2019 hasn’t been the greatest year for commercial hits in Pakistan. Still, there have been money spinners that pulled audiences into theaters and wove some much-needed magic on screen. Here are the ten highest-grossing Pakistani films of the year.
Superstar
Mahira Khan’s much-awaited project turned out to be one of the two highest-grossing films of the year. The music, the acting, and the story of the film were all lauded by critics and audiences alike. Even the short appearances by Jawed Sheikh and Nadeem Baig were a treat. If there was a film with mass appeal this year, Superstar was it. It collected 24 crores from Pakistan alone.
Parey Hut Love
An adaptation of “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, Asim Raza’s next venture after Ho Mann Jahan hit all the right notes. This was a film with a huge star cast including Sheheryar Munawwar and Maya Khan, as well as Mahira Khan, Meera and Fawad Khan in cameo appearances. The film was immediately noted for its lavish sets, impressive cinematography and opulence. The film although has not recovered it’s heavy budgets, it has managed to emerge as the highest-grossing Pakistani film of the year along with “Superstar”, nevertheless. It pulled in 24 crores from local box office.
Wrong No. 2
The sequel to the highly successful “Wrong No.” by Yasir Nawaz was the biggest money spinner of Eid Ul Fitr. Starring Sana Fakhar, Yasir Nawaz, Sami Khan, Neelam Muneer, Jawed Sheikh and Mehmood Aslam, the film was a big hit with audiences. Made with a limited budget of 5 crores, “Wrong No. 2” is the only blockbuster of this year as it raked in 21.5 crores from Pakistan.
Chhalawa
The second highest grossing film of Eid Ul Fitr was a celebration of love. This was Mehwish Hayat’s film through and through. The third offering from Wajahat Rauf had laughs, drama, and dance; something for everyone. It posted an estimated lifetime of 18 crores at local box office.
Sherdil
Mikaal Zulfiqaar has been largely absent in the Pakistani film industry since the new wave. However, with “Sherdil” he made quite the splash. The film was released at a time when theaters had become ghost towns due to the ban on Indian films. With a relevant theme of patriotism and a focus on the Air Force, “Sherdil” managed to mint a total of 13 crores at the Pakistani box office.
Baaji
This was Meera’s comeback to the silver screen, and it was perhaps the only successful one. Other Lollywood era actors who had all but retired, have tried and failed to return to the big screen. However, with “Baaji”, Meera showed that she is here to stay. Not only was her performance lauded by critics, but audiences loved the film too. The film has earned 12 crores from domestic cinema market.
Heer Maan Ja
“Heer Maan Ja” was Hareem Farooq’s third film as producer. She also starred as the titular ‘Heer’. Though the film was the least of the grossers of 2019’s Eid-ul-Azha, it still managed to collect over 11 crores from Pakistan.
Laal Kabootar
“Laal Kabootar” was the dark horse of the year. It came in galloping at full speed and left the audience stunned. Unfortunately, due to its niche appeal and general lack of audience interest due to the Bollywood ban, it didn’t get nearly the audience appreciation that it deserved. Still, it managed a decent total of 3.2 crores at the domestic box office. The film has been sent to the Oscars as Pakistan’s Official Entry for ‘Best Foreign Language Film’.
Kataksha
Abu Aleeha’s debut film was about spirits at Katas Raj, a temple in Punjab. The film featured Saleem Meraj, Kiran Tabeer, Nimra Shahid and Mubeen Gabol. While the film barely stayed in theaters of mass centers for a week, it did manage to mint more than enough money to cover its costs and then some. As per estimates, it collected a little over 2 crores in Pakistan.
Project Ghazi
Project Ghazi was a famously delayed film about super soldiers in Pakistan. Starring Sheheryar Munawwar, Syra Shehroz, Talat Hussain, Humayun Saeed, and Adnan Jaffar, when it was finally released in 2019, it had next to no marketing. A new trailer had been released but that contributed very little to any hype surrounding the film. It could only rake up a total of 2 crores, approximately.
Box office numbers have been taken from BOD, EPK and some independent sources.
Summary
