Pakistani blockbuster The Legend of Maula Jatt, starring Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan, will not be releasing in India’s Punjab state on Wednesday as announced earlier, the distribution holder of the film confirmed on Tuesday. (Also read: Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan’s The Legend of Maula Jatt to become first Pakistani film to release in India in over 10 years)
The Legend of Maula Jatt’s India release
Nadeem Mandviwalla told PTI that an Indian ministry has obtained a stay order from a court against the release of the film so the screening is now stalled.
He said that though he held the exclusive distribution rights of the film in Pakistan, he knew that the company holding the international rights with Zee India had collaborated to make the release of the film possible in India’s Punjab.
“Unfortunately its release has once again been stalled and there is nothing anyone can do until the court gives its decision,” Mandviwalla said.
Mandviwalla, one of the top distributors, exhibitors and cinema owners in Pakistan, said that whenever the film’s release is possible in India, it will be a big step forward for the Pakistani industry.
“I am pretty sure given the quality and efforts put into the making of the film and its brilliant cast, Maula Jatt will be a big hit in Indian Punjab,” he added.
Since it was announced that the film is set to be released in India’s Punjab, there has been a lot of resistance from some parties and politicians and others and Mandiwalla felt it was because of this that the concerned authorities had gone to court.
On September 18, film’s director Bilal Lashari announced the movie will be released in the Indian state of Punjab by Zee Studios in collaboration with Zindagi, which also brought Fawad back to audiences in India with its latest show Barzakh.
Ban on Pakistani films in India
India banned the export of Indian films to Pakistan after the Pulwama incident in 2019 and the Pakistan government in a tit-for-tat response also banned screening of Indian films in the country.
The last Pakistani film to release in India was 2011’s Bol starring Humaima Malick and Atif Aslam. The ban has hurt the Pakistani film industry badly as the distributors and owners of multiplexes and single-screen cinemas relied heavily on Bollywood movies before the ban with several Indian movies raking in millions for the industry after doing good business in Pakistan.
When released two years back The Legend of Maula Jatt, starring Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan and others, did record business for a Pakistani film and made around Pakistani ₹400 crores in the domestic and international market.