0
Shares
Three new films, including one re-release, hit the Nepali box office this Friday.
With this, a total of 12 films are currently screening across theatres in Nepal, but audience turnout and box office performance remain underwhelming.
Two Nepali films — “Khel” and “Bhuthan” — were released today. Additionally, two Indian films — “Oye Bhootni Ke” and the re-released classic “Andaz Apna Apna” — have also entered the market.
Apart from these, other ongoing screenings include “Pitambar”, “Anjila”, “Laaj Sharanam”, “Basanta”, “Hostel 3”, “Jaat”, “Kesari 2”, and “A Minecraft”.
Despite a dozen films currently running in theatres, most recent releases have failed to perform as expected at the box office.
The film “Karma”, released on the final Friday of the year, has already been pulled from theatres. Meanwhile, “Pitambar”, which was released on the same day, is being shown across 69 screens nationwide. While its performance has not met expectations, the producers claim that overall revenue has helped them recover the investment.
Similarly, “Laaj Sharanam” has also struggled to make a significant commercial impact. Although it has reportedly recovered its investment through domestic and international release as well as digital rights sales, the lack of active promotion — even after 51 days on over a dozen screens — has raised doubts about the producers’ claims.
On a more positive note, “Anjila” and “Hostel 3” have contributed some momentum to the box office. While “Anjila” — a biopic — was not initially expected to be commercially successful, it has reportedly performed well according to distributors.
Even foreign films have not made a notable impact at the Nepali box office. Distributors express concern that the continuous underperformance of films could lead theatre operators to withhold payments. For instance, despite grossing ₹6 billion in India, “Chhava” failed to draw significant numbers in Nepal. Hollywood films appear to be facing a similar fate.
Since the commercial storm brought by “Purna Bahadur Ko Sarangi”, the Nepali box office has struggled to regain strong momentum. Producers, distributors, and theatre owners alike have shown signs of growing concern.
The newly released films this Friday have also failed to generate substantial advance bookings. Clearer indications of their market reception are expected to emerge by late afternoon.
