Hotal

{{EngvarB|date=April 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}} {{more citations needed|date=April 2016}} {{Infobox film | name = '''Hotal''' | image = Hotal.jpg | caption = | director = Khalid Hasan Khan | producer = | starring = Meera Jasmine Sandlas Tariq Jamal Baila Naz Wiam Dahmani Anees Raja Nasreen Jaan | writer = Khalid Hasan Khan | screenplay = | music = | cinematography = | studio = OUTFIELD Productions. | editing = | released = {{Film date|df=yes|2014|12||Delhi|2016|05|13|Pakistan}} | country = Pakistan | language = Urdu | budget = | gross = Rs 2.9 crore }}

'''''Hotal''''', also spelled as '''''Hotel''''', is a 2014 Pakistani psychological thriller film, written and directed by Khalid Hasan Khan. It is claimed to be Pakistan's first psycho-thriller feature film.<ref name="webeditor">{{cite web|url=http://www.pakistantv.tv/2014/01/16/hotal-forthcoming-pakistani-moviecastcrewrelease-date-and-official-trailer/|title="HOTAL" Forthcoming Pakistan's First Psycho-Thriller Feature Film / Teaser / First Look - Pakistan TV|author=Web Editor|date=16 January 2014|work=Pakistan TV}}</ref> It was also tagged as the first Hindi feature film outside Bollywood.<ref name="entertainmentdesk">{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1155503|title=Meera's film 'Hotal' set for nationwide release in March 2015|author=Entertainment Desk|date=8 January 2015 |publisher=}}</ref> The film stars Meera, Humayun Gillani, Sadiq A. Khan, Neha Anil, Tariq Jamal, Baila Naz, Anees Raja, Nisa Jabie, Nasreen Jaan and Wiam Dahmani.<ref name="tribune.com.pk">{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/1066155/hotal-checks-in-early/|title='Hotal' checks in early|date=15 March 2016|work=The Express Tribune}}</ref>

The film was released on 13 May 2016. Upon release, it received overwhelming negative reviews from critics and was a box office failure.<ref name="The Express Tribune">{{Cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1104310/box-office-report-mah-e-mir-makes-over-rs15m/|title=Box office report: 'Mah-e-Mir' makes over Rs15m - The Express Tribune|date=2016-05-16|work=The Express Tribune|access-date=2018-05-24|language=en-US}}</ref> The same year, critic Omair Alavi added the film in his list of <nowiki>''Top Worst Pakistani films of 2016.''</nowiki><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/magazine/instep-today/165787-Films-that-have-failed-us-in-2016|title=Films that have failed us in 2016|last=Alavi|first=Omair|access-date=2018-05-24|language=en}}</ref>

== Plot == The story resolves around an Indian girl Kashika (Meera) who is expecting her first child. Kashika's husband Naresh (Humayun Gillani) wants to have a son while Kashika wishes to have a daughter. She stays in a hotel, on the advice of her doctor. There she meets her sister (same mother, different father), who was never born.<ref name="webeditor"/><ref name="entertainmentdesk"/> Mysterious and incredible events took place at the hotel, during which Kashika finds out the truth behind the whole scenario.

== Cast == * Meera as Kashika * Humayun Gillani as Naresh *Sadiq A. Khan as Dr. Shaam * Neha Anil * shazaib Abro * Anees Raja * Nisa Jabie * Nasreen Jaan * Baila Naz * Wiam Dahmani (dancer in song '''<nowiki>'Lakshmi Hoon Main''</nowiki>'') * Jasmine Sandlas (special appearance in song '''<nowiki>'Mombatti''</nowiki>'') * Tariq Jamal * Muskaan Jay

== Release == The film was released on 13 May 2016.

== Reception == === Critical reception === Omer Bashir of ''Dawn.com'' gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and wrote, <nowiki>''</nowiki>In the end, while ''Hotal''’s plot failed to connect on any emotional level, it raises important questions about our film industry, the mainly homogenous titles it brings forth and the lack of diversity in roles offered to female leads.<nowiki>''</nowiki><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://images.dawn.com/news/1175361|title=Review: My trip to Hotal with Meera Jee raised serious questions about Pakistani cinema|last=Bashir|first=Omer|date=2016-05-17|work=Images|access-date=2018-05-19|language=en-US}}</ref>

Tanveer Khadim, blogger of ''The Express Tribune'' wrote, <nowiki>''</nowiki>''Hotal'', the work of a New York Film Academy graduate, Khalid Hasan Khan, offered nothing surreal and nothing to write home about.<nowiki>'' She concluded her review with upshot, ''</nowiki>All in all, ''Hotal'' is a freaky product, not a spine-chilling psycho-thriller.<nowiki>''</nowiki><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/34753/hotal-is-entirley-an-intolerable-piece-of-hogwash/|title=Hotal is entirely an intolerable piece of hogwash|access-date=2018-05-24|language=en-US}}</ref>

Omair Alavi from ''HIPinPakistan.com'' also criticized the film<nowiki>'s plot and stated, ''</nowiki>''Hotal'' has all the ingredients of a psycho thriller except that the plot is beyond any logic whatsoever.<nowiki>''</nowiki><ref name="Alavi">{{Cite news|url=https://www.hipinpakistan.com/news/1149706|title=In Review: 'Hotal' is a thriller for psychos|last=Alavi|first=Omair|date=2016-05-17|work=HIP|access-date=2018-05-19|language=en-US}}</ref> He also disliked the film<nowiki>'s music and commented, ''</nowiki>One cannot end the movie review without reflecting on the three items numbers – two songs and a dance sequence – that beat even the ''gandasa''-endorsing cinema of the mid ’90s in vulgarity. It’s ironic that the Pakistani censor board didn't chop off these numbers, which were there only to add "colour" to the film.<nowiki>''</nowiki><ref name="Alavi"/>

In his review on ‘Stupid Six’ Pakistani movies of 2016, Omair Alavi placed the film on second number.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/magazine/instep-today/165787-Films-that-have-failed-us-in-2016|title=Films that have failed us in 2016|last=Alavi|first=Omair|access-date=2018-05-24|language=en}}</ref>

=== Box office === It collected Rs 0.7 million in its opening week.<ref name="The Express Tribune"/>

== Accolades == The film received an award for Best Film at the 3rd Delhi International Film Festival 2014, whilst Meera won the Best Actress Award.<ref name="entertainmentdesk"/><ref name="tribune.com.pk"/>

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{IMDb title}}

Category:2014 films Category:Pakistani horror films Category:2014 horror films Category:Pakistani thriller films Category:Pakistani mystery films Category:Pakistani murder films Category:Urdu-language Pakistani films Category:2014 Urdu-language films Category:2014 Pakistani films