''The Donkey King'' ( ur, ) is a 2018 Pakistani
computer animated
Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes (still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refer ...
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
, directed by
Aziz Jindani. The film features the voices of
Jan Rambo
Afzal Khan (Urdu: افضل خان), better known as Jan Rambo, is a Pakistani actor, director, producer and comedian.
He rose to fame by playing a janitor nicknamed ''John Rambo, Jan Rambo'' on Pakistan Television Corporation, PTV's famous co ...
,
Ismail Tara
Ismail Tara ( ur, اسماعیل تارا; 16 November 1949 – 24 November 2022) was a Pakistani actor and comedian. He worked in stage plays, television and Lollywood films. He was a five time Nigar Awards winner for the best comedian in Ha ...
,
Hina Dilpazeer
Hina Dilpazeer Khan credited as Hina Dilpazeer ( ur, ) is a Pakistani actress, comedian and host. Known for her comic roles, she is widely regarded as one of the popular comedian and actresses of Pakistan. Khan made her first professional scree ...
,
Ghulam Mohiuddin, and
Jawed Sheikh
Jawed Sheikh (also spelled Javaid and Javed; born 8 October 1954) is a Pakistani actor, film director and producer who works in Lollywood and Bollywood. He is best known for working in the Hindi films ''Om Shanti Om'', '' My Name Is Anthony Gon ...
. It was released in Pakistan on 13 October 2018 by
Geo Films
''Geo Films'' is a film production and distribution company owned by Geo Television Network based in Karachi, Pakistan. ''Geo Films'' distributes Hollywood, Lollywood
Lollywood ( ur, , translit=lâli vuḍ) refers to Pakistan's film ind ...
and Talisman Studios.
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.
It is currently Pakistan's highest-grossing animated feature film ever, and also one of the
highest-grossing Pakistani films
This list charts the most successful Pakistani cinema, Pakistani films screened at cinemas in Pakistan and overseas. Pakistani films generate income from several revenue streams including box office sales (admissions), theatrical exhibitions, t ...
overall.
Plot
Mangu is an insignificant
donkey
The domestic donkey is a hoofed mammal in the family Equidae, the same family as the horse. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a ...
washer who dreams of fame and riches. Though his
uncle
An uncle is usually defined as a male relative who is a sibling of a parent or married to a sibling of a parent. Uncles who are related by birth are second-degree relatives. The female counterpart of an uncle is an aunt, and the reciprocal relat ...
, Pehelwan Chacha discourages his dreams, the
spirit
Spirit or spirits may refer to:
Liquor and other volatile liquids
* Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks
* Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol
* Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...
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
herbivore
A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...
s. Many
protest
A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one.
Protests can be thought of as acts of coopera ...
s 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
Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...
, the King decides on a form of '
democracy
Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...
', 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 battle
Battle rap (also known as rap battling)Edwards, Paul, 2009, p. 25. is a type of rapping performed between two or more performers that incorporates boasts, insults and wordplay. Battle rap is often performed or freestyled spontaneously in live ...
s, while Fitna supports Mangu through the news' influence and
reverse psychology Reverse psychology is a technique involving the assertion of a belief or behavior that is opposite to the one desired, with the expectation that this approach will encourage the subject of the persuasion to do what is actually desired. This techniqu ...
. 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
kidnap
In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...
s the animals for his
circus
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...
. 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
Pakistani version
*
Afzal Khan as Jan Mangu, a
washer
Washer most commonly refers to:
*Washer (hardware), a thin usually disc-shaped plate with a hole in the middle typically used with a bolt or nut
*Washing machine, for cleaning clothes
Washer may also refer to:
*Dishwasher, a machine for cleani ...
-
donkey
The domestic donkey is a hoofed mammal in the family Equidae, the same family as the horse. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a ...
and king-to-be of Azadnagar
*
Hina Dilpazeer
Hina Dilpazeer Khan credited as Hina Dilpazeer ( ur, ) is a Pakistani actress, comedian and host. Known for her comic roles, she is widely regarded as one of the popular comedian and actresses of Pakistan. Khan made her first professional scree ...
as Miss Fitna, a
red fox
The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the Order (biology), order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe ...
who is personal secretary to the king
*
Ghulam Mohiuddin as Badshah Khan, a
lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...
who is the king of Azadnagar
* Adeel Hashmi as Shahzada Khan, the son of Badshah Khan
*
Faisal Qureshi as Breaking News, a monkey
*
Salman Saqib Sheikh as Rangeela, a
chameleon
Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...
*
Jawed Sheikh
Jawed Sheikh (also spelled Javaid and Javed; born 8 October 1954) is a Pakistani actor, film director and producer who works in Lollywood and Bollywood. He is best known for working in the Hindi films ''Om Shanti Om'', '' My Name Is Anthony Gon ...
as Changu, Mangu's father
*
Ismail Tara
Ismail Tara ( ur, اسماعیل تارا; 16 November 1949 – 24 November 2022) was a Pakistani actor and comedian. He worked in stage plays, television and Lollywood films. He was a five time Nigar Awards winner for the best comedian in Ha ...
as Pehalwan Chacha, Changu's brother and Subadar (Rhino)
*
Shafaat Ali
Syed Shafaat Ali is a Pakistani TV host and stand up comedian who is known for his impressions of Pakistani public figures.
Biography
Ali was born in on 8 February in Peshawar and studied engineering.
In 2006, Ali co-hosted the '' 4 Man Show'' ...
as Ronald Crump, a
hippopotamus
The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extan ...
version of
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
*
Irfan Khoosat
Irfan Khoosat ( Punjabi, ur, ) (born 9 June 1946) is a Pakistani actor, producer and a well-known comedian. He is famous for his comic role as ''Hawaldar Karamdad'' in the TV series Andhera Ujala
(1984-1985) in which he portrayed a simpleton ...
as Jamboora, an
chimpanzee
The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative th ...
who is the media house owner; and Raftaar, a
tortoise
Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a turtle shell, shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, ...
*
Shabbir Jan
Shabbir Jan ( ur, ) is a Pakistani television actor who has appeared in many TV drama serials, such as ''Wafa'', '' Makan'', ''Andata'', ''Survival of a Woman'', ''Zindagi Dhoop Tum Ghana Saya'', ''Umrao Jaan'', '' Jangloos,'' ''Shab e Gham,'' ...
as Sardar Chacha, a
grizzly bear
The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America.
In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horri ...
*
Sahiba Afzal
Sahiba Afzal is a Pakistani actress and producer. She is the daughter of Nisho and Tasleem Fazli. She appeared in movies ''Hero'' (1992), ''Hathi Meray Sathi'' (1993), ''Munda Bigra Jaey'' (1995), ''Chor Machaye Shor'' (1996), ''Lur Da Sheitan'' ...
as Mangu's love interest
* Ahsan Rahim as Mr. Propaganda, a
siberian tiger
The Siberian tiger or Amur tiger is a population of the tiger subspecies ''Panthera tigris tigris'' native to the Russian Far East, Northeast China and possibly North Korea. It once ranged throughout the Korean Peninsula, but currently inhabit ...
* Irfan Malik as Panoti, a
zebra
Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zeb ...
* Ali Hassan as Raja Uncle
* Zirgham Amir Khan as a Khota
* TBA as Jake, a Hyena
English version
*
Kenny Knox
Edward Kenneth Knox (born August 15, 1956) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and the Champions Tour.
Knox was born in Columbus, Georgia. He and his brother were introduced to the game of golf b ...
as Mangu
*
Mark Dohner as Prince Shazad
*
Bobbi Hartley
Bobbi is a given name and nickname, almost exclusively feminine and usually a diminutive form (hypocorism) of Roberta (given name), Roberta or Barbara (given name), Barbara. It may refer to:
People:
* Roberta Beavers (born 1942), American politici ...
as Miss Fitna
*
Jay Synder as Badshah Khan
*
Mike Pollock as Changu
*
Tyler Bunch
Tyler Bunch, also known as H.D. Quinn, is an American puppeteer, puppet designer, director, and actor.
Career
In addition to his work for the Jim Henson Company, Bunch has created and performed puppets for PBS, Nickelodeon and Disney's The Mu ...
as Uncle Perry
*
Jason Yudoff as Jambora
*
Steve Tardio as Godzilla
*
Dave Wills as Zandar
*
Billy Bob Thompson as Monkey News Reporter
*
Rory Mac Kaplan as Bad Luck Brian
*
David McDonald as Rapid, Lando
*
Jim O' Brian as Bull Bros
*
Starr Bursby as Rebecca Hippo
Production
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.
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
Commander Safeguard is Pakistan's first animated superhero Series produced by the Pakistani advertising agency IAL Saatchi & Saatchi and animated by Post Amazers. The character is popular in Pakistan and in Mexico,[Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...]
and begin the work on the Donkey King, the film was animated on
Autodesk Maya
Autodesk Maya, commonly shortened to just Maya ( ), is a 3D computer graphics application that runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, originally developed by Alias and currently owned and developed by Autodesk. It is used to create assets for interact ...
& rendered on Fox Renderfarm.
The teaser of the film was released on August 20,
and the trailer was released on September 23.
Release
The release date announced for the film was 13 October 2018, though it released a day earlier.
It was premiered on the same day at
Nueplex Cinemas
Nueplex Cinemas is a movie theatre and the largest Cinema Complex located in Karachi, Pakistan. Housed on the second floor of The Place, built from the ground up and designed by cinema Architects Mesbur & Smith of Canada. Comprising 5 theatres, to ...
, in
DHA, Karachi
The Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Karachi ( ur, ), formerly Pakistan Defence Officers Cooperative Housing Society, is a residential neighbourhood or a housing society located within Clifton Cantonment of Karachi. It was originally establishe ...
.
As of 2020, Donkey King had been released in ten countries worldwide with local dubbings.
It became the first Pakistani film to release in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
on 28 August 2019, and in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
on 4 October 2019, where it was dubbed into three languages –
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
,
Catalan
Catalan may refer to:
Catalonia
From, or related to Catalonia:
* Catalan language, a Romance language
* Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia
Places
* 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...
and
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
– and released under the titles ''El Rey Burro'', ''El Rei Ruc'' and ''Asto Erregea'' respectively at 50 screens across the country. It released in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
on 5 December with a
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
dub and across 100 screens in
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
on 20 December in
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
dub. It was scheduled to release in Colombia on 9 January 2020. It also released in Peru on 13 February 2020. The film released in China on 19 November 2021.
Home media
''The Donkey King'' had a world television premiere on three days of
Eid al-Fitr
, nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast
, observedby = Muslims
, type = Islamic
, longtype = Islamic
, significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan
, dat ...
, in May 2020 on
Geo Entertainment
''Geo Entertainment HD'' or Geo Drama is a Pakistani entertainment television channel owned by Geo Television Network was established in May 2002. Its test transmission started on 14 August 2002 on the PAS 10 digital satellite whereas on 1 Octob ...
and
Geo News
Geo News is a Rank Number 1 Pakistani news channel owned by the Jang Media Group.
History
The Geo Television Network started out with the launch of its flagship channel Geo TV in October 2002 but has since launched several other channels whic ...
. It was the most watched television premiere in Pakistan.
Digital media
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
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
in English language.
Controversy
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. However, this was dismissed by the
Islamabad High Court
The Islamabad High Court is the senior court of the Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan, with appellate jurisdiction over the following district courts:
* Islamabad District Court (East)
* Islamabad District Court (West)
Justice Aamer Far ...
. Another political controversy involved the resemblance of the position of lead character to prime minister
Imran Khan
Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi ( ur}; born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former Cricket captain who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to until April 2022, when he was ousted through a no-confidenc ...
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.
Box office
The film recorded the biggest opening in Pakistan for any animated film, collecting .
It also recorded the biggest single day for animated films by hitting the mark locally on its second day. It also beat the one week record of ''
Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor
''Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor'' ( ur, ) is a Pakistani computer animated film directed by Uzair Zaheer Khan. It depicts the story of a young boy and his relationship with animals. The film is produced by 3rd World Studios and distribu ...
'' at local box office within just a weekend, by collecting around . It made over in its first week. The film earned on its second weekend, which is more than the gross of its first weekend. 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 . It made in its two weeks. It then also recorded second biggest third weekend for any Pakistani film, behind ''
Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2
''Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2'' (), sometimes abbreviated as ''JPNA 2'', is a 2018 Pakistani romantic comedy film, directed by Nadeem Baig and written by Vasay Chaudhry. It is a joint venture of Salman Iqbal Films, Humayun Saeed and Shahzad Nasib's ...
'', by collecting , which is itself greater than its second weekend.
It collected more than in its third week, with recording the bigger numbers on third Tuesday than previous ones. It made up to in its first four weeks. It recorded the biggest fifth weekend for any film at Pakistani box office with collecting around , and made up to in five weeks. It crossed in its sixth weekend, again making the weekend biggest for any Pakistani film as well as for any release on local box office. It again grossed high numbers in seventh and eighth weeks, which made the film gross up to .
The film was listed as #1 blockbuster Pakistani film of 2018 by Mohammad Kamran Jawaid of ''Dawn''.
At local box office, it made in 17 weeks, and in lifetime 25 weeks.
As of 4 December 2021, the international gross of the film has crossed , becoming second Pakistani film to do so after ''Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2''. The numbers include about from China in two weeks only, leaving behind ''
Parwaaz Hai Junoon
''Parwaaz Hai Junoon'' ( ur, ; lit: ''Soaring is Passion'') is a 2018 Pakistani aerial combat-war romantic film, directed by Haseeb Hassan, produced by Momina Duraid and written by Farhat Ishtiaq. The film features an ensemble cast of Hamz ...
s box office gross from China.
Soundtrack
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. Shuja Haider was nominated for "Donkey Raja" in category Best Playback Singer in
18th
18 (eighteen) is the natural number following 17 and preceding 19.
In mathematics
* Eighteen is a composite number, its divisors being 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9. Three of these divisors (3, 6 and 9) add up to 18, hence 18 is a semiperfect number. ...
Lux Style Awards
The Lux Style Awards is an award ceremony held annually in Pakistan since 2002. The awards celebrate "style" in the Pakistani entertainment industry, and it is the oldest event dedicated to cinema, television, fashion, music and film industry ...
.
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.
See also
*
List of Pakistani animated films
This is a list of animated films produced in Pakistan.
Featured films
This is a list of Pakistani animated films with their release year, studio, directors and languages.
Upcoming films
This is a list of Pakistani animated upcoming film ...
*
List of Pakistani films of 2018
*
Cartoon Network (Pakistani TV channel)
Cartoon Network is a Pakistani cable and satellite television channel operated by Warner Bros. Discovery. It was launched on 2 April 2004, dedicating itself to Pakistani and Bangladeshi viewers. The channel primarily airs animated programming ...
References
External links
*
*
The Donkey King Full Movie
{{DEFAULTSORT:Donkey King, The
Pakistani animated films
Pakistani comedy films
Pakistani children's films
2010s children's comedy films
Films scored by Shuja Haider
Films scored by Shani Arshad
Cultural depictions of Donald Trump
Animated films about bears
2018 films
Films about donkeys
Geo Films films
2018 computer-animated films
2018 comedy films