This blind item was released on last Friday, which was also the day the film released in theaters worldwide. In India, it didn’t have such a good opening weekend at the box office. Some critics loved it while others were left confused.

Have you had time to see it yet?

Like the blind item said, it is certainly an experimental film but as you know in India, experimental films don’t really work so it was a big risk for the producers to release this film in theaters despite not wanting to in the first place.

Maybe releasing it on a streaming platform gives them a chance to recover their money. Still, since it has not done so well, the option to release it on online streaming platforms is still there but they won’t make that much money as it’s no longer an exclusive release.

As for this actor, it’s good that he is diving into characters that are very different from his real-life character. He has always experimented because he was never put in a particular niche and he never had an image to begin with. So for him, compared to the big stars, it’s easier for him to experiment and not be judged harshly for it.

Check out the blind item from Rajeev Masand.

Bollywood Blind Item

United Front

A talented but not quite red-hot-right-now male star whose sinking career got a new lease of life after he starred in a promising streaming show last year is believed to have exchanged some harsh words with the producer of his new film and the studio that bankrolled the experimental project. Apparently the studio has been dithering on the film’s release for months—twice shifting it, then getting into conversations with streaming platforms about releasing the film direct to service.

The studio has been going through a rough patch the last two years and has little confidence in this project’s viability. Studio bosses began exploring the idea of sending the film straight to service to escape the marketing costs that come with a theatrical release.

But, according to well-placed sources, the actor—who, by the way, has already taken a sizeable pay cut to do the film—put his foot down. The director and the actor put up a united front, insisting the film be given a chance in the theatres, even if it is only a limited release.

Eventually the producer (who happens to be one of the nicer guys in the big bad world of movies) decided to back them up and appealed to the studio to change its decision. The film will now open on the big screen, but the trade is not convinced it has much box-office potential.

It’s a shame because both the director and the actor have a reputation for taking experimental leaps and you would think in a climate where “different” is now a good word as far as cinema goes, their efforts would be enabled rather than discouraged.

OSOP Guesses

Film: Laal Kaptaan

Actor: Saif Ali Khan