Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Jawan’ Sparks Excitement in Nepal, Anticipates a Spectacular Debut Expected to Outperform ‘Pathaan,’ Which Grossed Over 13 Crores
Shah Rukh Khan’s highly anticipated film, “Jawan,” directed by Atlee and featuring SRK in a dual role alongside a star-studded cast from both South Indian and Hindi cinema, is set to hit theaters worldwide tomorrow, carrying immense expectations. The film has generated an unprecedented level of hype, with projections suggesting it could follow the success of “Pathaan” and “Gadar 2” at the box office. Advance bookings in India have unsurprisingly shattered records, and the buzz surrounding the film has even crossed borders into Nepal.
In Nepal, the excitement for “Jawan” is reaching fever pitch. Multiplexes are giving the film significant screen time, with Nepal’s largest multiplex chain, QFX Cinemas, scheduling a whopping 60 shows. Cities like Kathmandu, Pokhara, Narayangadh, Nepalgunj, and Butwal are also hosting numerous screenings. Film critic Bishnu Sharma, who reports on the box office for Nepal’s leading online portal, observes, “The craze for ‘Jawan’ is extremely high in Nepal.
All Thursday morning shows are almost sold out, and while the Hollywood film ‘Nun 2’ is set for release on Friday, ‘Jawan‘ seems poised for an aggressive opening in its first weekend. Shah Rukh Khan’s popularity is immense in Nepal, and with positive word of mouth, ‘Jawan‘ could surpass his previous film’s performance. Given the influence of Indian cinema and SRK’s dedicated fanbase, ‘Jawan‘ has the potential to make a significant impact upon its release in Nepal.”
Such is the fervor for “Jawan” that theaters are scheduling early morning shows at 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., an unusual occurrence in Nepal. Bhaskar Dhungana, the owner and managing director of QFX Cinemas, remarks, “Normally, our bookings open around Wednesday for films releasing on Friday, but this time we started on Sunday. The multiplex bookings are encouraging, and theaters are allocating more shows compared to other films. Bookings are steadily increasing, and by Wednesday night, we anticipate all weekend shows to be fully booked.”
Shah Rukh Khan’s earlier spy thriller, “Pathaan,” released in January this year, was a massive hit in Nepal, grossing 13.28 crore (8.30 crore INR) from around 437,585 tickets, according to Box Office Nepal data. Nakim Uddin, owner of Apple Entertainment, the distributor for “Jawan” in Nepal, expects this latest SRK offering to outperform “Pathaan.” Uddin shares, “We acquired ‘Jawan’ for 4 crores (2.50 crore INR), so we need to generate at least 3.5 times that amount to break even. Anything beyond that is profit-sharing with Red Chillies Entertainment.
I’m aiming for a gross of at least 15–16 crore, given the tremendous pre-release buzz thanks to SRK’s massive fan following. We secured the distribution deal a month ago, allowing us to effectively promote and market the film, creating a significant buzz. Nepal has a limited number of theaters, approximately 150 in total, and the demand for big releases has led to exhibitors adding morning shows—a trend witnessed with ‘Jawan’ as well.”
In addition to “Jawan,” recent Bollywood releases have also enjoyed strong performances in Nepal. Sunny Deol’s “Gadar 2,” expected to surpass the 500 crore mark at the Indian box office, has grossed around 6.20 crore (3.88 crore INR) in Nepal, while Akshay Kumar’s “OMG 2” has amassed approximately 2.60 crore (1.63 crore INR) in the Himalayan nation. Ayushmann Khurrana’s “Dream Girl 2” is also finding favor with Nepali audiences.