Meghna Gulzar says Deepika Padukone's contoversial JNU visit 'made a dent' on Chhapaak's box office collections

The director Meghna Gulzar and actress Deepika Padukone came together for the first time for their 2020 film Chhapaak. The biographical drama film was based on the life of acid attack vsurvivor Laxmi Agarwal. The film didn't find its audiences in the theatres as it ony made Rs 35 crore net in India at the box office.

In a recent interview, Meghna has said that Deepika's controversial visit to the Jawaharlal Nehru University impacted her film. Three days ahead of the release of Chhapaak, the actress had visited the JNU campus to show her solidarity towards the students attacked by mobs for supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act. Even before the release, #BoycottChhapaak became one of the top trends on the micro-blogging platform Twitter, now X.

When Meghna was asked if Deepika's controversial visit affected the film, she said, "I am sure that the answer is pretty obvious. Yes, of course, it made a dent on the film. Because the conversation went from acid violence, which I intended the film to amplify, to somewhere else. So, of course it impacted the film. There is no denying that."

Now, after three years, the filmmaker is awaiting the release of her next film Sam Bahadur. The biographical war drama has Vicky Kaushal essaying the role of Sam Manekshaw, India's most celebrated military general and nation's first Field Marshal. Set to release in cinemas on December 1, the film will clash at the box office with Ranbir Kapoor and Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal.

Meghna made her directorial debut with Filhaal in 2002. She then made Just Married in 2007. Both films underperformed at the box office. She made a comeback after eight years with the hard-hitting Talvar in 2015 and then helmed the blockbuster Raazi in 2018.

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