Alia Bhatt’s Jigra has seen an unexpectedly disappointing box office collection of Rs 4.55 crore in India. The film has marked the slowed opening for the actress in a decade who has given films like Raazi, Gangubai Kathiawadi and many more. However, Jigra reportedly has made a collection that is unable to surpass her previous low collection of Kalank. The film backed by Dharma Production was one of the anticipated films of the month, it was set to present Alia in an action drama as a leading lady. While fans have compared her to Amitabh Bachchan, it hasn’t led to much buzz with its box office collection.
Before its release, the film also led to some controversies where fans were convinced the film Jailbreak Actioner was an unfinished script from director Vasan Bala by Karan Johar and handed over to Alia. While statements were made by the filmmakers and clarifications followed fans continued to debate about the film’s credibility. Meanwhile, even before the film came out, Dharma Productions announced that they “we’ve unanimously decided to forgo pre-release screenings for our upcoming films.”
The statement called the decision “difficult” but “necessary step” in “ensuring that every viewer, including our friends in the media, witness our stories as they were meant to be experienced.” The statement also led to a lot of speculations about recent industry credibility, how the influencer culture has impacted the film industry, media and the perception of both.
The promotional cycle of the films has changed in recent years, apart from interviews and releases, now celebrities have filmmakers have continued to focus on social media influencers. Post-pandemic, many filmmakers and actors have changed the practice of interviews with print and digital publishers, focusing on social media interactions and getting directly to fans through influencers. Many films have enjoyed the benefit, their impact on footfalls and box office numbers and been widely noticed. The interaction has been positive for some releases helping with word of mouth but it has led to much complexity in the industry including the credibility questions.
SEE ALSO: Jigra Becomes Alia Bhatt’s Lowest-Ever Box Office Opener In A Decade! Even Shaandar And Kalank Performed Better
The recent decision to “adapt” to times and “innovate” by opting out of pre-screening has only started with Jigra for Dharma Productions. It is unclear if the lack of screening and interviews has anything to do with the slow box office collection for the film, but it does lead to the question of whether it is the right move for the filmmakers.
Rahul Desai, a Film Critic called Dhrama production’s move “a knee-jerk reaction at best”. He believes the decision “shows how most media (production) houses don’t really care to distinguish between real journalists and hired/paid ones.” Calling it “a blow to genuine film criticism” he explained how it is ironic as the industry often “bemoans the lack of nuanced analysis and film discourse.”
Indianexpress quoted an insider about Dharma’s move saying, “It is subtle statement to end corruption in a section of film critics, because when there are press shows, then monetary conversations happen for rigging the reviews. This way, review management might stop because Bollywood right now is in a severe credibility crisis.”
Shomini Sen, a critic explained that, “Credibility dwindles mostly because of social media, which has made cinema and people related to it easily accessible. There is also an evil side to the platform. It gives full access but also can mislead. We project a certain aspect of our personal life on social media, similarly a certain narrative is shared on social media of films.” She also added that the same issues have been around among the filmmakers and producers.
She added, “Escalated numbers is not new. Producers often use such tactics to create buzz and curiosity post-release. Clarity and credibility only come when there are assigned people sharing projected numbers, I feel. I don’t believe all the numbers that come through via PRs and other promotional campaigns. Moreover film business is not as easy to understand as we would like to believe”
Dharma’s statement also hints at the paid reviews cycle among influencers as well as reportedly trade analysts. Many are paid to positively promote the film on social media to create buzz right before the review, and the support often comes from producers and PRs.
However, Rahul pointed out that the industry is part of the problem as they “themselves don’t care for real criticism (most critics are used as punching bags when movies don’t do well/has controversies), and they’re the ones who’ve fed the online beast for so long. Anyone with a massive Youtube, Insta or Twitter following will always be given preference by PR agencies and producers. Taking steps like the one Dharma just did is fine for optics, but it won’t change the ways of discourse and trolling.”
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Meanwhile, Shomini Sen rightfully pointed out how media companies also collaborate with films and production houses for promotion. “There are also media partnerships for various promotional activities before releases- all these factors lead to blatant promotions of films and ensure positive reviews from prominent media groups. Dharma’s change of hand (if at all ) will just be seen as another move of Bollywood’s corporatization.”
Despite citing the need for film’s experince to be true and authentic, Dharma’s first release with the new plan hasn’t seen the best of results just yet. The film might enjoy more buzz with word of mouth as it is expected to see a solo release for another week, without any major Bollywood releases hitting the big screen.
Cover Image: Instagram