Over 40 crore (400 million) Muslims living in India and Pakistan are gearing up to celebrate Eid, and three films are set to release for the occasion. If we also include Urdu- and Hindi-speaking audiences in Europe, the US, and Australia, the potential viewership becomes even larger, especially since people of all religions in India are expected to watch these films.

"Dhurandhar 2" is releasing in 7,000 cinemas across India and worldwide. Its predecessor, Dhurandhar 1, became a blockbuster just a few months ago. The writer-director Aditya Deher is extremely confident. Dhurandhar 1 earned ₹1,200 crore, and Dhurandhar 2 is expected to reach up to ₹1,400 crore. The cast includes Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Rakesh Bedi, and Madhun. However, audiences are likely to miss Akshay Khanna from the first film.

In Pakistani cinema, three films are set to release. ARY Films’ Urdu movie "Aag Lagi Basti Mein" is the most prominent, written and directed by Bilal Atif. The cast features superstars Fahad Mustafa, Mahira Khan, Javed Sheikh, and Tabish Hashmi, all of whom are star power in their own right and are appearing on the big screen for the first time.

The second film is "Bulla", a Punjabi movie starring former superstar Shaan. Shaan has not delivered a blockbuster in over ten years, so expectations are high for Bulla. Its script is by Nasser Adeeb, renowned as a master of dialogue. Other cast members include Saleem Sheikh and Mona Lisa, and it is directed by Shoaib Khan.

The third film is the Urdu movie "Delhi Gate", directed by Nadeem Cheema. Its cast is mostly new, with Shamoon Abbasi being the only well-known name. The trailer for Delhi Gate looks promising, and now it remains to be seen how these three films perform at the box office.

When it comes to hype, Fahad Mustafa’s Aag Lagi Basti Mein leads, followed by Bulla.

This news story is translated from Naya Daur Urdu.

© Naya Daur