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Last year during Dashain, the long-standing trend of massive earnings by the Chhakka Panja series was surprisingly broken by the father-son duo Biraj Bhatt’s film 12 Gaun.
Before its release, many assumed 12 Gaun would be just another passing film and Chhakka Panja 5 would dominate the market. However, the result was quite the opposite — 12 Gaun offered tough competition. After release, Chhakka Panja 5 saw a decline in earnings while 12 Gaun‘s revenue steadily increased. As a result, the two films grossed approximately NPR 152 million and NPR 199.2 million respectively at the Nepali box office, making 12 Gaun the winner.
From a release perspective, Dashain is considered the peak season for earnings by Nepali filmmakers. According to last year’s box office numbers, the two films together made over NPR 350 million during Dashain. Observing such potential for grand-scale earnings, several films have already announced Dashain releases this year.
Among them, competing with Samir Balamis’ film appears to be particularly challenging. The film Balidan, set to release on Phulpati, dropped its pre-teaser just two days ago — indicating a strong build-up.
The teaser, released on Samir’s birthday, quickly climbed to the top of YouTube’s trending list within a few hours. As of this writing, it has already garnered over 750,000 views and has received overwhelmingly positive feedback.
Moreover, the pre-teaser is also trending in countries with a large Nepali diaspora, such as the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Australia, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea.
These responses indicate that audiences are eagerly anticipating Samir’s upcoming film. It’s fair to expect at least a blockbuster opening. Judging from the performance of his previous films, Balidan is almost certain to make a powerful box office entry. Competing films releasing alongside it will need to be equally well-prepared.
Relying on the belief that “it’s Dashain, business will happen anyway” could prove fatal.
The film’s producer and director Santosh Sen has poured his heart, time, and money into the project. Being a big-budget film aiming for a grand canvas, it demands competitors to rise to the occasion with equally strong content.
Samir, through 12 Gaun, has already created an enviable craze among audiences with his action and physique. With just his debut, he has cemented his place as a bankable actor.
For these reasons, Dashain this year may be a headache not for Samir, but for those daring to compete with him. It seems wise for them to bring a strong dose of “cinematic paracetamol” to withstand the pressure. The final outcome, of course, will be determined by Dashain itself. It is expected that at least three to four films will release during the festival.
