Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 13, 2020)

Many films that don’t get their due in theatres often end up gaining popularity when they release on OTT platforms. Hina Khan would somewhat relate to this, as her debut film — Vikram Bhatt’s Hacked — failed to create a buzz when it released on the big screens earlier this year, but its OTT release received a great response.

However, Khan, 32, says that she was disappointed with the poor reception of her film in theatres. “Recently, Kareena (Kapoor Khan) spoke up about nepotism and said quite bluntly, ‘If people feel there’s so much nepotism, then don’t watch our films’. I agree that it’s the audiences, who decide what they want to watch — be it movies of star kids or newcomers. We put so much efforts to get our movies into the theatres, but if we don’t get enough audiences, then blaming nepotism doesn’t help,” says Khan, who has been a popular face on TV for over a decade.

Khan, who stars in web series Damaged 2, and web film, Unlocked, believes that theatrical release of her film wasn’t appreciated due to a new cast. “People didn’t watch Hacked in theatres, as it didn’t have a big star’s daughter. But on OTT, it was among the most watched films during the lockdown. I want to urge the audiences to give us a chance to make it a level-playing field. Bollywood mafia, insider vs outsider — all debates will end if audiences give us equal opportunities,” she adds.