Director Pradeep Sarkar says multiple delays won't affect Helicopter Eela's box office chances
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; October 8, 2018)

Kajol's Helicopter Eela has seen multiple changes in its release date. Initially scheduled to hit theatres on September 21, the Pradeep Sarkar-directed venture advanced its release to September 14 and subsequently, to September 7 to avoid clashing with other films. The family drama was again pushed by a month after the director was hospitalised for dengue.

Given that the first promo was unveiled in August, one wonders if the long-drawn wait may adversely impact the film's prospects at the box office. However, Sarkar is certain that his labour of love will be given a fair chance by the audience. "I don't think delaying Helicopter Eela has affected it at all. A good film will always perform well, and we are confident about our product."

"We had released our first promo before we had wrapped up the shoot, which is normal with any film. Unfortunately, I was hospitalised soon after. So we weren't completely ready, and showing a half-baked film would have been wrong on our part," says Sarkar, adding that producer Ajay Devgn was gracious enough to stand by his side through the delay.

The film, which sees Kajol returning to Bollywood after three years, revolves around the concept of helicopter parenting. Sarkar says he took inputs from his kids while making the film. "Since it's a youth-oriented film, I wanted to know their perspective. My kids would give me an honest feedback; they also guided me in getting the college lingo right."