While Kiran Rao’s satire Laapataa Ladies released in cinemas in March, it grabbed eyeballs only upon its release on Netflix India 8 weeks later. In an interview with Film Companion, Ajay Bijli, Managing Director – PVR INOX, says the reason it didn’t work at the box office could be because of a marketing issue by Aamir Khan’s production house. (Also Read – Crew, Laapataa Ladies: Why some women-led films work at the box office, while some have to wait for Netflix)
What Ajay said
“I was sitting with Aamir in Delhi the other day. He was saying Laapataa Ladies could’ve done much better. But people were sure ki wo abhi aa jayegi. Wo 8 hafte ke baad aayi (people assumed it would come on streaming very soon. But it came after 8 weeks),” said Ajay.
“It’s a case study of… Because 12th Fail did not (fall prey to this). Some other films also didn’t. Actually, Aamir is a dear friend so I can say that there was maybe some marketing issue. Could be. The way we released the movie, everything we did was exactly the same (as 12th Fail).. But the communication about streaming really got exacerbated and suddenly, people said, ‘Achha ab toh aane wali hai toh baad mein dekh lenge (Okay, it’s about to come on streaming so we’ll watch it later),” he added.
About Laapataa Ladies and 12th Fail
Last year, Vidhu Vinod Chopra released his directorial 12th Fail, starring Vikrant Massey in the lead, in cinemas despite everyone’s suggestion that it should be released directly on streaming. The film became a sleeper hit and earned over ₹75 crore at the box office. It released on Disney+ Hotstar later.
On the other hand, Laapataa Ladies, starring three newcomers and Ravi Kishan, didn’t earn even half of that at the box office. However, it was lapped up upon its release on Netflix India 2 weeks later.
Ajay called films like 12th Fail, Rajesh A Krishnan’s heist comedy Crew, and Rajkummar Rao-starrer Srikanth sleeper hits at the box office since the mid-budget movies earned over ₹70-80 crore at the domestic box office. He called these the bread-butter of film exhibition business, and Shah Rukh Khan the “jam.”
