Will the arrest of Aryan Khan in the drugs case adversely affect his stardom when he is launched in films?
– Unlikely! Salman Khan became a far bigger star than he was, after his arrest in the black buck case and his involvement in the road accident case. Sanjay Dutt’s KHAL-NAYAK did hit business even though it was released soon after his arrest in the arms case. Rekha’s PHOOL BANE ANGARAY became a hit although it was released less than a year after her husband, Mukesh Agarwal, committed suicide for which many held the actress responsible. Like it or not but oftentimes, controversy and legal tangles work in favour of the stars (whether established or upcoming) involved.
Would Shoojit Sircar now be regretting his decision to premiere Sardar Udham on Amazon Prime, especially because cinemas all over the country will be operational just a few days after his fllm will start streaming on the OTT platform from 16th October?
– Not at all. Shoojit Sircar signed the deal with Amazon Prime recently, when it was clear that cinemas all over India would be open very soon. According to Sircar, once his film is ready, he gets impatient and wants to release it as soon as possible. Secondly, he says, he had a great experience with the OTT platform in GULABO SITABO which was also premiered on it last year. Thirdly, there’s no question of guilt in him as, according to him, he and his partners were aware of what they wanted.
Why is there a feeling in the trade that producers of only those films which are not commercially viable, sell the premiere rights of their films to OTT platforms during the lockdown?
– If there is such a feeling, it is wrong. We’ve had films like SHERSHAAH and GUNJAN SAXENA: THE KARGIL GIRL which were premiered on OTT platforms and have done well. The success ratio of films, whether premiered on OTT or in cinemas, is low — and that’s the universal truth.