Pakistani cinema is heading to one of the world’s biggest film markets.
The Legend of Maula Jatt, Pakistan’s record-breaking blockbuster, will be released in cinemas across China from May 21, 2026, director Bilal Lashari announced in X tweet on May 10.
Starring Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi and Humaima Malick, the Punjabi-language action epic became the highest-grossing Pakistani film of all time after its 2022 release.
For Pakistan’s film industry, the China release is more than another overseas screening. China’s theatrical market is highly selective for foreign films, and access to Chinese cinemas could open a new door for Pakistani stories, stars and filmmakers.
Lashari called it “a huge moment for Pakistani cinema, and a new door opening for our stories on the world stage.”
The release also adds a cultural dimension to Pakistan-China ties, which are more often discussed through trade, infrastructure and CPEC.
In recent years, a small but notable group of Pakistani films has reached Chinese audiences. Parwaaz Hai Junoon was released in Chinese cinemas in 2020, while the animated films The Donkey King and Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor also hit Chinese theatres in 2021. The Donkey King was reported as the best-performing Pakistani film at the Chinese box office at the time, while Allahyar was promoted as the first China-Pakistan animated co-production.
From Maula Jatt’s world of rivalry, revenge and Punjabi folklore to Chinese cinemas, this is a rare moment where Pakistani pop culture gets a bigger global stage.
