4 months ago
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Dhak Dhak, a film produced by BLM Pictures and Viacom18 Studios and starring Ratna Pathak Shah, Dia Mirza, Fatima Sana Shaikh, and Sanjana Sanghi, struggled at the box office. In a recent appearance on Expresso, Taapsee Pannu expressed her frustration over her co-producers abandoning the film after cost recovery.
“It was very heartbreaking,” Taapsee Pannu shared, emphasizing that she did not turn to production as an alternate career choice and was thriving as an actor. She continued, “I could have sat quietly or I could have produced films that I act in, which would have been safer.” The actress revealed that her co-producers didn’t support her until the very end.
Taapsee Pannu reveals how Dia Mirza helped her during Dhak Dhak
According to Taapsee, studios often recover money before a film’s release if it’s not a big-budget project and then leave it for a token premiere. Discussing exhibitors, she noted that since these films are not commercial blockbusters, they avoid spending money on electricity and push them to odd showtimes, ultimately leading to the movie’s abrupt removal from theatres.
Reflecting on her experience, she recalled, “At that time I was so frustrated… We started showing the film 4-5 days after the film’s trailer came out…. I still didn’t have people standing next to me as producers and co-producers who said ‘We did as much as we could and leave the rest to the audience’.” Instead, she recounted how her co-producers dismissed her concerns, saying the movie had already recovered its money.
Despite these challenges, Taapsee praised the unwavering support of the four actresses involved in Dhak Dhak. She fondly remembered Dia Mirza offering her house for interviews, warmly inviting journalists to her place. “I have never seen many actors taking ownership of a film like that. I was so proud to be a part of that film,” Taapsee added.
Interestingly, Dhak Dhak found much greater success after its release on Netflix, a fate shared by many movies that initially failed to attract audiences in theatres.
