Pakistani cinema’s chart-buster film The Legend of Maula Jatt is making history once again.
This Bilal Lashari offering was rumoured to be released in India but Hindu extremist political parties posed a threat, and warned that they would wreak havoc if the Fawad Khan starrer is screened in India. However, the film will now be released on December 30 in the Indian Punjab cinemas.
Earlier, reports suggested that Lashari’s brainchild was expected to release in India on December 23. The release of The Legend of Maula Jatt in India is substantially significant after the unofficial ban on Pakistani films and actors after the Uri attack (2016).
A source close to Indian news media — Bollywood Hungama — stated, “The Legend Of Maula Jatt will be released in India on December 30, 2022. It’ll be the last major release to hit Indian screens. It was released in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world on October 13, 2022, and it has crossed the Rs. 200 crore mark at the worldwide box office. It is the first film from Pakistan to achieve this feat. Hence, a lot of people in India, especially the fans of the lead cast, are looking forward to seeing the film, and it can have healthy box office numbers.”
The source also suggested, “Zee Studios is mainly looking at releasing The Legend Of Maula Jatt in Delhi-NCR and Punjab. This is because it’s a Punjabi film and will have the maximum chance in the Northern belt. A clear decision on this aspect will be taken later on.”
It was also reported by Bollywood Hungama, “Maybe, Zee can release The Legend Of Maula Jatt on December 30 in the North and a week later, it can release it in the rest of the country once the word of mouth spreads. Or it can go for limited screenings in certain centres like Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru etc. Let’s see how this unique release strategy pans out.”
The source concluded, “On December 23, it would have faced competition from Cirkus. Next week, there’s only the Hindi version of HIT: The Second Case releasing and it’s not a strong competition. If The Legend Of Maula Jatt works, it can have a healthy run till the release of Pathaan.”
According to Indian media sources, India’s multiplex cinema chain, PVR Cinemas, listed The Legend of Maula Jatt as an upcoming release with “8 Days to Go”.
The trailer for Lashari’s directorial is apparently running in cinemas in East Punjab with a 30th December release date.
The Legend Of Maula Jatt is a remake of the 1979 cult Pakistani classic film Maula Jatt. The story revolves around a local folk hero named Maula Jatt and his arch nemesis, the leader of a brutal clan, Noori Natt. The lead cast of the film features Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Humaima Malik, and Mahira Khan.
‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ becomes Google’s most searched movie of 2022 in Pakistan
