The verdict is out. Punjab Nahi Jaungi (PNJ) has emerged as a clear winner, out of the two Pakistani films that opened this Eid Al Adha.
While the fight between PNJ and the other grand Eid release, Na Maloom Afraad, has been fierce at the home box office, it is the international market that has made all the difference. According to sources, over the week and half since its worldwide release, PNJ has already made PKR 130 million (Dh4.4 million) from the UAE, UK, USA, Canada, and some Scandinavian countries. This, combined with its domestic gross of PKR 170 million, takes the total so far to an enviable PKR 300 million.
The romantic comedy, which stars Humayun Saeed, Mehwish Hayat, and Urwa Hocane in the lead, has performed especially well in the UAE and UK. In the latter territory, PNJ clinched a record for a Pakistani film when it beat Bollywood’s Baadshaho, a simultaneous release, by a huge margin.
Sunil Shah, Head of Films Distribution, B4U, PNJ’s international distributors, is said to have expressed his amazement at this feat managed by a small Pakistani venture. For Saeed, who is also a co-producer of PNJ, it’s a matter of immense pride. His previous production, Jawani Phir Nai Ani (2015), already holds the distinction of being the country’s biggest grosser.
