Baahubali: The Conclusion enthralls Pak audiences, captures box-office
Mumbai: Even as Baahubali 2 hurricane continues at the box-office, redefining the parameters of box-office success (at Rs 1450 cr), the latest first to the film’s credit is its success at the Pakistan box-office, where it is running to packed houses in all theatres. Also the film has achieved the distinction to be the first dubbed regional film to be released in Pakistan after a long time, to achieve a business in the range of Rs 4.5 crores.
According to Kishore Kedari, Business Development Head, Arka Media Works, the film was released in close to 100 screens in Paksitan last week and Pakistan audiences have hailed it, “The feedback we have received from there indicates that the audiences have absolutely loved the film. It is a huge success in all the major cities in Pakistan. The response to the film across the border has proved that story-telling can cut across all barriers and rule over the box-office,” Kedari revealed.
According to veteran Pakistan distributor Amjad Rasheed, who released the film in Pakistan, “The film has got a huge response in Pakistan especially the single screens, this despite the fact that it purports mythology and Hindu tradition to a certain extent. I guess it is the daredevil action and the thrill in the movie, as much as the mind-blowing special effects that have appealed to the Pakistan audiences,” Rasheed said, adding that the film would have done even better business if it would have been released in Pakistan on the same day it was released in India, “There were initial problems in the film’s release due to speculation. There were also apprehensions whether it would get the clearance from the Pakistan Censor Board,” Rasheed revealed.
Rasheed is gung-ho about the fact that the film received an 'all-clear' status from the Pakistan Censor Board when it was shown to the board members, which hardly ever happens since it the PCB is known to be extra scrupulous about the clearance of all films released in Pakistan, “There are some very basic parameters one of them being that a film should not have no pointers towards religion or have anti-Pakistani references. The PCB did not order a single cut in the film since it did not find anything objectionable about it. Likewise the exhibitors were also unanimous in their opinion that the film has nothing controversial in it,” Rashid said, adding that he was expecting the film to touch the business of Rs 6 crore at the Pakistan box-office, “That’s the business that Badrinath Ki Dulhania had last done in Pakistan. The film was a huge success here. So far Baahubali 2 has done a business in the range of Rs 4.5 cr so far and I am expecting it to continue with its steady run though we have Hindi Medium and Half Girlfriend releasing this week,” he says.
Meanwhile the President of the Indian Film Exporters Association, Hirachand Dand, has hailed the success of Baahubali in Pakistan, “It is a big achievement. It has cut across all barriers and established its position at the Pakistan box-office,” Dand reveals adding that the film has also opened a new market for dubbed Hindi releases in Pakistan, “There have been so many successful dubbed Hindi films in the past but most of them were never released in Pakistan. Baahubali 2 is the first dubbed Hindi film to do this kind of business in the neighboring country. This will pave the way for the release of more dubbed films that are released on a grand scale,” he said, adding that the overseas business of Baahubali 2, had given a big boost to the international market of dubbed films abroad.
“So far we had seen the three Khans defying box-office records in the overseas territory but Baahubali 2 has completely changed the trend. Also it is the first dubbed regional film to beat all records in USA and U.K. and the overseas distributors of the film are understandably excited,” he said.
