Recently, a so-called blind item in The Opinionated Indian said that an AA-listsuperstar along with a renowned filmmaker are getting more and more nervous about the rather strange low buzz around their forthcoming period drama. Even though the actor has pulled off an outstanding comeback with three straight blockbusters, people from inside the industry feel that the delayed release plus the pretty low-key promotional rollout has caused a few raised eyebrows. So now many are basically waiting to find out whether the story, just on its own, can actually do the job at the box office.
Blind Item
This period movie is about to release in a few days. But there is little or no buzz around the movie. The movie stars aanA-list superstar who has delivered three back-to-back hits. As per a source, the filmmaker & star are perturbed by the low buzz around the movie. The movie release has been delayed by several years. The superstar producer has decided to release the movie after more than a year of dillydallying. But he has barely spent any money on promotions. The industry grapevine suggests that this is a deliberate move by the superstar. He wants the content to do the talking. The hero & filmmaker are also concerned about a pan-India movie releasing just a few weeks after its release.
Rumours doing the rounds suggest that the actor, who has managed to revive his career with three back-to-back blockbusters, isn’t taking any chances with this rather ambitious period drama. While the call to keep promotions pretty minimal is being sold as a confidence-in-content approach, a slice of the trade thinks the team is maybe quietly, even subtly worried. Worried about the film’s delayed release, about changing audience tastes, and also about how another big-ticket pan-India entertainer could arrive in the market soon after.
Industry insiders are also saying that the reunion between the superstar and the filmmaker wasn’t exactly a smooth sail, considering their famously publicised differences in the past. And then there’s more, because many believe the high-influence producer behind the project has effectively taken full command of the release plan, betting that strong word of mouth will kick-start momentum. Whether this bet clicks or turns into one more cautionary tale is something the trade will be watching very closely.
Our Guess
Superstar Hero: Sunny Deol
Filmmaker: Rajkumar Santoshi
Superstar Producer: Aamir Khan
Movie: Batwara
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