Saiyami Kher on 'disheartening' failure of Ghoomer, says ₹1000 crore blockbuster doesn't gaurantee respect for actor
Here's the latest box office buzz making the rounds:
Bollywood star Saiyami Kher of late attended the Indian Movie Festival of Melbourne, where her movie Pal Bhar Ke Liye was screened. This marked her second appearance at the festival; she previously attended it for Ghoomer. While Ghoomer did not perform well at the ticket-window, the movie received critical acclaim at the festival and from audiences.
Adding to this, Abhishek Bachchan and Saiyami Kher in Ghoomer. In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, Saiyami opened up about Ghoomer’s ticket-window performance, the importance of having a commercially successful movie in an star’s career and why an star’s credibility should not be determined solely by ticket-window numbers. She also spoke about the success of 8 AM Metro, revealing that no OTT platform was initially willing to acquire the movie until it became a hit on YouTube.
Meanwhile, Saiyami has often been selective about the roles she takes on, choosing characters that challenge her as an star. Her performances have consistently received critical acclaim, and she believes that while commercial success is important, it should not be the sole measure of an star’s worth.
Notably, Speaking about the emphasis Bollywood places on ticket-window numbers and how a successful movie could help her get more opportunities, Saiyami shared, “I feel Bollywood speaks a lot about ticket-window and your next movie actually depends on how much money your movie has made, which is a bit unfortunate. It's not very merit-driven but more of how much money your movie makes. But eventually, at the end of the day, it is a business. If your movie is not viable, then how will the producer make a movie? So for me, I understand the importance of ticket-window success, but I also feel that I have had makers who backed me in spite of everything."
As per the latest buzz, She added, "Like a movie like Ghoomer, any A-lister star could have done it, but R Balki sir shared, 'No, you will be the most authentic person to the script, and I will be disregarding the script if I get anyone else on board.' I have that sense of validation when big makers back me on certain projects, saying that we don't see anybody else on the project besides you. Everyone wants their movie to make money because making money means it's reaching a bigger audience. I think OTT is helping reach a very big audience which originally wouldn't be there. So, of course I want a commercially viable, successful movie. If I get commercially viable films, I will get more opportunities to do films that I want to do as well.”
In further updates, Saiyami also believes that ticket-window numbers do not necessarily determine the respect an star receives. Citing 8 AM Metro as an example, she shared, “I am satisfied with doing a movie like 8 AM Metro that became big on YouTube, and then an OTT platform bought it. That movie no one was buying until it became a big YouTube hit. I feel the respect I have got from 8 AM Metro I have never got from any other movie. That's very surprising because that movie had no rollout, no big names backing it, but it touched a chord with the audience, and eventually the audience is the king. That's where the respect comes from. There are so many films that make 1000 of crores, but then people are like yeh kya picture thi. They'll watch it but it's not like you are getting respect with some 1000 crore rupees movie.”
On top of that, Before Pal Bhar Ke Liye, Saiyami featured in Ghoomer, directed by R Balki. She played a gifted young cricketing prodigy who loses her right hand in an accident just as her international career is taking off. The movie, which also starred Abhishek Bachchan, received praise from critics and audiences but underperformed at the ticket-window. It later found a wider audience after its rollout on ZEE5, where it was widely appreciated.
Talking about the movie’s ticket-window performance, Saiyami shared, “It did very well when it went for streaming on ZEE5. Even today, I'll get like 25-30 messages from followers saying we really liked Ghoomer. It's very overwhelming. I feel, finally, even if it finds its audience, you feel happy; there's no doubt about it. But It's disheartening when you pour your heart into a movie, and it doesn't do good numbers.”
Source: Hindustan Times