Curated By: Dishya Sharma
Last Updated: November 07, 2023, 19:46 IST
The Ladykiller director Ajay Bahl opens up about the film’s sudden and silent release.
The Ladykiller director Ajay Bahl broke his silence on the rumours that the film was incomplete at the time of its release. The Ladykiller starred Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar in the lead. The film quitely released last Friday, November 3, with none of the actors or the director investing time in its promotions. Although the reason behind a silent release is still unclear, Ajay confirmed that the film released was incomplete but it wasn’t because of the stars.
Commenting on a video review of the film by Tried and Refused, the director said, “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 of total despair, all these psychological beats are missing. So yes it’s 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 lay elsewhere but that is another story,” he added.
The Ladykiller had one of the bad Bollywood openings this year. As per an indiatimes.com report, only 293 tickets were sold on the film’s opening day in India, and the film recorded a box office collection was merely Rs 38,000.
Earlier in an interview, Arjun Kapoor talked about his preparation for the film and how it had impacted his emotional and mental well-being. He said, “The Lady Killer is something else. I have given a lot to that film. Mentally and emotionally, the film has been intense and raw for Bhumi and me. It is very real in that sense, as a love story. That’s why I went on vacation after that. I shot for about 45 days for that film and went away on a break. I needed to get out of that space.”