'Trend of determining a film’s success by its box office score upsetting'

Mumbai: Filmmaker Hansal Mehta said the trend of determining a film’s success by its box office score is quite upsetting.

Known for making hard-hitting dramas like ‘Shahid’, ‘Omerta’ and ‘Aligarh’, the director said he feels baffled by the ‘obsession’ with the commercial performance of a film as he believes not every movie can turn out to be a blockbuster on the day of its release.

“The box office has become the yardstick for a film’s success or quality, something that has upset filmmakers like me. There has to be organic growth in a film. Every film has an audience and you have to allow it to breathe. Every film cannot be a blockbuster on Friday and Saturday,” Mehta told reporters at the press conference of his upcoming film ‘Faraaz’.

The action thriller film is based on the 2016 terrorist attack on a cafe in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is set to release in theatres on February 3.

The 54-year-old director revealed ‘Faraaz’ will be released across 100 screens in 15 locations.

Both big-budget spectacles and small-budget films are made to provide a different cinematic experience to audiences, said Mehta.

“We want the audience to slowly discover the film, like go to the theatres and have conversations. ‘Faraaz’ could have been a film that would have directly gone to OTT, but I believe that, like spectacle films ‘RRR’ and ‘Pathaan’, there is also ‘Faraaz’ that should be enjoyed on the big screen. The potential, the immersive nature of the film, the sound - it is a different spectacle. It is meant for the big screen. I want the audience to not only enjoy but also get immersed,” he added.

The film marks the debut of legendary actor Shashi Kapoor’s grandson Zahan Kapoor.