Amar Kaushik Reflects on ‘Bhediya’s’ Box Office Struggles and the Impact of ‘Drishyam 2’
According to him, Amar Kaushik is the renowned director of the latest hit horror comedy ‘Stree 2’ and shares his view on the performance of his earlier film ‘Bhediya’. The horror-comedy, featuring Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon in the 2022 movie, did not do much at the box office, a factor he has recently shared in an interview with Bollywood Hungama. Kaushik accepted that though ‘Bhediya’ did not exactly flop, it did not achieve the financial success the team had expected. He said, “Yes, our film didn’t get the numbers we wanted. It is not that our film had disaster figures. However, we did wonder why the numbers that we anticipated didn’t materialize, especially when everyone liked it.”
Impact of ‘Drishyam 2’ on ‘Bhediya’s’ Box Office
The director attributed part of ‘Bhediya’s’ underwhelming box office performance to the massive success of another film, ‘Drishyam 2.’ Kaushik explained, “Drishyam 2 had become a very big film and no one imagined it. That could be the reason. When a film becomes so humongous and a talking point, the other films do get affected. The tickets are also expensive and viewers can’t afford to see more than one film.”
The unplanned success of ‘Drishyam 2’—an sequel to the hit Malayalam film ‘Drishyam’ itself—naturally shifted a substantial crowd focus and interest, diverting audiences from other releases, such as ‘Bhediya.’ Clearly, a lot of audiences must have spent money on the more dominant film, affecting intake for other films released in that time frame.
Shift to OTT and ‘Stree 2’ Success
He said that many viewers eventually watched ‘Bhediya’ on OTT platforms, rather than in theatres. Well, all this box office-to-digital viewing transition didn’t get unseen. He said, “Many later saw ‘Bhediya’ on OTT platforms. Hence, when I came in with ‘Stree 2,’ everybody knew who I was and reacted accordingly. It proves that they have seen it and loved it.”
Bhediya made a significant cameo in ‘Stree 2.’ Varun Dhawan reprised his role as Bhediya. It wasn’t really expected that Bhediya would show up in the sequel, but there is an explanation for it as per Kaushik. “There were some reservations about Bhediya’s appearance in ‘Stree 2.’ But I reasoned that we have made this universe. Bhediya has to be there.”
‘HIGHLIGHTS of Stree 2’ and Cameos
‘Stree 2’, when rolled out, made some striking cameos. Varun Dhawan reprised his role as Bhediya, and the applause by the audience was tremendous; it proved to be an absolute cherry on top. Other big cameos to make a difference were those of Tamannaah Bhatia and Akshay Kumar; their cameos were even pointed out as the most exciting scenes of the movie.
The success of ‘Stree 2’ gives new life to works by Kaushik, and through the positive reception, one can assert that the creative vision and universe-building of the director are reaching out to audiences at large. The success of the film also shows how cinema is changing and how digital platforms alter the dynamics between success and viewership of a film.
Conclusion: The Changing Face of Success in Films
The commentary of Amar Kaushik on ‘Bhediya’ and box office performance is an interesting insight into these changed times of film success. Big-ticket films like ‘Drishyam 2’, coupled with new ways in which audiences consume content, have built up a maze that continues to confound the filmmakers.
Though perhaps ‘Bhediya’ did not get the expected response at the box office, its digital success thereafter and the roaring response for ‘Stree 2’ proved that work is engaging till date. The changing dynamics of filmmaking and the dynamic between theatrical releases and digital platforms will play their part in how films are responded to or consumed in times to come.
With Kaushik building his cinematic universe and the response to ‘Stree 2’—all the positive buzz about his work—there definitely does seem to be a hopeful future for his creative endeavors.
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