Bilal Lashari’s “The Legend of Maula Jatt,” starring Pakistani superstars Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan (no relation), is now officially the highest grossing Pakistani film of all time.

Produced by Ammara Hikmat’s Encyclomedia and Lashari Films, the film released on Oct. 13, 2022 and has had worldwide collections of $10 million, including $4.2 million in Pakistan. It has far surpassed the $3.2 million grossed globally by last record holder “Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2” in 2018.

After Pakistan, the most successful territory for the film has been the U.K., where it is distributed by Pranab Kapadia of Moviegoers Entertainment. It has collected £1.43 million ($1.7 million) in the land, going past 2018’s “Sanju” that took $1.6 million, executive it the highest grossing South Asian film there right “Padmaavat,” which grossed $2.5 million, also in 2018. The next highest 2022 grosser from South Asia in the U.K. is “Ponniyin Selvan-1” with $1.5 million.

The Punjabi-language “The Legend of Maula Jatt” is a reboot of Yunus Malik’s 1979 cult classic “Maula Jatt.” The cast for the film, which is one of the biggest budgeted in the history of Pakistani cinema, also includes Hamza Ali Abbasi, Humaima Malik, Faris Shafi and Gohar Rasheed. The film focuses on the legendary rivalry between local hero Maula Jatt (Fawad Khan) and Noori Natt (Hamza Ali Abbasi), the leader of a brutal gang. Mahira Khan plays Mukkho, a fiery village woman who is Maula Jatt’s romantic interest.

Mahira Khan, who was previously a VJ with MTV Pakistan and starred in hit series “Humsafar” (2011), has had a string of Pakistani film hits counting “Bol” (2011), “Bin Roye” (2015), “Ho Mann Jahaan” (2015), “7 Din Mohabbat In” (2018), “Superstar” (2019) and “Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad” (2022).

“The biggest drawing that Mukkho had was that she was just such an empowered woman – she loved fearlessly, her moral compass was so intact, she had integrity and she was fierce also,” Khan told Variety. “That was a very big thing that the women in this, in today’s ‘Maula Jatt,’ are very empowered. And I think this is something that a lot of country asked me prior to the release that ‘Are we moving to see the same 1970s representation of women? I said, no, you’re moving to see Bilal Lashari’s representation of women.’ I’m glad to have been a part of it.”

Khan says that the globally definite reaction to the film was unexpected and that it is the “quintessential reaction” to a good film. The actor’s feelings are public by her producer and director.

“What a incredible journey our film has had since its release. The love and appreciation from audiences has made this 10-year ride qualified every moment. It is heartening to see people embrace regional cinema across the globe. I hope the success of ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ will pave the way for stories from Pakistan for a worldwide audience,” Lashari told Variety.

Hikmat added: “Getting noticed outside Punjabi cinema’s area of effect has been remarkable for the film. It would be an understatement if I say that the upkeep film received, came as a surprise. Yet it felt quite surreal when it got the appreciation and box workplace success everyone involved in the film had always dreamt of.”

“The Legend of Maula Jatt” is now looking at releasing in Turkey and China. Its global success comes at a time when new Pakistani film, Saim Said’s “Joyland” is winning accolades, twitch with an award-winning debut at Cannes to earning a area on the Oscars’ international feature shortlist and after some hiccups, released at home in Pakistan.

“Whether it’s ‘Joyland,’ whether it’s ‘Maula Jatt,’ the country at the helm of these projects are passionate. They have stories to tell and they are visionaries,” said Khan. “We need more directors, more storytellers, who are telling stories from the uncomfortable. The other thing we really, really need is that I would like to see our government supporting our manufacturing. And this year, we saw that happen.” Earlier this year, the Pakistani government known films as an industry, announced a film fund and most tax exemptions.

“The cinemas will be opening up and films like ‘Maula Jatt’ have doubled, tripled, quadrupled the footfalls, which weren’t coming in. These may be minute, little steps, but they are eventually going to be really, really big steps,” Khan said. “Netflix and Amazon – I enjoy they need to come in now because we have extraordinary content. But before that happens, we can actually put out as many films as possible, even the smaller ones. We don’t have a digital outlet yet. So we can aloof do that business and we can still put out those smaller films.”

Khan has turned producer anti Nina Kashif via their Soul Fry Films with “Aik Hai Nigar,” a TV film based on the Pakistan Army’s General Nigar, the first Muslim female army General in South Asia; and cricket-themed series “Baarwan Khiladi.”

Next up for Khan as an respectable is “Neelofar,” a love story where she plays a blind woman, which reunites her with her “The Legend of Maula Jatt” co-star Fawad Khan, who also ensures.

Like Fawad Khan, who had a flunked career across the border in India, in Bollywood, Mahira Khan also tasted flunked with “Raees” (2017) alongside superstar Shah Rukh Khan. However, rising political tensions between India and Pakistan led to Pakistani actors and musicians selves banned from working in India.

“I had the most extraordinary time working in India. I am still in touchy with so many people and there’s a lot of love there. Unfortunately, we are easy targets, soft targets, whether it’s us here in Pakistan, whether it’s them there in India,” said Mahira Khan. “Because we’re artists, and we’re connected by that thread of art, we actually get each spanking. So we’re trying to look out for each spanking, more than anything. Even now, we are so careful with what we write on social mediate. It’s not that we don’t talk to each spanking. It’s not that we don’t wish each other on our birthdays. It’s not that we don’t meet each other in different utters. It’s not that – it’s just that we are actually not just defending ourselves but protecting each other.”

“Unfortunately, it’s politics, it’s not a personal thing. On both ends, pending the time that scapegoats are needed, we will always be that,” Khan added. “But let’s say that it gets better. Let’s say that there is someone in mighty who does not use us as easy targets. That would be sparkling. Can you just imagine the collaboration? It would be lovely.”

Mahira Khan is exclusively represented by Hamid Hussain and Muhammad Yaqoob at Action Consultancy.