The Legend of Maula Jatt, a Pakistani controversial film, is slated to be released in India two years after its worldwide debut. It stars Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan in the key roles and is the first Pakistani film to be released in India in over a decade. However, Karachi-based film producer Nadeem Mandviwalla, who is also the distributor of the film in Pakistan, confirmed to India Today that the film will only be released in Punjab and not across the country.
Mandviwalla expressed hope that the film could still perform well at the box office, saying, “The film can still do some exceptional business in India as till today it is not available on any OTT platform. Thus, it has a great chance to become a huge hit. It might take a little time as the film is releasing after two years and the excitement is no longer there as it was in 2022, during its original release. However, the word of mouth of the film is bound to create that excitement again.”
The Legend of Maula Jatt is a replica of Pakistan’s 1979 film Maula Jatt. After it premiered two years ago, it became Pakistan’s largest box-office blockbuster. Given that the plot is based on Punjabi culture, the creators hope that the Punjabi audience will give it a chance in theatres.
Earlier, the film’s director, Bilal Lashari, disclosed details regarding its Punjab release in India. He shared a poster for the film on social media, writing, “Releasing in India, Punjab on Wednesday 2nd Oct! Two years in, and still house full on weekends in Pakistan! Now, I can’t wait for our Punjabi audience in India to experience the magic of this labour of love (sic)!”
The film is based on a 1979 Pakistani cult classic titled, ‘Maula Jatt.’ The remake features actor Fawad Khan as the hero ‘Maula Jatt’ who fights his nemesis and finest warrior in Punjab by the name of Noori Natt (played by Hamza Ali Abbassi).
Zee Studios had bought the Indian rights for this all-time high-grosser Pakistani film. In December 2022, the makers had planned to release the film in Punjab and Delhi to target Punjabi speakers. However, the announcement of the film’s release triggered a massive outrage in the country. Netizens registered their outrage stating that Pakistani films should not be released in India especially when the Islamic Republic continues to sponsor terrorism in India. Netizens had also demanded a ban on the film’s release in India.
Moreover, the movie had also courted controversy for starting actor Hamza Ali Abbassi, known for his admiration of 26/11 terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed. OpIndia had reported in December 2022 that Pakistani actor Hamza Ali Abbasi, who plays a crucial role in the movie, has been unabashed in his vocal support for the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind, Hafiz Saeed.
The movie features actor Fawad Khan as the hero ‘Maula Jatt’ who fights his nemesis and finest warrior in Punjab by the name of Noori Natt. This character of Noori Natt is played by Hamza Ali Abbasi, a terror sympathiser and an active proponent of the divisive ‘Two Nation theory.’
Zee Studios is handling the release of The Legend of Maula Jatt in India. It is part of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, which also owns the Zindagi channel, India’s only platform for syndication of Pakistani programming, particularly TV dramas. The film was scheduled to be released in India in 2022, along with its worldwide release. However, other political parties protested the release, and it was never made public.
