The boycott culture in Bollywood has added to the woes of filmmakers.
Controversy often acts as a natural marketing tool for a film and people end up flocking to the theatres to watch them.
Making a movie comes with additional risks other than box office failure. Filmmakers have to be wary of not hurting religious or social sentiments, or portraying any race or community in a bad light. The boycott culture in Bollywood has added to the woes of filmmakers.
Over the years, many films have become subjects of controversy even before their release, mostly because they offended a certain section of people. However, controversy often acts as a natural marketing tool for a film, and people end up flocking to theatres to watch them. Today, we will share a few films that managed to be box office blockbusters despite being embroiled in controversy.
Starting with the most recent movie, The Kerala Story created a lot of controversies and was declared a propaganda film by the audience. The low-budget movie made more than Rs 200 crore and broke several records. The filmmakers and the cast benefited greatly from the ruckus created around the film.
Next up is Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan, which faced a lot of controversies due to Deepika’s saffron bikini in the song Besharam Rang. The film made several headlines related to religion and colour, but despite everything, it remained unstoppable at the box office. Deepika and Shahrukh’s fans continued to flock to theatres, and Pathaan caused havoc at the box office upon its release.
Let’s not forget another film that was deemed a propaganda film by a significant portion of the population. Yes, we’re talking about The Kashmir Files, released last year. Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, with Anupam Kher in the lead role, this movie was plagued by controversy from the start. However, the controversy actually helped the movie’s box office performance.
Then comes another film based on the life of Rani Padmavati, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavat. The film sparked outrage across the nation, and Deepika Padukone, the lead actress, even received death threats. Padmavat faced demands for a ban, but the audience loved it nonetheless.
Next on the list is PK, starring Anushka Sharma and Aamir Khan, which faced accusations of offending religious sensibilities. However, the movie was adored by the audience and performed well at the box office despite the controversy.
Last but not least, the multi-starrer film Udta Punjab, featuring Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Diljit Dosanjh, was mired in controversy for various reasons. Some people had issues with the dialogue, scenes, and the movie’s subject itself. Despite everything, the movie fared well at the box office.
