Overview
- The film, which released on August 14, opened to strong notices for performances but saw audience turnout fall after an Independence Day bump.
- Trade tracker Sacnilk reports first-week totals of about Rs 33.6 crore net in India and Rs 47.62 crore worldwide, leaving the film short of a widely reported Rs 120 crore production budget.
- Director Rajkumar Santoshi says Mumbai investors balked because the subject and Sunny Deol playing an Indian Muslim were seen as risky, and he has publicly clarified the character is an Indian Muslim who migrates during Partition.
- Santoshi credited Aamir Khan Productions with stepping in to back the project, defended Khan’s non-interference in creative decisions, and rejected reports of a fallout between Khan and Sunny Deol over an OTT offer.
- Santoshi hosted a special Mumbai screening for religious leaders to frame the film as a message of unity and urged audiences to judge the film in theatres, a move that will shape whether Bollywood will finance similarly sensitive projects.