Nepotism, fake BO figures, unprofessional conduct: Alia's 'Jigra' controversy explained
What's the story
The recently released film Jigra, starring Alia Bhatt and Vedang Raina, is mired in controversies. The issues are overshadowing its release and have sparked heated online debates. The film has been accused of nepotism, inflated box office numbers, unprofessional conduct by the team members, and earned ire for canceling press screenings. This tumultuous journey from script to screen has affected Jigra's box office performance. Here, we break down each controversy.
Nepotism claims
'Jigra' director Vasan Bala unhappy with co-producer Karan Johar
The nepotism controversy was sparked by an interview with the film's director—Vasan Bala. Bala revealed his displeasure at co-producer Karan Johar for sending an unfinished draft of Jigra to Bhatt without proper revisions. "I had sent one very roughly drafted email to Karan and 6-7 hours later, he called saying that I already sent it to Alia and I was not happy with it...I asked Karan, 'Why did you do this?' He said, 'No, no this is how it works."
Screening cancelation
Johar's decision to cancel pre-release screenings added fuel
While both Bala and Johar rubbished rumors of Bhatt not being the first choice, adding to the controversy, Johar's Dharma Productions announced the cancelation of pre-release press screenings for Jigra. A source from Dharma Productions revealed that this decision was taken to combat corruption among certain film critics. The source noted that press screenings often lead to financial dealings aimed at manipulating reviews. This move by Johar has only further intensified the ongoing controversies surrounding Jigra.
Box office rigging
Accusations of inflated box office numbers for 'Jigra'
Meanwhile, filmmaker and actor Divya Khossla Kumar accused Bhatt of inflating the box office numbers. She posted a picture of an empty theater with the caption, "Alia really has a lot of #Jigra...she bought the tickets herself and announced fake collections." This prompted a response from Johar: "Silence is the best speech you will ever give to fools." Khossla Kumar fired back, "Truth will always offend fools." Her post follows discussions about the similarities between her film Savi and Jigra.
Unprofessional conduct
'Jigra' team accused of unprofessional behavior
Adding to the controversies, Manipur-based actor Bijou Thaangjam publicly accused the makers of Jigra of "unprofessional behavior." He said he was disappointed to be considered for a role but then left in the dark. Thaangjam said, "The way they handled this entire situation was deeply unprofessional. My time was wasted...it felt particularly dismissive." "I'd lost out on other projects because I was sitting around, waiting for them to give me the go-ahead. But, of course, that never came," he added.
Twitter Post
Read Thaangjam's full post here
I’m not writing this with any agenda or
— Bijou ThaangJam (@BijouThaangjam) October 13, 2024accusations. I just want to share the reality of how actors like me from the Northeast are often treated by big production houses. Hopefully, this sheds some light on what we face. #Jigra#JigraMovie#AliaBhatt#DivyaKhosla#VasanBalapic.twitter.com/zZBZjxOz6k
Box office failure
'Jigra' faced poor box office performance amid controversies
Amid the controversies, Jigra has failed to set the box office on fire. The film only earned ₹1.5 crore (early estimates) on its fourth day, taking its total to ₹18.1 crore. With ₹4.55 crore on Day 1, this is the worst opening for a Bhatt film since 2014, prompting many to question its viability in theaters. In comparison, her previous solo hits Raazi and Gangubai Kathiawadi had much higher opening day collections, between ₹7.5 crore and ₹10.5 crore, respectively.