The Donkey King

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The Donkey King
Film poster
Directed byAziz Jindani
Written by
  • Aziz Jindani
  • Kamran Khimani
Starring
Edited byFaisal Shaikh
Music byVarious artists
Shani Arshad (score)
Production
company
Talisman Studios
Distributed byGeo Films
Pantera Film
Release date
  • 13 October 2018 (2018-10-13)
Running time
105 min[1]
CountryPakistan
LanguageUrdu
Box officeRs. 40.20 crore (US$1.4 million)[2][3][4]

The Donkey King (Urdu: دا ڈونکی كِنگ) is a 2018 Pakistani animated comedy film, directed by Aziz Jindani. The film features the voices of Jan Rambo, Ismail Tara, Hina Dilpazeer, Ghulam Mohiuddin, and Jawed Sheikh. It was released in Pakistan on 13 October 2018 by Geo Films and Talisman Studios.[5] After its national success, it became the first Pakistani film to be dubbed into ten languages for multiple international theatrical releases, distributed worldwide by Annalisa Zanierato, for Pantera Film.[2]

It is currently Pakistan's highest-grossing animated feature film ever, and also one of the highest-grossing Pakistani films overall.[6]

Plot[edit]

Mangu is an insignificant donkey washer who dreams of fame and riches. Though his uncle, Pehelwan Chacha discourages his dreams, the spirit of his father Changu often appears to tell him to keep dreaming. Mangu's land is ruled by the elite Big Cats who live off the herbivores. Many protests are often held at this by the public, which are futile. While delivering his laundry, Mangu enters the castle and meets the crafty senior adviser, Miss Fitna. Meanwhile, the aging King Badshah Khan informs Fitna that he wishes to forfeit the crown to his incompetent and self absorbed child Shahzada Khan. When Fitna influences the animals against this through propaganda, the King decides on a form of 'democracy', thinking that no one will be able to stand up to Shahzada.

Miss Fitna and her cohorts vainly look for a suitable candidate. Then Miss Fitna remembers the naive donkey who will be easily influenced. Mangu agrees to the campaign after encouragement from his father. He and Shahzada compete for the crown through many hilarious ways, like press talks and rap battles, while Fitna supports Mangu through the news' influence and reverse psychology. Eventually, Mangu makes an inspirational speech from the bottom of his heart that wins over the animals. The Cats are exiled and Mangu starts to live a life of luxury in the palace and neglects his duties. Meanwhile, Fitna secretly has an agenda of her own. She serves the human ringmaster and kidnaps the animals for his circus. Mangu accidentally stumbles upon their prison. He realizes his mistakes, apologizes to the animals and stops Fitna's party. Fitna falls off the cliff into the sea. The public and the Cats fix their problems and accept Mangu as their King. Meanwhile, Changu's spirit moves on, convinced his son achieved his dreams.

Cast[edit]

Urdu version[edit]

English version[edit]

Production[edit]

In August 2018, the first look of the animated film was released, directed by Aziz Jindani, developed and produced by Talisman Studios and Geo Films.[7] Jindani revealed that he had the idea of the film since 2003, and had started working on the film in 2013 while working on his Commander Safeguard animated series.[8] The film stars the voices of Jan Rambo, Ismail Tara, Hina Dilpazeer, Ghulam Mohiuddin, Shabbir Jan, Jawed Sheikh and others.

In 2016, Aziz founded Talisman Studios, an animation studio based in Karachi and begin the work on the Donkey King, the film was animated on Autodesk Maya & rendered on Fox Renderfarm.[citation needed]

The teaser of the film was released on August 20,[7][9] and the trailer was released on September 23.[5]

Release[edit]

The release date announced for the film was 13 October 2018, though it released a day earlier.[10] It was premiered on the same day at Nueplex Cinemas, in DHA, Karachi.[11][12]

As of 2020, Donkey King had been released in ten countries worldwide with local dubbings.[6] It became the first Pakistani film to release in South Korea on 28 August 2019,[13] and in Spain on 4 October 2019,[14] where it was dubbed into three languages – Spanish, Catalan and Basque – and released under the titles El Rey Burro, El Rei Ruc and Asto Erregea respectively at 50 screens across the country.[15] It released in Russia on 5 December with a Russian dub[16] and across 100 screens in Turkey on 20 December in Turkish dub.[17] It was scheduled to release in Colombia on 9 January 2020.[18] It also released in Peru on 13 February 2020.[19] The film released in China on 19 November 2021.[20]

Home media[edit]

The Donkey King had a world television premiere on third day of Eid al-Fitr, in May 2020 on Geo Entertainment and Geo News. It was the most watched television premiere in Pakistan.[21][6]

Digital media[edit]

On 23 June 2020, Janson Media released the trailer of The Donkey King where they told that it will be available for streaming on July 3; in UK, Canada and United States, the film is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in English language.[6]

Controversy[edit]

Prior to its release, a legal petition was made that demanded a ban on the film due to its title song making fun of the Raja caste.[22] However, this was dismissed by the Islamabad High Court.[23] Another political controversy involved the resemblance of the position of lead character to prime minister Imran Khan so as to mock the term of the Prime Minister and his government. Videos related to the film also appeared online, but Geo Films and Talisman Studios clarified them legally.[24][25]

Box office[edit]

The film recorded the biggest opening in Pakistan for any animated film, collecting Rs. 36 lakh.[10] It also recorded the biggest single day for animated films by hitting the Rs. 1 crore mark locally on its second day.[26] It also beat the one week record of Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor at local box office within just a weekend, by collecting around Rs. 2.75 crore.[27] It made over Rs. 4 crore in its first week.[28] The film earned Rs. 3.78 crore on its second weekend, which is more than the gross of its first weekend.[29][30] It became the highest grossing Pakistani animated film within its second week, breaking the previous local box office record of 3 Bahadur: The Revenge of Baba Balaam having about Rs. 8.1 crore.[31] It made Rs. 9.1 crore in its two weeks.[32] It then also recorded second biggest third weekend for any Pakistani film, behind Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2, by collecting Rs. 3.85 crore, which is itself greater than its second weekend.[33]

It collected more than Rs. 5 crore in its third week,[34] with recording the bigger numbers on third Tuesday than previous ones.[35] It made up to Rs. 16.95 crore in its first four weeks.[36] It recorded the biggest fifth weekend for any film at Pakistani box office with collecting around Rs. 1.3 crore,[37] and made up to Rs. 18.65 crore in five weeks.[38] It crossed Rs. 200 crore in its sixth weekend, again making the weekend biggest for any Pakistani film as well as for any release on local box office.[39] It again grossed high numbers in seventh[40] and eighth weeks, which made the film gross up to Rs. 22.25 crore.[41][42]

The film was listed as #1 blockbuster Pakistani film of 2018 by Mohammad Kamran Jawaid of Dawn.[43] At local box office, it made Rs. 24.5 crore in 17 weeks,[44] and Rs. 24.75 crore in lifetime 25 weeks.[3]

As of 4 December 2021, the international gross of the film has crossed Rs. 20 crore, becoming second Pakistani film to do so after Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2. The numbers include about Rs. 16 crore from China in two weeks only, leaving behind Parwaaz Hai Junoon's box office gross from China.[4]

Soundtrack[edit]

Music video of "Donkey Raja" (Remix), directed by Ahsan Rahim with Zain Haleem as director of photography, was released on 9 October 2018, starring the voice cast themselves.[45] Shuja Haider was nominated for "Donkey Raja" in category Best Playback Singer in 18th Lux Style Awards.[46] As of July 2020, the soundtrack has received more than 100 million streams on YouTube, making it one of the most viewed Pakistani film Soundtrack.

Film OST
No.TitleLyricsMusicSinger(s)Length
1."Donkey Raja"Aziz JindaniShuja HaiderShuja Haider 
2."Inki Pinky Ponky"Asrar ShahAsrar, Majid RazaAsrar, Javed Bashir 
3."Donkey Raja" (Remix)Aziz JindaniShuja HaiderShuja Haider, Asrar 
Special tracks
No.TitleLyricsMusicSinger(s)Length
4."Allah Meharban"Aziz Jindani, AsrarShani ArshadAsrar 
5."Be Adab Be Mulahiza" (Bonus track)Aziz Jindani, AsrarMajid Raza, AsrarAima Baig, Asrar 
6."Khotay Da Puttar" (Father's Day special track)Aziz Jindani, AsrarMajid Raza, AsrarAsrar 
7."Darna Nahi Larna Hai" (Coronavirus special track)Aziz JindaniShuja Haider, AsrarAsrar 

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ The Donkey King (2D) @ ME Cinemas. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  2. ^ a b "EXCLUSIVE: THE DONKEY KING'S INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SO FAR!". EntertainmentPK.com. 6 January 2020. Archived from the original on 16 March 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  3. ^ a b "'The Donkey King' all set to dazzle audience in Spain". Geo News. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  4. ^ a b Entertainment Pakistan (4 December 2021). "Donkey King Worldwide Boxoffice Collections – by Trade Analyst Ali Zain". Retrieved 5 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ a b "The Donkey King trailer conveys a strong message". The News. 25 September 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d "'The Donkey King' English version releases in US and UK on Amazon Prime Video". Daily Times. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  7. ^ a b "First teaser released of upcoming Pakistani animated film 'The Donkey King'". Geo News. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  8. ^ Rida Lodhi (20 August 2018). "Animated Pakistani film 'The Donkey King' will push you to follow your dreams". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  9. ^ "First teaser of animated film 'The Donkey King' released". Pakistan Today. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  10. ^ a b "The Donkey King Day One Business Pakistan: Breaks Record". EntertainmentPK.com. 13 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  11. ^ "Here's what your favourite celebrities have to say about The Donkey King". Geo News. 13 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  12. ^ Muhammad Nasir (13 October 2018). "Donkey King: Massive response to premiere in Karachi". The News. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  13. ^ "The Donkey King Set To Conquer South Korea". EntertainmentPK.com. 19 August 2019. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  14. ^ "Exclusive: Donkey King Making its Way to Spain!". EntertainmentPK.com. 21 September 2019. Archived from the original on 21 September 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  15. ^ "The Donkey King is ready to be the first Pakistani film to release in Spain". Dawn Images. 22 September 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  16. ^ "'The Donkey King' set to dazzle audiences in Russia". Geo News. 1 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  17. ^ "The Donkey King to be released in Turkey in local language". Daily Pakistan. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  18. ^ Shabbir, Buraq (January 2020). "The Donkey King to release in Colombia on January 9". The News. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  19. ^ Nasir, Mohammad (15 February 2020). "Donkey King now being screened in Peru". The News. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  20. ^ INP (22 November 2021). "Donkey King becomes best-performing Pak film with record box office in China". The Nation. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  21. ^ "'The Donkey King' is the most watched television premiere in the history of Pakistan!". Daily Times. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  22. ^ Zubair Qureshi (11 October 2018). "Ban sought on 'Donkey Raja' song in new movie". Gulf News. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  23. ^ "Petition seeking ban on 'The Donkey King' dismissed". The News. 12 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  24. ^ Muhammad Nasir (7 October 2018). "'The Donkey King': Legal action against those who spread fake videos of film". The News. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  25. ^ "The Donkey King: An animated film should not be used for political mileage". Geo News. 11 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  26. ^ "The Donkey King Rewrites Box Office History on Day Two". EntertainmentPK.com. 14 October 2018. Archived from the original on 16 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  27. ^ "The Donkey King Weekend Business Pakistan :: Records Shattered". EntertainmentPK.com. 15 October 2018. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  28. ^ "THE DONKEY KING WEEK ONE BUSINESS PAKISTAN :: NEW ALL TIME RECORD". EntertainmentPK.com. 19 October 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  29. ^ "THE DONKEY KINGS SHOOTS UP AGAIN WITH RECORD NUMBERS ON 2ND FRIDAY". EntertainmentPK.com. 20 October 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  30. ^ "THE DONKEY KING SECOND WEEKEND BUSINESS PAKISTAN :: BECOMES 2ND HIGHEST GROSSER ALL TIME". EntertainmentPK.com. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  31. ^ "THE DONKEY KING BECOMES ALL TIME HIGHEST ANIMATED GROSSER IN PAKISTAN". EntertainmentPK.com. 24 October 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  32. ^ "THE DONKEY KING WEEK TWO BUSINESS PAKISTAN :: MEGA BLOCKBUSTER". EntertainmentPK.com. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  33. ^ "THE DONKEY KING CREATES ALL TIME RECORD IN THIRD WEEKEND". EntertainmentPK.com. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  34. ^ "THE DONKEY KING CONTINUES TO RAKE IN BIG NUMBERS DESPITE PROTESTS". EntertainmentPK.com. 2 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  35. ^ "THE DONKEY KING CONTINUES TO PUT UP BIG NUMBERS". EntertainmentPK.com. 31 October 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  36. ^ "The Donkey King Is Rock Solid Despite Thugs of Hindostan". EntertainmentPK.com. 10 November 2018. Archived from the original on 11 November 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  37. ^ "THE DONKEY KING 5TH WEEKEND BUSINESS PAKISTAN :: ALL TIME RECORD". EntertainmentPK.com. 12 November 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  38. ^ "THE DONKEY KING FIVE WEEKS BUSINESS PAKISTAN :: ALL TIME BLOCKBUSTER". BoxOfficeDetail.com. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  39. ^ "THE DONKEY KING 6TH WEEKEND BUSINESS PAKISTAN :: CROSSES 20CR". BoxOfficeDetail.com. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  40. ^ "THE DONKEY KING 7TH WEEKEND BUSINESS PAKISTAN :: LEADS THE CHARTS". BoxOfficeDetail.com. 26 November 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  41. ^ "DONKEY KING STRONG EVEN IN ITS 8TH WEEK". EntertainmentPK.com. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  42. ^ "9TH WEEKEND COLLECTION OF DONKEY KING". EntertainmentPK.com. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  43. ^ Mohammad Kamran Jawaid (30 December 2018). "TRADE: SO, HOW DID THE BOX OFFICE DO?". Dawn. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  44. ^ "The Donkey King 17 Weeks Boxoffice Collection: Mega Blockbuster". EntertainmentPk.com. 9 February 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  45. ^ "Donkey King's track list stuns more than 10 million viewers on social media". The News. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  46. ^ "A list of everyone who went home a winner from the Lux Style Awards 2019". Dawn Images. 7 July 2019. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.

External links[edit]

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