Meghna Gulzar reveals Chhapaak was affected by Deepika Padukone attending the JNU protests; says, “It made a dent on the film” : Bollywood News

Meghna Gulzar couldn’t be more excited to bring forth the story of Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw to the world as she is gearing up for the release of the Vicky Kaushal starrer Sam Bahadur. The filmmaker is known to bring up stories which spark right conversations and are all heart and in a similar fashion, she wanted to pay tribute to acid-attack survivors with Chhapaak. However, the box office of the Deepika Padukone starrer was massively affected, and the filmmaker believes that one of the reasons could be the actress’ presence at the JNU in Delhi.

Meghna Gulzar reveals Chhapaak was affected by Deepika Padukone attending the JNU protests; says, “It made a dent on the film”

For the unversed, Chhapaak released in January 2020 and the film was based on real life events of the acid attack victim Laxmi Agarwal. Ahead of its release, a busy Deepika Padukone who was promoting the film across the country, took time out to attend the CAA-NRC protests at the Jawaharlal Nehru University aka JNU in Delhi. Although her presence showcasing her solidarity with the students was a silent one, it sparked several debates and conversations. Now, years after the release, Meghna Gulzar has broken her silence, asserting that Deepika’s presence there did have an impact on the film’s collections.

In an interview with Indian Express, Meghna Gulzar 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.”

Chhapaak, also starring Vikrant Massey, marked the debut of Deepika Padukone as a producer and featured her in the role of Malti, an acid attack survivor who decides to fight for herself against the stigma, brutality, and trauma she experienced.

Also Read: Photos: Vicky Kaushal, Sanya Malhotra and Meghna Gulzar snapped promoting their film Sam Bahadur