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Due to the Gen-Z movement, Abhimanyu: Chapter-1 and Jari-2 could not release on their originally scheduled dates. After the original release date was postponed, Abhimanyu announced a release on Phulpati. However, QFX chain has enforced a policy preventing the film from securing shows on the announced date, pressuring the team to move the release to Ghatasthapana or another date.
The film’s distribution rights are held by Digital Cinema Nepal (DCN), where QFX theater chain partners also hold stakes.
QFX, which currently allocates slots to 12 films, reportedly adopted this stance after its partner distribution company, Apple Entertainment, decided to release Kantara-2. Given Kantara-2’s three-hour runtime and high production costs requiring multiple shows, QFX is reportedly pressuring Abhimanyu through the distributor.
As of now, QFX has not displayed the “Coming Soon” poster for Abhimanyu on its website, while posters for other films releasing on the same date are already posted.
Notably, QFX was also a partner theater for Abhimanyu’s original release date.
Producer Binod Paudel expressed his dissatisfaction on Facebook:
“There are three major films on Phulpati, so our film cannot get shows. We are told to move it to another date and cannot even list #Abhimanyu as coming soon. How are we supposed to manage this during Tihar? Our team feels disrespected and pressured. Not all theaters act this way, but many do. The performance of a film, whether big or small, will ultimately show its impact.”
Sources indicate that without the Gen-Z movement, Nepali distributors were initially hesitant to bring Kantara-2 to Nepal due to its high costs. However, the schedule disruption caused by the movement prompted them to proceed. Meanwhile, Apple’s partners had previously expressed reluctance to release Kantara-2 amid concerns over conflicts with other foreign film screenings.
Currently, seven films are running in QFX theaters. An industry insider stated, “If it were a well-known foreign film, such a block would not occur; it would get a slot.”
Abhimanyu’s producers are reportedly preparing to take strong action against the pressure, planning to approach film associations, the Nepal government’s Department of Commerce, and even Kathmandu Metropolitan City authorities.
QFX, which prides itself as the country’s largest theater chain, is not acting in this manner for the first time. Previously, the film Pardeshi was denied multiplex screenings. On that date, four Nepali films were released, with Pardeshi becoming a blockbuster while the other three flopped. When distributors later sought to screen Pardeshi, QFX only allowed screenings in empty theaters, forcing the team to manage Dashain under challenging conditions.
By Ashesh Adhikari
