Tag: Netflix

  • ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ enters the ‘200 crore club’, smashes previous records

    ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ enters the ‘200 crore club’, smashes previous records

    The Legend of Maula Jatt headlined by Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi and Mahira Khan is by far the most expensive film to come out of Pakistan. It is unquestionably the biggest Pakistani release ever internationally.

    The film opened to packed houses on October 13th and earned record-breaking figures on day one despite the fact that it is not currently playing in every theater in the country.

    Bilal Lashari’s directorial has become the first film in Pakistan’s history to earn 100 crore domestically. This achievement was announced by the makers on social media handles.

    Breakdown

    It earned 4.4 crores locally and 4.9 crores internationally on its opening day, making it a total of 9.3 crores.

    Four-day Weekend Collections

    In its extended weekend, the film collected over 50 crores globally.

    According to a recent report in Deadline, this action-fantasy movie has broken box-office records within its opening weekend. So far, The Legend of Maula Jatt has collected over half a million dollars. Across 79 locations in the UK, the film has earned $355,000, making it trend at no. 9 on the charts. In the US and Canada, the film grossed $290,000 and $235,000 respectively. On the other hand, in Australia, it earned $160,000. In both Canada and Australia, the Pakistani movie is trending at No. 6 in the charts, while in the United Arab Emirates, it reached No. 1 after earning over $515,000.

    The Legend of Maula Jatt has opened in 25 markets worldwide, including Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and South East Asia, and overall it has grossed $2.3 million globally.

    First Week Collections

    The Humaima Malick and Gohar Rasheed starrer has garnered 80 crores, globally in its first week of release.

    These figures surpass the lifetime receipts of every Pakistani movie and have set new records. The Legend of Maula Jatt is poised to set additional records now that the second weekend has begun.

    Second Weekend

    Its second-weekend collections gave a new hope to the industry. The magnum-opus crossed the unprecedented 100 crore mark post its second-weekend collections. This made it the first-ever Pakistani feature film to achieve this target.

    200 Crore Club

    TLOMJ‘s winning streak continues as the magnum opus becomes Pakistan’s first offering to hit the PKR 200 crore mark, globally.

    Producer Ammara Hikmat shared the update on her Instagram handle.

    Earlier this month, the official Instagram account of TLOMJ shared that the Bilal Lashari directorial has beaten the Laal Singh Chaddha and South Indian blockbuster RRR’s box office collection in Britain.

    RRR (2022) - IMDb

    The post read, “Another day, another achievement! The Legend of Maula Jatt beats the highest-grossing Indian movie of 2022, RRR’s lifetime business in just 17 days in the UK.” A few days ago, it was reported that Pakistan’s most expensive movie has beaten the lifetime number of Aamir Khan starer Laal Singh Chaddha in the UK, in just 13 days.

    Laal Singh Chaddha Tamil & Telugu OTT Release Date, Where & When to Watch? - JanBharat Times

    According to British film publication Screen Daily, Maula Jatt, released by Moviegoers Entertainment, accumulated £44,149 (Rs11.5 million) on its fifth weekend. Its performance has dropped considerably lower than many competitors as its run continues at 54.6 percent, bringing the film to almost £1.3m (Rs340 million). That’s more than the £1.26m (Rs329 million) of this year’s Tamil epic Ponniyan Selvan: I.

    The Legend of Maula Jatt has become the highest-grossing Punjabi film globally according to its official Instagram account, the film made $7.8 million (Rs1.7 billion) at the worldwide box office within four weeks of its release.

    The movie’s first teaser was released in 2019, which managed to receive a thunderous response worldwide for its cinematic grandeur, exceptional star cast, and mega-scale production.

    VIDEO] Mahira Khan to come back to television this year - Pakistan Live

  • Which Netflix movie does Imran Khan want us all to watch?

    Which Netflix movie does Imran Khan want us all to watch?

    If you’ve been wondering what to watch next on Netflix, don’t worry, Imran Khan has you covered. We have been given a solid movie recommendation, and that too from a former Prime Minister.

    On Wednesday, Imran Khan, the Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), recommended a Netflix movie to his supporters. During a televised speech, he asked his followers to watch the film to understand how officers investigating Salman Shehbaz’s money laundering case died.

    Although Khan did not name the movie, he said it was about a serial-killing nurse who murdered people via insulin injections.

    The movie is ‘The Good Nurse ‘ and it was released on Netflix on October 26, 2022. The film stars Hollywood A-listers Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne. It is based on the real life story of serial killer Charles Cullen, a male nurse, who killed 29 people during his 16 year medical career before his arrest in 2003, mostly through injected insulin.

    Cullen, who is currently incarcerated at the State Penitentiary in New Jersey, was eventually handed down 11 consecutive life sentences.

    The Good Nurse holds a 76 per cent review aggregator score on Rotten Tomatoes and has generally received praise for the lead actors.

    It’s not everyday that a former Prime Minister recommends a movie. We might as well watch to see if it’s worth the hype.

  • Critics unimpressed by Harry and Meghan docuseries

    Critics unimpressed by Harry and Meghan docuseries

    The first project produced for Netflix by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has left critics’ mostly unimpressed. Almost five days after the first three episodes of the duo’s docuseries titled ‘Harry & Meghan’ was released by the streaming giant, the reviews are in, and they are not very kind.

    Washington Post has termed ‘Harry & Meghan ‘ a “yawner”, with a reviewer asking if the couple “have anything else to say”.

    Hollywood’s entertainment magazine of record, Variety, was no less unkind, writing : “The Sussexes surprise us yet again, with just how narrow their vision of their fame is, how pinched and unimaginative their presence on the world stage has become.”

    On American online magazine Slate, reviewer Nadira Goffe called the series, “a bit of a mess”, stating that it can’t decide if it wants to be a “history analysis or juicy tell-all”.

    French reviewer Laura Sagalovitsch minced no words either, stating that the Sussexes are, “nothing but a vague actress and a fallen prince, both united behind the idea of selling to the highest bidder the story of their undying vacuousness”.

    Germany’s Der Spiegel asked it’s readers why Harry s telling this story on the very platform that is “currently exploiting his mother’s sad life as entertainment in the mega hit series The Crown remains unclear. Perhaps it has to do with a lot of money.”

    The New York Times tempered it’s review, writing that the docuseries “has all the intimacy of Instagram”.

    The series is however, a ratings bonanza, currently behind Tim Burton’s Wednesday on Netflix. Given the hefty price tag that Netflix is paying the Sussexes for the joint productions, many media outlets are speculating whether the streaming service will be forced to review it’s production terms.

  • Humayun Saeed opens up about his deleted scene from Netflix’s ‘The Crown’

    Humayun Saeed opens up about his deleted scene from Netflix’s ‘The Crown’

    The reigning king of Pakistani cinema, Humayun Saeed is currently basking in the glory of his last blockbuster film London Nahi Jaunga and season 5 of Netflix’s globally successful web series, The Crown.

    For his part in Season 5 of The Crown, Humayun Saeed recently disclosed on Mazaaq Raat that he had to go through several auditions. When he submitted his initial audition, he was shortlisted. When he was eventually chosen for the series, he then re-auditioned with a romance scene.

    An extremely emotional moment that was left out of the series, according to Humayun Saeed, was also disclosed. They had to remove the sequence because they were unable to make the episodes of the television series longer than an hour. Diana informs Dr. Hasnat that she would be willing to convert to Islam for him at the moment. Although Humayun claimed to have appreciated the moment, it was ultimately removed.

    Prior to the series’ release, Humayun chatted with Dawn’s Maliha Rehman and talked about Netflix’s award-winning juggernaut.

    On being asked about the casting process, Humayun said, “It started with a call from Hamid Hussain, who is now my talent agent. He used to manage Bollywood star Nargis Fakhri, and I was in touch with him earlier to cast Nargis in my film. We had remained in touch since then.”

    He added: “One evening, I got a call from him, and he informed me that there was a really important international project that he had in mind for me, but I would need to send an audition for it. I only remember auditioning for the first few projects at the start of my career, but I know this is a norm in the West and agreed to it.”

    So, he sent the audition in, and soon after he was asked to do an online reading with Elizabeth Debicki, who jas essayed Princess Diana in the latest season. After ten days of waiting, he was told that he has bagged the role of Dr. Hasnat Khan.

    See the Cast of 'The Crown' vs. the People They Play in Real Life

    ‘The Crown’ follows the lives of the British Royal Family and Season 5 sees us in the 1990s nearing the end of Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s marriage. Enter Dr. Hasnat Ahmad Khan, played by Saeed, a British-Pakistani lung and heart surgeon who is most well-known for his romantic relationship with Princess Diana from 1995 to 1997, referred by her as “Mr. Wonderful”.

    We just got a first glimpse of his character where he looks barely recognizable. Attention to detail in a show like ‘The Crown’ of course is incredible and it’s the same for Humayun’s look. 

    When asked about his research and prep work before stepping into the role, he had this to say:

    “Before filming began, I got to do a workshop with a real surgeon in the UK to understand how a surgeon would behave and react on the job. Of course, I knew about Dr Hasnat Khan even before I got this role. After my casting was confirmed, the team shared research material with me on the doctor. It included a few interviews, as well as, some images.

    “Dr Hasnat Khan is a very private person, which was why he and Princess Diana broke up — he couldn’t handle being in the limelight. Due to this, there is very limited material on him available in the public domain. So, I had to study whatever was shared with me in detail.”

    Humayun, for most of his career, is seen playing the hero, so when asked about his transformation into a down-to-earth not very fashionable doctor, he had this to say:  

    “I would sometimes try to push up my hair right before a scene,” he laughs, “but the stylists on set would immediately notice and they would put my hair back in place. When I saw myself on screen for the first time, I was completely taken aback! I didn’t look like Humayun Saeed at all but like the doctor.

    “On a serious note, the makers of ‘The Crown’ are extremely particular about details, and the look that they had created for the doctor had to be followed to the tee. It was very impressive seeing firsthand how they looked into every tiny nuance.”

    Humayun also talked about how he could let his diet go for a change, seeing as how he’s often playing the hero which requires strict regimental diets. 

    “More than being intimidated, I feel that this show puts extra responsibility on anyone who is part of it,” he mused. “People naturally have strong feelings about characters in the show, and memories of the events that we are depicting. Also, some of the people we are representing are alive or have family members who are still alive and that means all of us who are part of this show has to take the responsibility of our roles seriously.”

    He also lauded the screenwriter Peter Morgan for handling each character’s portrayal sensitively, calling it the show’s biggest highlight.

    Speaking about the energy on set, Humayun revealed that most of his scenes were opposite Elizabeth Debicki, and that he was in awe of her commitment to her craft. Elizabeth of course, is best known for her work in ‘The Great Gatsby,’ ‘Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2’ and ‘Tenet.’

    The artist doesn’t think that the series will give him a boost as an actor, rather he hopes to apply all his learnings from this experience to his future projects.

  • Teaser of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle’s Netflix docuseries creates controversy

    Teaser of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle’s Netflix docuseries creates controversy

    An emotionally charged trailer of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s forthcoming Netflix documentary series has been released, as Buckingham Palace reels from a racism incident and during a key visit to the US by the Prince and Princess of Wales.

    In the 1 min 12 sec “teaser”, Harry and Meghan share previously unseen intimate photographs, some showing the duchess apparently crying, with one scene showing Harry with his head tilted back as his wife appears to wipe away her tears with both hands.

    Calling the Sussexes ‘unpredictable’, Richard Fitzwilliams said that the trailer’s release was ‘obviously timed to take away from the Wales’ trip to Boston’, adding that Meghan and Harry ‘like control their narrative’.

    In the teaser, an unseen interviewer asks: “Why did you want to make this documentary?” a montage of black and white photographs flashes up. One shows Meghan curled up on a chair, head in hands on the phone and seemingly distressed. Harry says: “No one sees what is happening behind closed doors.”

    The trailer then cuts to a photograph of a stern-looking Kate, with William sitting beside her, and Meghan behind, taken at the Commonwealth Day service before the Sussexes left the UK.

    Further photographs show Meghan sombre in a black hat, taken at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, and another of a bank of press photographers, as Harry continues: “I had to do everything I could to protect my family.” A picture shows Meghan seated in a car seemingly wiping away tears.

    Meghan tells the interviewer: “When the stakes were this high, doesn’t it make more sense to hear our story from us?”

    Other, happier, personal photographs show Harry playing guitar for his wife, the couple hiking with him holding picked flowers, wading in a stream with their dogs, a pregnant Meghan in silhouette, dancing at their wedding, and sharing a kiss in their kitchen.

    An image of the couple used in the trailer for the documentary.

    In an accompanying statement, Netflix described “Harry & Meghan” as a “never-before-seen look at one of the most discussed couples in history”.

    The timing of the trailer is not the best for Buckingham Palace, which is still dealing with the aftermath of the resignation of Lady Susan Hussey, one of the late Queen’s ladies-in-waiting, after she questioned the charity founder Ngozi Fulani about where she was “really from” at a palace reception. The palace and William, her godson, described the comments as “deeply regrettable” and “unacceptable”.

  • Fact Check: Sharif family ki corruption par independent documentary toh ban rehi hai, lekin it isn’t confirmed if it’s on Netflix/Amazon

    Fact Check: Sharif family ki corruption par independent documentary toh ban rehi hai, lekin it isn’t confirmed if it’s on Netflix/Amazon

    Claim: Several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) politicians and multiple social media users on Twitter are claiming that an upcoming documentary, about the alleged corruption of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif and his family, will be released on Netflix and Amazon Prime.

    The trailer of the new documentary, titled “Behind Closed Doors” was released on social media on Monday, October 18.

    The trailer was shared across platforms, raking up views.

    The trailer features, amongst others, Imran Khan, the former prime minister, as well as several investigative journalists including Tom Stocks and John-Allan Namu.

    Former Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari tweeted, “Soon on Netflix and Amazon. A must-watch documentary on corruption very relevant as Sharifs also feature in it.”

    PTI’s Finance and Health Minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Taimur Jhagra tweeted, “A film about corruption. Coming soon to Netflix / Amazon Prime. The truth is out there. In Pakistan, sadly it just seems to lead back the same people to corridors of power, again and again.”

    Fact: According to the official website of Behind Closed Doors, the documentary highlights “Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), people who hold a public function and as a result present higher risks of being involved in bribery or corruption.” It also mentions offshore leaks which have revealed that PEPs use the British financial system and offshore jurisdictions to launder, hide and re-invest their wealth into the global financial system.

    “But what happens when a developing country fights back and attempts to get Britain to return the money that it claims has been stolen?” question the documentary makers.

    The film is produced and directed by Michael Oswald and Murtaza Mehdi. The IMDb website states that Oswald is a UK-based director, writer and editor.

    The webpage names all of Netflix’s upcoming releases till January 2023. Behind Closed Doors has not been listed.

    The website of Prime Video by Amazon Studios also does not name the documentary as an upcoming release.

    While several members of the PTI camp have claimed Behind Closed Doors will be featured on Netflix, the streaming service has made no such announcement nor have the makers of the documentary mentioned it on their website or YouTube channel.

    Verdict: FALSE

  • ‘I can give in writing in blood’: Janhvi Kapoor hits out at trolls over nepotism controversy

    Bollywood actor Janhvi Kapoor, the eldest daughter of Sridevi and Boney Kapoor, debuted in 2018 with Karan Johar’s Dhadak.

    Being a star kid many felt she has several privileges. However, in a recent chat, the actress has opened up about the ‘biggest misconception’ people have about her.

    During a recent interaction with GoodTimes, Kapoor reacted to people thinking she takes her position for granted. The Gunjan Saxena diva said, “People think I take my position for granted. That’s the biggest misconception they have about me. They think because I’m privileged that it makes me unaware of what it’s like to work hard.”

    She continued, “I may not be the most talented, or the most beautiful; I may not have many skills to offer; but I can promise you that I am the hardest working person on the set. And this is something I can give in writing in blood, so you don’t doubt my work ethic ever again.”

    Speaking about the films she chooses to be part of, Janhvi stated, “I can’t do the same thing over and over again because I get bored easily. I hate repeating things and have to set up challenges for myself because that’s when I know I’m growing. Otherwise, I feel like a waste of time.”

    On the work front, Janhvi will star opposite Tiger Shroff and Akshay Kumar in Ali Abbas Zafar’s Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.

  • Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone set to play Ranbir’s parents in ‘Brahmastra 2’

    Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone set to play Ranbir’s parents in ‘Brahmastra 2’

    After the success of Brahmastra, starring Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor in lead roles, fans are eagerly awaiting to know who will star in the next edition of this mega-blockbuster. Director Ayan Mukherji has started prepping for its part two with Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh as Jalastra and Dev.

    For the unversed, the first film of the planned fantasy trilogy, Brahmastra – Part One: Shiva, was released on September 9.

    Breaking the silence over the much-speculated star cast of the second film of the planned trilogy, journalist Anupama Chopra, on Film Companion, said “I hope that the learnings of this film (Brahmastra Part One) enable them (the makers) to make a kickass part two with of course Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone.”

    Recently, after the release of the film Brahmastra, the director of the film, Ayan Mukerji told The Times of India that they will “plan the shooting of the second and third parts”. He added by saying that “the trilogy will tell the same story, but that each film would introduce new characters and add various perspectives to the overall narrative.”

  • Saudi Arabia and Gulf neighbours threaten Netflix over immoral content

    Saudi Arabia and Gulf neighbours threaten Netflix over immoral content

    Persian Gulf states threatened to sue the streaming service Netflix if it does not take down content that is objectionable to Islam. The Arab nations mentioned content representing sexual minorities but did not name the seasons or films.

    The streaming service was warned if it continued to broadcast the content then ‘necessary legal measures’ will be taken.

    The declaration was also released by the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

    They are a part of the six-nation council, along with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar.

    The UAE further stated that it would monitor the content broadcast by the platform in the ensuing days and “evaluate its commitment to broadcasting restrictions” in the nation.

    A lady designated as a “behavioural expert” was interviewed by Saudi state media, and she claimed that Netflix was a “official sponsor of homosexuality” in the interview.

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    It simultaneously broadcast fuzzy footage from the Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous cartoon, in which two women kiss.

    Additionally, a segment on Saudi state television suggested that Netflix might be outlawed in the country due to concerns about its children’s programming.

    Because it has characters who are in a same-sex relationship, the animated feature film Lightyear from Walt Disney-Pixar was earlier this year banned from theatres in the UAE and other Muslim nations.