The release of Jigra opened a can of worms, exposing the issues plaguing the Hindi film and media industries today. It opened to mixed reviews and garnered a modest Rs 4.25 crore on its first day, marking the lowest opening for an Alia Bhatt-led film in a decade. Even before its release, comparisons were being drawn between Savi and Jigra, as both films share a common theme of jailbreak.
Jigra Embroiled in Controversies
Upon Jigra’s release, Divya Khossla took to Instagram and shared a picture of an empty theatre, accusing Bhatt of buying tickets, booking halls, and inflating the box office numbers of her film. What followed was a cryptic exchange between Karan Johar and Khossla, sparking a flurry of online chatter about rigged figures and paid reviews. Simultaneously, smear campaigns were launched on social media platforms and Reddit, with many criticising the film and targeting Alia for her poor film choices and inability to draw audiences to theatres. But that wasn’t all.
Before its release, in an interview with Tried & Refused Productions, Vasan Bala expressed his dissatisfaction with Johar for forwarding an unfinished draft of Jigra to Bhatt without proper revisions. This rekindled the nepotism debate in the film industry, with many interpreting it as favouritism towards Bhatt by Johar over other talents. In another incident, Manipur-based actor Bijou Thaangjam accused the makers of Jigra of discriminating against North-Eastern actors. He alleged that after being selected for the film, he was ghosted by the casting team, causing him to miss out on other projects.
Why the Dismal Box Office Performance Despite the Holiday Period
Since its release, multiple shows of Jigra have been cancelled due to low audience turnout. News18 Showsha exclusively spoke to trade and industry experts to understand what the Jigra controversy means for the industry and whether the accusations against the film, its leading lady, and its makers hold any truth. Trade analyst Atul Mohan explained why the film had a poor box office performance despite releasing during the holiday season.
He shared, “I attribute it to its content and negative reviews. It’s like every second film on an OTT platform. It’s not a very novel story. A lot of people didn’t like the usage of the old track Phoolon Ka Taron Ka. The music, overall, isn’t strong, and Vasan Bala isn’t a bankable name who has seen commercial success. It released during Navratri. People preferred to celebrate with their families rather than going to watch Jigra or Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video in theaters.”
Karan Johar vs Divya Khossla and Its Impact on Jigra’s Box Office
Chennai-based trade guru Ramesh Bala noted that even the publicity generated by the spat between Johar and Khossla didn’t help the film. “Sometimes, a fight gives a film publicity, and people often say that any publicity is good publicity. But this noise was limited to Bollywood. Jigra was also released in Telugu, and it didn’t perform well there either. This proves that 90 percent of the time, a film’s merit dictates its box office performance and public reception. I don’t think external factors like fights can impact a film’s business,” he explained.
It’s fair to say that this episode exposed the lack of unity among film fraternity members. Mohan believes that celebrities should exercise caution when calling out their peers. “Although such incidents give films publicity, they don’t impact box office results. But insiders should show maturity. If we fight among ourselves, how will we stay united? Discussions behind closed doors are fine, but we must act responsibly in public,” he remarked.
Actor-producer Arbaaz Khan, however, feels that despite the presence of cliques, the unity among industry members remains intact. He said, “There is support within the industry. People do their own thing, but when it’s time to reunite for a common cause, the industry comes together. There are groups and camps, but that just means people feel comfortable working with a certain set of people, and that’s okay. Relationships matter, and if needed, they’ll switch camps.”
Hate Campaigns Against Jigra and Alia Bhatt
Do smear campaigns damage the environment within the film industry? “If the content had been strong, it would have negated the smear campaigns. But with Jigra, the content wasn’t appreciated, and it was panned by critics and audiences. The negative word-of-mouth also sped up these campaigns,” explained film business expert and producer Girish Johar.
Reflecting on Jigra, Bala recalled the anti-film campaign against Rajinikanth’s Vettaiyan that recently surfaced on X. “Vijay’s fans ran a campaign during the release of Vettaiyan, declaring it a disaster on day one, before its release. Rival fans often launch such campaigns, and it happens in Bollywood too. It’s a tit-for-tat situation. If you ask these fans why they’re doing it, they’ll say others did the same when their favourite star’s film was released six months ago.”
Mohan assured that these campaigns don’t lead to bad blood among industry colleagues. “You can post 50 negative things about an actor, but no one will care. These so-called fans enjoy doing this, and no one takes them seriously. What happens on social media stays there,” he said.
Bala, however, feels that manufactured narratives can impact a film’s box office performance. “A lot of fake reviews and anti-movie campaigns circulate on WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube. These can influence people’s decisions, and they don’t show up in theaters because of them. Negativity does affect a film, to some extent,” he told us.
Jigra’s Corporate Bookings and Inflated Box Office Numbers
Earlier this year, Kabir Khan spoke about corporate bookings done by production houses. Johar admitted that inflated numbers often accompany such bookings as a tool to grab attention. “This is something we’ve done as a fraternity. No one buys a ticket based on box office numbers. Stree 2 was a hit because people wanted a good comedy or horror, or maybe they’re fans of the actors or the franchise. Inflating numbers is a marketing tool that has now been blown out of proportion,” he said.
Bala added, “Box office numbers have become a promotional stunt. Production houses release posters stating that their film earned Rs 300 crore, Rs 500 crore, or Rs 1000 crore, when in fact, they haven’t. This is done to attract media coverage, but nowadays, 80 percent of audiences can see through these ploys.”
Dharma Productions’ No Press Show Policy and Its Long-Term Ramifications
Ahead of Jigra’s release, Dharma Productions – much like Yash Raj Films – announced that they were foregoing press screenings, which met with resistance from journalists. Johar defended this decision, saying, “It’s a great way to return to the traditional way of watching a film, where journalists experience it alongside the audience.”
He elaborated, “This is the right approach. Group or press screenings might result in negativity if the group doesn’t like it. Why add fuel to the fire? Let the audience decide the film’s quality.”
The Persistent Low-Footfall Problem
Khan believes the biggest challenge is the short release window for films. “If a film runs for weeks, audiences have time to see it. But how do you catch a film with only a three-day window? It’s tough to build support,” he explained.
Actor Arshad Warsi added, “A good film will be watched, but external factors can interfere with that journey. If I want to do a good film, there are ten thousand people distracting my mind that stops me from reaching there. That good film doesn’t get its due because no one has allowed it to get into the theatre. I like the traditional way of booking a theatre, showing a movie, and giving people time to watch it.”
On a more positive note, Johar expressed optimism, predicting that Bollywood will soon recover, with upcoming Diwali releases such as Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again expected to boost the industry’s fortunes. “Bollywood is going through a churn, but we just need two successful back-to-back films to get back on track,” he concluded.
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