I am sure all of you want to know in one just word weather Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha and Raskha Bandha both are a hit or a flop. Well then going by their budgets and collections both are a FLOP.
But which one is a bigger disaster and when it comes to hardcore numbers, which of these two movies will be able to recover its investment? That is exactly what this video is about.
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Now, clearly, these films especially Laal Singh Chaddha that had been in the making since 2017 and was earlier supposed to release way back in Dec 2019, had finally targetted the big Independence Day weekend to get maximum footfalls in the theatre. Ditto for Raksha Bandhan. But the #boycottbollywood campaign had started playing spoilt sport for both the films and this time, it really hit where it hits the most.
Even if you take modest estimates, Laal Singh Chaddha was made at a budget that went upwards of 200 crores. And this has been confirmed by a very reliable source from the studio that made Laal Singh Chaddha who told us that the film that started before COVID and was shot at across multiple locations had to incur losses due to covid lockdowns. Add to that the cost of heavy VFX work in de-ageing of Aamir and Kareena and then of course the interest charges at the rate of 14% that adds each year. All of this multiplied the cost of its making taking it beyond a massive 200 crores.
Now, trade experts that we spoke to from a leading trade magazine said that Laal Singh Chadda
earned a total of 35 crore and Rakshabandhan
earned just 30 crores….through the weekend and as things stand, Laal Singh Chaddha could shut shop by next week. Going by the latest box office figures, it appears likely that Laal Singh Chaddha will not be able to cross the 100 crore mark at the box office, which would be a massive disappointment for Aamir Khan as this is his first film in four years. Even Aamir’s last dud Thugs of Hindostan made more money than this.
The source at the studio tells us that Laal Singh Chaddha will recover most of its cost through satellite, streaming and overseas syndication deals and there maybe some respite from China that has traditionally liked Aamir’s films like Dangal and Secret Superstar. Ajit Andhare, CEO of Viacom 18 Studios that made Laal Singh Chaddha, denied all rumours about compensation for losses and told the Times of India that there are no external distributers, its being distributed by Viacom 18 Studios, and no money is lost in the first place. This is baseless speculation,” he said. Most of the big studios have their own distribution networks in most of the big cities and in smaller centres films are released to sub-distributors on commission basis.
But the fact remains that the film has surely not performed the way Aamir would have hoped. A Bollywood Hungama report said that Aamir seems to be in a state of shock. because he had worked really hard to make the best version of Forrest Gump possible. The rejection has hit him very hard,” the report quoted a friend of Aamir and his former wife Kiran Rao.
Meanwhile, Aamir Khan’s niece, Zayn Marie Khan, has extended her support to the actor over boycott calls against Laal Singh Chaddha. Zayn shared a video appeal on Instagram, requesting everyone to watch the movie and “not let a hate campaign destroy” it. Aamir’s daughter, Ira Khan, also showed her solidarity with him by reposting Zayn’s video on her Instagram account.
Aamir Khan had earlier confessed that he was hurt when he saw the ‘boycott Laal Singh Chaddha’ trend on Twitter. He urged everyone to watch the film. He even admitted at being heartbroken. He has gone on record and said, “I feel sad that some of the people who are saying this, in their hearts, believe that I am someone who doesn’t like India. But it is untrue. It is rather unfortunate that some people feel that way. That’s not the case. Please don’t boycott my film. Please watch my film,” pleaded Aamir.
But, the boycott trend seems coupled with mixed reviews of the film have done the damage to its theatrical run where reports of cancellation of the shows are pouring in each day.
The film had been facing boycott calls even before its release. Aamir Khan’s visit to Turkey in 2020 and a meeting with Turkey’s First Lady triggered off a massive backlash against him, again. Aamir has also been facing uproar on social media for his remarks regarding intolerance in the country and saying that his now ex-wife Kiran felt that so unsafe that she suggested if they should quit India for good. The actor had said he also felt that the sense of insecurity and fear. He had also supported the Award Wapsee gang, saying one of the ways for creative people to express their dissatisfaction or disappointment was to return their awards.
These comments he made way back in 2015 have come back like a bolt from the blue and is said to have affected the business of Laal Singh Chaddha, which is fast becoming one of the biggest disasters of Aamir’s career.
Here in the UAE, Laal Singh Chaddha is doing very average business with even prime time shows recording few footfalls.
Raksha Bandhan is doing even worse. The prime time shows of this film are running empty in most theatres.
Have you caught both either or neither of these two films and what are your thoughts on the trend of boycott Bollywood.
ReviewRon 