One of the biggest theories left unresolved in the Hindi film industry at the moment is the dismal box-office fate of filmmaker Ajay Bahl's suspense thriller The Lady Killer starring Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar.
The film's trailer dropped the Sunday before it's scheduled Friday release and barely managed to secure as many as 4 shows in Mumbai. Announced for release on November 3rd, the trailer was released on the internet on October 29. Incidentally, leading lady Bhumi was engaged in a conversation with Priyanka Chopra Jonas during a scheduled masterclass at the recently concluded Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival on Day 3. Lack of promotions and buzz led to the film witnessing a silent release and unfortunately, it did not find an audience at the theatres.
A YouTuber named Anmol Jamwal, who goes by the username Jammy Pants and is one of the most popular reviewers on the video sharing platform, put out a recent video, reviewing the film in its entirety. Jamwal pointed out that the movie was only partially complete and a major portion of the film was yet to be shot. The opening visual of the said video points out how Jamwal was the only visitor in the auditorium where the film was being screened at.
Taking time to respond to his video, director Bahl left his side of the story in the comment section, which the YouTuber immediately shared on his social media collaterals, in jest. Bahl maintains that while both the lead actors were sheer joy to work with, the problem with reference to the film's fate laid elsewhere. Bahl states, "Hi Jammy! This is Ajay Bahl. I like your reviews and that’s the reason I am reaching out here. To confirm, yes the movie is incomplete. 30 pages of the 117 page screenplay were never shot. A huge number of connecting scenes, Arjun and Bhumi’s entire romance, Bhumi’s dependence on alcohol, Ajrun’s sense of being trapped and losing everything and having to run from town, his sense opf total despair, all these psychological beats are missing. So yes its no surprise that the film feels choppy and disjointed.and one finds it hard to connect with the characters. NOW about the rumours floating out here, As director it was extremely painful to shoot The Ladykiller but absolutely not because of the actors, Arjun and Bhumi were sheer joy to work with. They gave their heart and soul to the film, The problem lied elsewhere but that is another story."
Mounted at about ₹45 crores, the film has barely managed to recover a measly ₹1 lakh, making The Lady Killer, one of the biggest flops of Hindi cinema in decades. But the question remains, is it fair to dismiss the film based on it's incomplete prospects?
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