Sholay off to slow start in Pakistan

Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay, which opened in Pakistan on April 17, has got off to a disappointingly slow start. The movie has been released on three screens in Lahore and Multan but, is not doing well. "If on Friday, a holiday, it is not doing well, we don't hold out much hopes of box-office collections picking up on Saturday and Sunday", Ali Chaudhry (Director Operations, Cinestar) told Mumbai Mirror.

"The audience is coming in droves but they are just not coming in for Sholay", Chaudhry added. He also says that it is not a good idea to re-release old classics. "Shah Rukh Khan's Devdas, which released on March 13 also did not pick up. Teen din mein yeh sab film utar jaati hai. Sholay was a blockbuster in its time, we'll give it a week but I'm not optimistic", Chaudhry said.

Nadeem Mandviwalla, who brought the film to Pakistan via Mandviwalla Entertainment, told Mumbai Mirror, "Classics like Sholay need special handling in their release as they are available on many mediums and have been seen many times. We believe that the film has a nostalgic value and it will do its due business in the longer run rather than its first weekend". Mandviwalla has clearly not lost hope.

Source: tamercome.blogspot.in