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The much-anticipated Nepali film Koshedhunga has stumbled right out of the gate, with its early box office reports showing a disappointing turnout. By Thursday morning, most shows before noon were reported nearly empty, casting doubt on the film’s strong opening expectations.
Seat occupancy across morning shows remained alarmingly low. Given that director Saroj Paudel’s last outing, Purna Bahadur’s Sarangi, turned into an all-time blockbuster, many had expected Koshedhunga to draw significant attention. However, since advance booking opened, audience interest was underwhelming, with pre-sales hovering below 5%.
With such a slow start, the film now appears heavily dependent on word of mouth. Industry insiders warn that if numbers don’t improve in the afternoon, Koshedhunga could be heading toward a box office crash.
To be fair, morning shows are generally considered off-time, and heavy overnight rain may have discouraged audiences from stepping into theaters. Still, there were bright spots: in Nepalgunj, Cine Royal’s 12 PM show was nearly housefull, with producers quickly sharing pictures of the packed hall across social media.
Nationwide, sales tell a mixed story — some halls report strong attendance while others remain bleakly empty.
The pattern is not unprecedented. Just last week, Magne Raja also faced a lackluster morning, with over a dozen shows canceled. But from 2 PM onwards, its footfall surged dramatically, a trend that has continued positively into this week.
Producers of Koshedhunga are hoping for the same miracle.
Tomorrow, Friday, and the following Saturday’s holiday will hold special significance for the film. The audience turnout on these days—and the word of mouth it generates—will play a key role in shaping the movie’s box office performance.
Nepali films generally rely more on window sales than advance bookings, and if history repeats itself, Koshedhunga may still find a second wind.
The film features a star-studded ensemble cast including Surakshya Panta, Aryan Sigdel, Manjil Kumar, Niti Shah, Praveen Khatiwada, Richa Sharma, Saroj Khanal, Bishal Pahadi, Lokmani Sapkota, Hiuwala Gautam, Dinesh Kafle, Shekhar Chapagai, Siru Bista, Uddhav Sapkota, Sabita Regmi, Sabin Kattel, and Bikash Khanal.
(Editor’s note: The original report mentioned Thursday, but the actual event took place on a different day and has been corrected.)
