2018 has been a lucrative year for Pakistani films, with at least four films crossing the 10 crore mark at the box office. The fifth film to join the ranks of Parwaaz Hai Junoon, Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2, 7 Din Mohabbat In and Teefa in Trouble is the surprise animation hit The Donkey King. The film from Talisman Studios, which features the right combination of slick animation, a popular soundtrack and interesting characters, has done exceedingly well with the younger audience, breaking records of local and foreign animated movies in the country since its smashing opening on October 12. Collecting 9.1 crores in its first two weeks at the box-office, The Donkey Kinghas maintained its momentum on the third Friday and is set to cross the 10 crore mark today. The movie’s lifetime tally can be reasonably predicted to end up anywhere over 15 crores, and given how the audiences are responding to the film with sold out shows at many sites third consecutive weekend in a row, this scenario is quite likely.
The film will give a boost to Afzal Khan’s career, which has struggled since his successful debut in the Lollywood era of the 90s. It will also push Pakistani animation studios to spruce up the quality of their animation, and is also likely to improve the box office prospects of upcoming big-ticket animation films such as 3 Bahadur: Rise of the Warriors.
