Anubhav Sinha’s latest directorial venture Bheed’ is set to release in theatres this Friday, that is, on 24th March. The movie ostensibly focuses on the problems faced by several migrant workers during the pandemic induced lockdown in India in the year 2020. It features Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Kapur, Bhumi Pednekar, Dia Mirza, and Ashutosh Rana in pivotal roles.
However, ‘Bheed’ looks like a kind of film which should have been better off with a direct-to-OTT release rather than a theatrical release. Firstly, Anubhav Sinha’s previous film ‘Anek’ failed to attract audiences to cinemas despite the casting of Ayushmann Khurrana and with an interesting premise. In fact, it was a huge box-office disappointment. So, perhaps that might adversely impact the box-office fate of ‘Bheed’ as well. Although that remains to be seen.
Moreover, ‘Bheed’ is being perceived as a hard-hitting and potentially eye-opening film. After the film’s trailer was unveiled some time back, it didn’t go well with many people. Probably because the film had somewhat juxtaposed the lockdown event with the Partition of India which happened in 1947. Many people began calling the film as anti-India and this led to a controversy. The film’s trailer was even removed and later another one was released. Not all films mired in controversies get the same box-office treatment which ‘The Kashmir Files’ got last year.
With a hard-hitting and intense premise like ‘Bheed’, the makers may have already had an idea about the kind of polarized response the film’s marketing material and the film itself might get from the people. These kinds of controversies have the potential to severely affect any film’s box-office performance because viewers might be apprehensive in visiting theatres to watch that movie.
Having said that, the impact is unpredictable despite the different controversies surrounding different films. For instance, the widespread boycott calls for Aamir Khan’s ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ severely affected the film’s box-office performance. On the other hand, Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Pathaan’ was also on the receiving end of rampant social media trolls criticizing the film for some indecent elements. But ‘Pathaan’ went on to become a massive blockbuster.
Moreover, several films which were released directly on an OTT platform in the recent past have found success and audience appreciation. The list includes ‘Minnal Murali’ (Netflix), ‘Taanakkaran’ (Disney+ Hotstar), ‘Ammu’ (Prime Video), ‘Darlings’ (Netflix), ‘Gulmohar’ (Disney+ Hotstar), and ‘Monica, O My Darling’ (Netflix), etc. So, it’s ultimately about the makers deciding which movie fits which bill – direct-the-OTT or theatrical format?
Taking all that into account, it may have been prudent that ‘Bheed’ should have opted out of a theatrical release and instead focused on a direct-to-OTT release. However, the verdict will be out in a few days
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