The Legend of Maula Jatt has become the highest-grossing Pakistani film ever worldwide in only its second week of release.
The Fawad Khan and Hamza Ali Abbas-starrer has crossed 115 crore ($5.2 million) worldwide. Of the total, Rs 33 crore ($1.5 million) is collected from the home country and Rs 82 crore ($3.7 million) is from offshore markets.
Written and directed by Bilal Lashari, The Legend of Maula Jatt is Pakistan’s most expensive and ambitious film to date.
The Pakistani film industry is hopeful that this remake, which is actually a remake of a hyper-masculine Punjabi film that altered the direction of the industry 43 years ago, would lead to the industry’s revival.
“There are movies that perform better than other movies, and then there are movies that boost the performance of an entire industry. The film’s producer, Ammara Hikmat, predicted that this would be the latter.
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“I hope filmmakers stop playing it safe after this. “I think it will affect the way investors look at Pakistani films.”
The movie apparently had a record-breaking production budget of $4.6 million in a nation where the largest movies typically cost less than $1.5 million. In its first weekend, it made $2.3 million worldwide, and as of now, it has made more than $5.2 million.
Punjabi Gandasa
Based on the 1979 movie called “Maula Jatt,” The Legend of Maula Jatt. The plot centers on multigenerational conflict, a troubled hero, a stunningly attractive villain, and themes of vengeance and honor.
In a world where moustachioed men on horses employed gandasas (axes) and guns to terrorize others and defend their own, the story’s titular character is a Punjabi farmer who wields an axe. The original movie was banned by Zia ul-regime Haq’s for “violence and subversive culture,” but when it was released again a few years later, it gave rise to the “Gandasa culture,” a joyfully violent and hypersexualized Punjabi film genre that flourished for almost two decades.
Some of the biggest names and most prominent actors in the industry are included in the film’s cast. It was released on 400 screens in 23 nations besides Pakistan, which was a historic achievement.
The dialogue and narrative for both the original Maula Jatt and The Legend of Maula Jatt were written by Nasir Adeeb, who also said that “Gandasa was and remains a weapon against injustice, a symbol of honor.”
Adeeb’s dialogue, the actors’ performances, and Mustafa Qureshi’s frightening yet honorable villain, Noori Natt, all contributed to Maula Jatt’s cultural phenomenon.
Waar, Lashari’s Debut Movie
Waar, Lashari’s debut film from 2013, became the highest-grossing movie in Pakistan at the time. He claims to have “hard reboot” the original Maula Jatt by taking everything that made it a legendary hit.
He knew the effect he wanted his film to have on the audience: “Goosebumps.”
It was a goosebump-inducing decision to choose Mahira Khan as the female lead, as well as superstar and subcontinental heartthrob Fawad Khan as Maula Jatt. Meanwhile, Hamza Ali Abbasi played the Noori Natt character.
The story of The Legend of Maula Jatt is told in a handful of scenes, each of which introduces a new character and advances the plot. The plot thickens, the action picks up, and the suspense builds as the movie goes along.
The Legend of Maula Jatt was set to be released in 2020, however the pandemic strikes and the movie was delayed.
