'Waar' beats 'Chennai Express' in Pakistan, sets record

Karachi: Pakistani film revolving around the theme of terrorism in the country has set new record openings at the box office, beating the takings of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan starrer 'Chennai Express' at Eid ul Fitr two months back.

'Waar' which stars Pakistani actor-director Shaan was released on Wednesday and raked in approximately 20 million rupees on its first two days, a record for any film released in the country.

"On the first day it was released across 42 screens in the country and it took in around 11.4 million rupees which is even better than the nine million rupees mustered by 'Chennai Express' on its opening day at Eid," film distributor and owner of the Atrium multiplex cinemas, Nadeem Mandviwalla told PTI.

He said it is a healthy sign for Pakistani film industry that 'Waar' did good business with direct competition from Akshay Kumar's 'Boss', which also did well on the opening day.

"I would say going by the first two days 'Waar' should rake in around 50 million rupees in its first week of exhibition across the country," he said.

The film is a debut for director Bilal Lashari and is said to be the most expensive Pakistani film made at a budget of 2.5 million. It has caught the imagination and interest of viewers with its catchy trailer and action sequences.

Mandviwalla said the advance bookings for the film had also been helped by the unusually long Eid holidays and noted the year had been a good one for Pakistani film industry.

"Films like 'Main Hoon Shahid Afridi' which took in 55 million rupees, 'Zinda Bhaag' which has also done well and now 'Waar' have given the Pakistani film industry a new credibility and distributors, exhibitors are willing to bank on them," he said.

As a result of the new wave of Pakistani cinema, 'Boss' was only released in seven cineplexes and cinemas in Karachi on Eid but industry insiders say it also did good business.

'Waar' which also stars TV actors like Shamoon Abbasi, Ayesha Khan and singer Ali Azmat has been given an adults-only certificate by the Sindh Board of Film Censors.

According to Umer Khitab Khan, an SBFC member, this is because of obscene language and violent scenes in the movie.