fall is a question of subjectivity. Cinemas are already on recovery mode; they’ve allegedly laid off most of their employees and will take further actions once Section 144 is lifted.
Head of Marketing and Sales at Cinepax, Adnan Khan says,
If the pandemic continues to run loose for five or six months, I doubt that most cinemas will be able to survive at all. But even if the virus is contained, filmmakers will only release their movies on Eid if the economies of scale work in their favor. Some major international releases have already gotten delayed. The new James Bond movie is one of them. Fast & Furious 9, also slotted for a 2020 summer release, has postponed its release all the way to summer next year. It’s an expensive movie to make and the filmmakers probably feel that they need to show it at a time when they can earn the maximum from it.
Pakistani film industry now, more than ever, needs the support of the public.
Do you think this downfall is still manageable? Let us know!
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