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Deepika Padukone’s Chhapaak not a flop, trade says ‘it found its target audience’

Hindustan Times | ByRuchi Kaushal
Jan 28, 2020 03:15 PM IST

Despite hate campaigns on social media, Deepika Padukone’s Chhapaak did good business at the box office. The film, an issue-based drama, managed to find its audience, said trade sources.

Deepika Padukone’s first production, Chhapaak, not only found its target audience but also made money for those involved. After Deepika Padukone’s visit to the Jawaharlal Nehru University where she stood in solidarity with the students, social media trends such as #BoycottChhapaak started going viral. Deepika and her film also got support with many tweeting #ISupportDeepikaPadukone.

However, the social media noise failed to affect the film’s box office fortunes which collected 34.03 crore nett and 40 crore gross in two weeks at the domestic box office and 13.03 crore in the overseas market. According to a report on Quint, the film was made on a budget of around 35 crore, including the cost of prints and publicity. It had reportedly sold its music rights for 3 crore and its digital + satellite rights for 23 crore.

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On being asked if Chhapaak has recovered its budget, film trade analyst Girish Johar told Hindustan Times, “Yes from all the rights, it seems that Chhapaak actually is not a losing venture. Also, since Deepika herself producED the FILM, her acting fee charged for this film will not be considerable. This, I feel, is one of those passion projects that actors like to do.”

He asserted that the film did reach its target audience. “I personally believe that the kind of film it is or the kind of story it is, it appeals to a very limited audience and that audience watched the film. It is not an entertaining film. It has been seen by those for whom it was made and they have also responded to the film.”

Film exhibitor Akshay Rathi is also confident that the makers haven’t lost money. He said, “The film is backed by Fox Star Studios. Star TV and Hotstar fall under the Star Network. They have a very good digital and satellite cloud to recover the costs. It was also not made on a very high budget.”

On being asked if the JNU controversy affected the performance of the film, Akshay said, “I don’t think so. There were people who decided to not go for the film because of what Deepika Padukone stood for. There were also a lot of people who were supporting her and rooting for the film because she went there.”

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Deepika plays the role of an acid attack survivor Malti in the film. It is inspired from the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal. It also stars Vikrant Massey as the male lead opposite Deepika.

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