Jigra director Vasan Bala feels responsible for the Alia Bhatt starrer underperforming at the box office

Vasan Bala, the director of the film Jigra, which underperformed at the box office, shared his reflections on the film’s disappointing reception. Particularly in light of it being Alia Bhatt’s lowest opening ever. The Vedang Raina and Alia Bhatt didn’t do as expected, which has been quite disappointing for everyone.

Vasan Bala feels responsible for Jigra underperforming at box office

During an interview with Fever FM, Vasan Bala emphasized the importance of analyzing where Jigra fell short. When addressing Jigra’s status as Alia’s lowest opener, Vasan Bala noted, “She is the first choice for everyone and could have been on any other film set at that time. She chose to trust me with this project, so it’s my responsibility to deliver at the box office, as we are in the filmmaking business.”

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Vasan acknowledged the need for a thorough evaluation, saying, “I need to analyze what went wrong. Something happened—people stayed away, and there must be reasons why they didn’t feel compelled to visit theatres. If any other actor decides to commit their time, it’s crucial to make that worth it.”

On its opening day, Jigra earned only ₹4.55 crore in India, marking a disappointing start for a film. The only film of hers that opened lower was her 2014 project, Highway, which earned ₹3.48 crore. Since then, all her films have grossed at least ₹7 crore or more, except Kapoor & Sons. As of now, Jigra, which premiered in theatres on October 11, has generated a total of ₹27.30 crore, according to Sacnilk.

Jigra controversies

In addition to its box office challenges, Jigra has been mired in controversies prior to its release. Vasan Bala expressed his dissatisfaction when producer Karan Johar sent Alia a rough draft of the script via email. Karan later addressed this, criticizing what he called the gross misinterpretation of his comments. And he urged audiences to consider full interviews rather than making clickbait assumptions.

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Additionally, Dharma Productions decided not to hold pre-release screenings for their upcoming films. They called it a necessary step to enhance the excitement surrounding movie releases. There were also claims of plagiarism against Jigra made by actress Divya Khossla, alleging that the film mirrored the plot of her recent project, Savi. Furthermore, Bijou Thaangjam, an actor from Manipur, accused the casting team of Jigra of unprofessional behaviour. Amidst these controversies, Vasan has deactivated his X account.

About Jigra

Jigra features Alia Bhatt and Vedang Raina alongside Manoj Pahwa. The story is centred on a devoted sister who embarks on a challenging mission to save her brother. The action thriller is produced by Dharma Productions, in collaboration with Viacom18 Studios and Eternal Sunshine Productions.

Also Read: Divya Khossla claims Alia Bhatt starrer Jigra is a copy of Savi; addresses ‘fake’ box office collections saying, “Let the audience decide based on merit, not money”