Showing posts with label Loveyapa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Loveyapa. Show all posts
First six months of 2025 a mixed bag for the box office
10:59 AM
The first six months of 2025 have been a mixed bag for the box office, with small films working, and heavyweight projects tanking
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 1, 2025)
The first six months of 2025 have been a roller-coaster ride for India, with the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s brave response in the form of Operation Sindoor being everyone’s focus. However, the film business remained unaffected. According to an Ormax report, the cumulative total for 2025’s releases, till May, stood at Rs. 4,812 crore, 27% higher than the same period in 2024.
JANUARY
Actor Sonu Sood’s Fateh (Rs. 12.85 crore), Rasha Thadani and Aaman Devgan-starrer Azaad (Rs. 6.32 crore), actor Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency (Rs. 16.52 crore) and actor Shahid Kapoor’s Deva couldn’t set the cash registers ringing. Sky Force featuring Akshay Kumar did manage to break even.
FEBRUARY
Vicky Kaushal-starrer Chhaava became this year’s highest grosser so far. Made on a budget of Rs. 130 crore, the period drama earned Rs. 600 crore. Actors Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor’s Loveyapa only collected Rs. 7 crore, against a budget of Rs. 60 crore.
MARCH-APRIL
While Sunny Deol’s Jaat (Rs. 89.50 crore) and Akshay Kumar’s Kesari Chapter 2 did well, Salman Khan’s Sikandar, made on a budget of Rs. 200 crore, failed.
MAY
Ajay Devgn-starrer Raid 2 did well with Rs. 173.28 crore. Also, Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi’s Bhool Chuk Maaf had a decent run with Rs. 74.18 crore.
JUNE
June had two clean hits so far — Housefull 5 and actor Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par, which has been running successfully. Actor Kajol’s horror-mythological drama Maa got a slow start.
“Barring Chhaava, we have not had a true blockbuster. Raid 2 and Jaat did well. I hope the second half is better. I feel the smaller and medium-budget films need to do well in theatres, as we don’t have a big release every week. Bhool Chuk Maaf did well in the two-week window it had between theatrical and digital release.”
- Taran Adarsh, Trade analyst
“2025 has not been so good. Sikandar not working was a shock. Kesari Chapter 2 and Housefull 5 worked. Before the pandemic, such films would run, not just work. We are still struggling, businesswise.”
- Atul Mohan, Trade analyst
“The first half of 2025 saw strong theatrical momentum, led by Chhaava, Raid 2, Bhool Chuk Maaf, Kesari Chapter 2, Sitaare Zameen Par and Jaat. Hollywood also contributed with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning becoming the first Hollywood release to cross ₹100 crore in 2025 and a solid performance by Final Destination Bloodlines and How to Train Your Dragon. Regional cinema, including Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films, contributed ₹3,600 crore to the box office.”
- Devang Sampat, Managing Director, Cinepolis India
BIG HITS
Chhaava - Rs. 600.10 crore
Raid 2 - Rs. 178.08 crore
Sky Force - Rs. 131.44 crore
Housefull 5 - Rs. 156.40 crore
Kesari Chapter 2 - Rs. 93.28 crore
Sitaare Zameen Par - Rs. 107.68 crore
BIG MISSES
Sikandar - Rs. 103.45 crore
Deva - Rs. 32.07 crore
Loveyapa - 7.04 crore
(Figures as per all-India collections, according to trade estimates and Bollywood Hungama)
I liked Loveyapa. It bombed purely because of the hate, says Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan director Santosh Singh
3:05 PM
Stating that online hate affected Junaid Khan’s Loveyapa, Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan director Santosh Singh hopes the audience will watch star kid Shanaya Kapoor’s performance before forming their opinion
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 13, 2025)
Two new talents hope to find a place in the Hindi film industry with Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan. While Santosh Singh, known for helming Broken…But Beautiful, is making his theatrical debut, the love story will also mark Shanaya Kapoor’s foray into Bollywood. Launching a star kid today comes with incessant trolling and talks of nepotism. It isn’t lost on Singh, who insists that Kapoor was chosen on the basis of merit for the love story, led by Vikrant Massey.
Recalling that he met her after he was impressed by her test tape, the director shares, “We gave her two scenes to prep. She came back after two days, performed the scenes, and I thought she was good. The role she is playing is tough — for anyone, not just a debutant. So, we did workshops with her for three to four months. She also trained with an acting coach. It’s a big responsibility to launch someone. But as long as someone is hard-working and giving it their all, that’s what matters.”
Earlier this year, Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor made their big-screen debut with Loveyapa, which struggled to draw the audience to theatres. Singh believes the disproportionate negativity online played a role.
He reflects, “There is a lot of hate now, when it comes to [star] kids. I liked Loveyapa. It bombed purely because of the hate. I hope people will first watch a film, see the performances, then form an opinion. How can you hate someone without seeing their work? Just because their path might’ve been easier in some way? That’s not fair.”
Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan, centred on a musician and a theatre actor, is an adaptation of Ruskin Bond’s short story, The Eyes Have It. Having grown up on the much-loved writer’s works, Singh says it was a joy to interpret his story for the big screen.
“This story is just six pages. We used it as the base, and created our own story around it. I hope we’ve done justice to what he wrote,” says the director, adding that his biggest support system came in the form of his leading man. “Vikrant is such a versatile actor. After Broken..., we’re doing a love story again.”
Aamir Khan on Junaid’s Loveyapa failure: "Mujhe bada dukh hai"
8:19 AM
HINDUSTAN TIMES (February 25, 2025)
Actor Aamir Khan’s eldest son, Junaid Khan, recently made his theatrical debut alongside Khushi Kapoor in the romantic comedy Loveyapa. While the film received a mixed-to-positive response from audiences, it struggled at the box office (Rs. 8.85cr worldwide).
“Mujhe bada dukh hai. Mujhe laga film achchi hai, aur Junaid ne bhi achcha kaam kiya hai lekin woh film nahin chali,” Aamir told ABP Live. As a father, Aamir admitted that he was far more anxious about Loveyapa than he usually is for his own projects.
He said, “Two weeks before the release of the film, I was wondering, ‘Why am I so stressed out about the film? It is not my film, I’ve neither acted, produced nor directed it’. But still I was anxious; I felt it was an important moment in my life. This is the emotion of a father. I don’t know how to explain it. Whatever we do for our kids, we will always think we are not doing much.”
Despite the setback, Aamir remains optimistic about Junaid’s journey. “This is a field where you have to face success and failure. Junaid young and intelligent hai. He’ll find his way,” he ended.
I can’t be like my mom Sridevi even in the next 100 years-Khushi Kapoor
9:58 AM
On Sridevi’s seventh death anniversary today, her daughter, actor Khushi Kapoor shares fond memories of the legendary actor
S Farah Rizvi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 24, 2025)
It’s been seven years since Sridevi, one of the biggest stars in Indian cinema, passed away. On her death anniversary today, her younger daughter, actor Khushi Kapoor recalls, “My mom gave her all to acting, starting when she was barely four.”
The 24-year-old adds, “My sister (actor Janhvi Kapoor) and I are very proud of her, and she will always play a huge part in our lives.”
Khushi, who recently made her theatrical debut with Loveyapa, shares, “When I saw myself on the big screen for the first time, I missed her a lot.”
Addressing how people often compare her to Sridevi, she says, “I can’t be like my mom even in the next 100 years. She was made of a different mould; they don’t make artistes like her anymore.”
Sharing her most vivid memory of her mother, Khushi says, “I remember accompanying her to New York for English Vinglish (2012). She had to perform a dance sequence in a chiffon saree, and she was shivering because of the cold, but she completed the scene to perfection. She simply adored her craft.”
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 869
5:11 PM
SANAM TERI KASAM IS A SURPRISE SUCCESS; WILL CHHAAVA FOLLOW SUIT?
The last week was unbelievable for the industry. The re-release trend is going on strongly but the way Sanam Teri Kasam performed took everyone by storm. Everyone hoped that it would open better than what its opening number was in the original run, that is, Rs. 1.12 crores. However, the film managed to have an opening of Rs. 4 crores! The collections jumped to Rs. 5.25 crores on Saturday and Rs. 6 crores on Sunday. It held well on Monday and Tuesday, collecting Rs. 3.15 crores and Rs. 2.75 crores respectively. If it manages to maintain strong collections in its second week, it can have a lifetime of Rs. 40 crores. Simply historic!
Badass Ravi Kumar, meanwhile, opened under expectations as it didn’t jump post afternoon on the first day. It collected Rs. 2.25 crores on Friday. It dropped to Rs. 1.75 crores on Saturday and further on Sunday, collecting Rs. 1.25 crores. On Monday, it crashed to Rs. 25 lakhs. Loveyapa, meanwhile, is a flop but has held better than Badass Ravi Kumar. At some point, it’ll go past the Himesh Reshammiya-starrer, which was not expected at all.
The other re-release of last week, Interstellar, on the other hand, opened as per expectations at Rs. 2.70 crores. It collected Rs. 3.80 crores on Saturday, Rs. 4 crores on Sunday, Rs. 2 crores on Monday, Rs. 1.85 crores on Tuesday and Rs. 1.67 crores on Wednesday. Thus, its first week collections will be around Rs. 18 crores. Sadly, it only has a one-week run and will be pulled out from cinemas from February 14. If that was not the case, it would have collected Rs. 25 crores or even Rs. 30 crores.
Meanwhile, all eyes are now on Chhaava. It stars Vicky Kaushal, Rashmika Mandanna and Akshaye Khanna and is about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The teaser was released during Stree 2 in August 2024 and got a roaring response. There's a lot of excitement surrounding it and it would lead to a healthy opening, possibly of Rs. 20 crores plus.
What goes against the film is its Maharashtra flavour; it often leads to limited business in the North and East. Also, it's not an ideal Valentine’s Day film but this factor shouldn’t affect the film much.
Captain America: Brave New World is the big Hollywood release of the week. The ticket sales haven’t been great and hopefully, it’ll open in the range of Rs. 7-8 crores.
The last week was unbelievable for the industry. The re-release trend is going on strongly but the way Sanam Teri Kasam performed took everyone by storm. Everyone hoped that it would open better than what its opening number was in the original run, that is, Rs. 1.12 crores. However, the film managed to have an opening of Rs. 4 crores! The collections jumped to Rs. 5.25 crores on Saturday and Rs. 6 crores on Sunday. It held well on Monday and Tuesday, collecting Rs. 3.15 crores and Rs. 2.75 crores respectively. If it manages to maintain strong collections in its second week, it can have a lifetime of Rs. 40 crores. Simply historic!
Badass Ravi Kumar, meanwhile, opened under expectations as it didn’t jump post afternoon on the first day. It collected Rs. 2.25 crores on Friday. It dropped to Rs. 1.75 crores on Saturday and further on Sunday, collecting Rs. 1.25 crores. On Monday, it crashed to Rs. 25 lakhs. Loveyapa, meanwhile, is a flop but has held better than Badass Ravi Kumar. At some point, it’ll go past the Himesh Reshammiya-starrer, which was not expected at all.
The other re-release of last week, Interstellar, on the other hand, opened as per expectations at Rs. 2.70 crores. It collected Rs. 3.80 crores on Saturday, Rs. 4 crores on Sunday, Rs. 2 crores on Monday, Rs. 1.85 crores on Tuesday and Rs. 1.67 crores on Wednesday. Thus, its first week collections will be around Rs. 18 crores. Sadly, it only has a one-week run and will be pulled out from cinemas from February 14. If that was not the case, it would have collected Rs. 25 crores or even Rs. 30 crores.
Meanwhile, all eyes are now on Chhaava. It stars Vicky Kaushal, Rashmika Mandanna and Akshaye Khanna and is about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The teaser was released during Stree 2 in August 2024 and got a roaring response. There's a lot of excitement surrounding it and it would lead to a healthy opening, possibly of Rs. 20 crores plus.
What goes against the film is its Maharashtra flavour; it often leads to limited business in the North and East. Also, it's not an ideal Valentine’s Day film but this factor shouldn’t affect the film much.
Captain America: Brave New World is the big Hollywood release of the week. The ticket sales haven’t been great and hopefully, it’ll open in the range of Rs. 7-8 crores.
Sanam Teri Kasam's re-release proves to be financial success: "Initial release had resulted in Rs 25 crore loss"
3:15 PM
With Sanam Teri Kasam re-releasing in 400 screens, trade analysts expect an increase in shows amid the film’s unexpected popularity and low buzz around new movies
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 8, 2025)
It’s almost impossible to predict the box office. The film industry saw it last year as the audience warmly welcomed re-releases, with Laila Majnu —a washout upon its original release in 2018—becoming a hit during its second run. It looks like Sanam Teri Kasam (2016) may have a similar fate. As the Harshvardhan Rane and Mawra Hocane-starrer re-released yesterday, producer Deepak Mukut said that the film’s screen count was originally finalized at 60, but was increased after seeing the audience demand.
“We had no plans to re-release the film, but about 70 fans came to our office and requested that we release it in the Valentine week. Initially, I was very unsure as the competition is high with Deva, and Loveyapa,” said Mukut, adding that the strong advance booking on online booking platforms has left him surprised.
“While the film’s 2016 release had resulted in a Rs 25 crore loss, the re-release has proven to be a financial success. We have almost 400 screens across 350 cinemas. Exhibitors have been increasing shows organically.”
While the love story had a poor run on its release, it gained a following over the years after its OTT release. But that isn’t the only factor driving its opening in theatres. Trade expert Girish Wankhede says the lack of buzz around the new movies has further helped it.
Wankhede says, “Badass Ravi Kumar is doing reasonably well, but Loveyapa has started slow. The new releases aren’t tracking as well. Sanam Teri Kasam has opened well. One can predict only after Saturday how many screens it will be increased to.”
Bihar-based exhibitor Vishek Chauhan says that while he had allotted one show during advance booking in his theatres in Patna and Gaya, he increased it to 80 by the time the film opened yesterday. “[After the rise in shows], I traced back and figured that a few months ago, some influencers convinced the producer to re-release the film. With Friday being Rose Day and Valentine’s Day around the corner, young people, who had never watched it in a theatre, made it a FOMO experience. This isn’t a case of corporate booking, young couples are coming to the film. Our Friday, Saturday and Sunday shows are sold out. So far, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani [2013] opened the highest at Rs 1.5 crore, among re-releases. This one can be estimated to go as big as Rs 8 crore. Loveyapa will struggle to make it to Rs 1.5 crore,” he says.
(Crisp) Movie Review: LOVEYAPA by FENIL SETA
12:43 PM
Loveyapa rests on a solid concept - two love birds exchanging phones with each other for 24 hours and the madness that ensues from thereon. The idea is relatable and the makers pepper the film with some funny and dramatic moments. The second half also makes an important point about relationships. However, the film suffers as the performances of the lead actors are not quite the best. In the original film, Love Today, the makers mentioned the real names of the apps and also showed their actual interface. Here, the makers come up with surrogate apps with cheap copy interfaces and they don't even properly mention WhatsApp, Instagram etc. This takes away the realism. The first half is just okay and an important plot point is forgotten completely. Lastly, the use of the song 'Leja' is a bad idea as it has already been utilized in Mismatched Season 3 and also, it's a viral song on Instagram Reels and Stories. Junaid Khan tries his best but falters in some scenes. He also doesn't look like an apt 'Delhi ka launda'. Khushi Kapoor is raw in some scenes but handles the emotional scenes better. Ashutosh Rana and Kiku Sharda are entertaining. Grusha Kapoor (Gucci's mother), Tanvika Parlikar (Gucci's sister), Devishi Madaan (Pinti; Bani's sister), Nikhil Mehta (Shanky), Aaditya Kulshreshth (Lamba), Jason Tham (Bobby), Yunus Khan (Jaggi) and Yuktam Khosla (Karan) are memorable. Bhawya Chawla (Coochiepoo) is aptly cast. All in all, Loveyapa is a one-time watch mainly thanks to its concept.
My rating - *** out of 5!
My rating - *** out of 5!
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 868
11:23 AM
HIMESH RESHAMMIYA, CHRISTOPHER NOLAN, HARSHVARDHAN RANE ALL SET TO RULE THE BOX OFFICE
The coming week will prove to be an interesting one as a mix of new and old releases will spring a surprise at the ticket window. Regarding the new films, the biggest one will be Badass Ravi Kumar. It stars Himesh Reshammiya and there’s tremendous excitement to see this flick. The film was announced way back in 2022. The trailer of the film finally dropped on January 5 this year and it got a terrific response. The trailer is full of over-the-top dialogues and action scenes.
What has worked is that this time, Himesh is simply having fun, unlike before when he was trying to be a serious actor. With Badass Ravi Kumar, viewers can sense that it’s like a spoof film and that has impressed them. Moreover, the songs have caught on big time. A surprising aspect is that Himesh Reshammiya has not done a single on-ground promotional activity. He has not given any interviews. Yet, the film has managed to create noise which proves that sometimes a superb trailer and hit songs can do the trick.
The film is all set to open in the range of Rs. 5 crores with an outside chance of it hitting the Rs. 6 crore mark. This will be huge for this film as Himesh Reshammiya’s movies have never opened beyond Rs. 2 crores. The distributors opted for a smart strategy of pricing tickets at a maximum rate of Rs. 150. Hence, many moviegoers have been tempted to book their tickets.
The same price strategy has also been adopted by the makers of Loveyapa. It is the remake of the 2022 super-hit Tamil film Love Today and stars Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor. The film rests on an interesting premise and the trailer is entertaining. But it hasn’t clicked well with the audience. Junaid faced trolling during the promotions after his awkward dance videos went viral.
The advance of Loveyapa is very poor and one can hope that it should at least cross the Rs. 1 crore mark. The ticket sales are sluggish despite the cheaper prices. This is because the moviegoers are spoilt for choice this Friday due to Badass Ravi Kumar and re-releases, which look far more exciting. Ideally, Loveyapa should have been released 2 or 3 weeks later when the competition was not this intense.
Speaking of re-releases, Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar has sprung a surprise. Its advance booking began 20 days ago and the tickets have sold like hot cakes since then. It is all set to open in the range of Rs. 4-5 crores and hence, will give a tough competition to Badass Ravi Kumar.
Another major re-release of the week is Sanam Teri Kasam. The film didn’t do well in cinemas in 2016 but it achieved a cult following over the years. Not many expected it to get a huge advance but it has managed to do the unthinkable. The film has got a wide release and it remains to be seen if it can go beyond Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’s re-release first-day collections of Rs. 1.10 crore. If it does, it’ll become the second-highest re-release Hindi opener after Tumbbad (Rs. 1.50 crores). By doing so, it’ll also cross the first-day figures of Sanam Teri Kasam’s original release, which were Rs. 1.12 crore.
Padmaavat was re-released today while Bareilly Ki Barfi will re-release tomorrow. However, both these films will fail to get the desired number of footfalls.
The coming week will prove to be an interesting one as a mix of new and old releases will spring a surprise at the ticket window. Regarding the new films, the biggest one will be Badass Ravi Kumar. It stars Himesh Reshammiya and there’s tremendous excitement to see this flick. The film was announced way back in 2022. The trailer of the film finally dropped on January 5 this year and it got a terrific response. The trailer is full of over-the-top dialogues and action scenes.
What has worked is that this time, Himesh is simply having fun, unlike before when he was trying to be a serious actor. With Badass Ravi Kumar, viewers can sense that it’s like a spoof film and that has impressed them. Moreover, the songs have caught on big time. A surprising aspect is that Himesh Reshammiya has not done a single on-ground promotional activity. He has not given any interviews. Yet, the film has managed to create noise which proves that sometimes a superb trailer and hit songs can do the trick.
The film is all set to open in the range of Rs. 5 crores with an outside chance of it hitting the Rs. 6 crore mark. This will be huge for this film as Himesh Reshammiya’s movies have never opened beyond Rs. 2 crores. The distributors opted for a smart strategy of pricing tickets at a maximum rate of Rs. 150. Hence, many moviegoers have been tempted to book their tickets.
The same price strategy has also been adopted by the makers of Loveyapa. It is the remake of the 2022 super-hit Tamil film Love Today and stars Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor. The film rests on an interesting premise and the trailer is entertaining. But it hasn’t clicked well with the audience. Junaid faced trolling during the promotions after his awkward dance videos went viral.
The advance of Loveyapa is very poor and one can hope that it should at least cross the Rs. 1 crore mark. The ticket sales are sluggish despite the cheaper prices. This is because the moviegoers are spoilt for choice this Friday due to Badass Ravi Kumar and re-releases, which look far more exciting. Ideally, Loveyapa should have been released 2 or 3 weeks later when the competition was not this intense.
Speaking of re-releases, Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar has sprung a surprise. Its advance booking began 20 days ago and the tickets have sold like hot cakes since then. It is all set to open in the range of Rs. 4-5 crores and hence, will give a tough competition to Badass Ravi Kumar.
Another major re-release of the week is Sanam Teri Kasam. The film didn’t do well in cinemas in 2016 but it achieved a cult following over the years. Not many expected it to get a huge advance but it has managed to do the unthinkable. The film has got a wide release and it remains to be seen if it can go beyond Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’s re-release first-day collections of Rs. 1.10 crore. If it does, it’ll become the second-highest re-release Hindi opener after Tumbbad (Rs. 1.50 crores). By doing so, it’ll also cross the first-day figures of Sanam Teri Kasam’s original release, which were Rs. 1.12 crore.
Padmaavat was re-released today while Bareilly Ki Barfi will re-release tomorrow. However, both these films will fail to get the desired number of footfalls.
Loveyapa director Advait Chandan on Junaid Khan's public appearances: "When you're a terrible dancer..."
8:27 AM
Director Advait Chandan talks all things Loveyapa—from not treating it as a star kids’ launch vehicle to being proud of Junaid Khan’s conduct in promotions even as the internet slams his awkward behaviour
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; February 5, 2025)
Director Advait Chandan is getting the “exam-wali feeling” as Loveyapa readies for release this Friday. But this is an exam that the director was reluctant to take in the first place, he tells us. When producer Madhu Mantena bought the rights to the Tamil hit, Love Today (2022), and asked Chandan if he wanted to adapt it, his answer was a straight no.
“I said that I don’t want to do a remake. After Laal Singh Chaddha [2022], I had decided I’d work on something original and not do a remake. I was writing something of my own,” he narrates. But when Mantena persuaded him to watch the rom-com revolving around a young couple, who exchange their phones before getting married, he had a change of heart.
Chandan was sold as far as the story was concerned. But he had reservations whether Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor were the right choice to lead the Hindi adaptation. With his dilemma, he went to the one person he trusts the most in the industry—frequent collaborator and Junaid’s superstar-father Aamir Khan.
“I was unsure of both Junaid and Khushi. Maharaj [2024] hadn’t released, nor had The Archies [2023]. So, I went to meet Aamir sir and told him, ‘A film has been offered to me with Junaid and Khushi attached. I’m considering taking the film up, but I don’t know if Junaid is the right person for the film.’ He said, ‘Take up the film. If you think Junaid is not right for the part, then drop him. I won’t mind it and won’t create any pressure on you. You do whatever is right for your film.’ He suggested that I do readings, auditions, and hang out with them and if at the end of the process, I feel they aren’t right, I should let go of them. That was very reassuring,” he smiles.
Over the next two months of readings and prep, the young actors won Chandan over with their “hard work and dedication,” sealing their place in Loveyapa. While it marks the big-screen debut of Junaid and Kapoor, the younger daughter of late Sridevi, the director asserts he didn’t approach the film as a launch vehicle for the two star kids.
Chandan says, “If a producer comes to me with a budget and a good story, I will make it with anybody who is talented. Khushi and Junaid didn’t walk in with the attitude that ‘I am Sridevi’s daughter’ or ‘I am Aamir Khan’s son’. They came with the approach of making this film well. Khushi made a playlist for her character, she sent me colours that she thought Bani would wear. The pressure was not to launch a star kid. My responsibility is not to star kids, it’s to the audience who has given me their time and money. If I managed to entertain them, I have also done right by Junaid and Khushi. I approached them as two professionals, who needed to know their lines, be emotive and professional. They were all these things. By collaborating to make a good film, we all helped each other. What does that have to do with who is whose father?”
In the last few weeks, the two young leads have aggressively promoted the film. The director takes immense pride in the way Junaid, a self-confessed introvert, has made public appearances.
Tell him that the actor’s awkwardness is glaring, and Chandan replies, “It takes immense amount of strength and courage to stand in front of an audience that is so quick to throw eggs and tomatoes at you, and troll you. He still stands, does that one step again and again, and takes all of that just because he is keen on calling people to theatres. I take immense pride in that boy. It’s easy to go on stage or feature in a reel when you’re a good dancer. But when you’re a terrible dancer, to stand on stage and do that hook step takes courage.”
But isn’t it unfair to make an actor, clearly uncomfortable with putting himself out there, engage in excessive promotions? Chandan shoots back, “Did your heart go out to him? If yes, then my job is done. This is what makes an actor a star.”
As he gears up for the Friday test, it also brings back memories of the last Friday two years ago when he had failed. Chandan’s Laal Singh Chaddha (2022) may be widely loved today, but upon release, the Aamir and Kareena Kapoor Khan-starrer had tanked at the box office. It’s understandable when the director says he is still not over it.
“I went into a dark space. I took the failure to my heart; those days have still not ended. I still feel very emotional when someone says they like Laal Singh Chaddha. I care about the audience and every critic. I have read every comment on the film’s trailer on YouTube and every comment about the film on X (formerly Twitter). When the film didn’t land for a lot of people, it knocked me out.”
While Aamir has publicly expressed that he believed his performance was one of the reasons for the film’s fate, his director disagrees. “Aamir sir has a lot of grace and maturity to process it, I did not. I just shut down. I didn’t know if I could make a film again. But then, I got back and said let’s do better this time. While making Laal Singh Chaddha, I cared about every aspect of that film. I cared about Aamir sir’s performance. His performance landed for me. When I remember the scene in which he is sitting at Rupa’s grave, I choke up even now.”
Did he fear for his career after the debacle of Laal Singh Chaddha, considering he was at the helm of a superstar vehicle? “A director absolutely fears whether he will get enough work after a superstar vehicle doesn’t work. I am grateful to Aamir sir because without him, I wouldn’t have the craft or a career. I wouldn’t be anywhere without him. The way Munna Bhai hallucinates about Gandhi ji, I hallucinate about Aamir sir,” he grins.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)