Qismat 2 is the third Punjabi film to open to packed theatres in a row. The film, directed by Jagdeep Sidhu and starring Ammy Virk, Sargun Mehta, and Tania, premiered at the East Punjab circuit on 23rd September. Despite the fact that it was released on an unusual day (Thursday rather than Friday), it is predicted to gross Rs. 1 crore! Furthermore, the film is receiving positive reviews, indicating that it will perform well at the box office in the days and weeks ahead.
Unlike the Hindi film business, the Punjabi film industry has been thriving since cinemas reopened following the second Coronavirus pandemic. The Punjabi film industry relaunched six weeks ago with Puaada, which had a good start despite the fact that it could only open in a few theatres because many theatres were still debating whether or not to reopen. Chal Mera Putt 2 arrived two weeks later and swept the BO. The sequel to Qismat has arrived three weeks after the sequel to Chal Mera Putt. It’s worth noting that both Chal Mera Putt and Qismat were box office smashes, with the advantage of their success trickling down to their successors. Of course, the sequels are rich in content as well, which is why they have such staying power. It’s also worth noting that two of the three films mentioned above, Puaada and Qismat 2, were distributed by Zee.
What distinguishes the Punjabi films released in August and September of this year from those made in Hindi during the same time period? To put it another way, why are Hindi films falling like nine pins at the fragmented box office but Punjabi films are standing like rocks? One key factor is that the audiences have adored all three of the aforementioned Punjabi flicks. The content of Hindi films released in August and September this year, on the other hand, was either disliked by the audience or the release (Thalaivii) was shattered.
Another significant difference is that, unlike the Hindi film-going audience, the Punjabi film-going audience was literally starved of entertainment in Punjabi for 17 months due to the lack of a dedicated Punjabi OTT platform that offered them Punjabi films in the comfort of their homes, the Punjabi film-going audience had new Hindi films offered to them on various OTT platforms. During the two lockdowns, Hindi films were being released on OTT platforms with such regularity that many members of the audience are unaware that films like Bell Bottom, Chehre, and Thalaivii were released in theatres rather than on a streaming platform.
Whatever the causes, the box office success of the three Punjabi films has re-instilled trade confidence in the box office following the lockout. The spectacular box office returns of these Punjabi films should give the Hindi film industry a lot of faith that a bumper run of Hindi films in theatres is on the way.
