Director Meghna Gulzar Says Deepika Padukone's JNU Visit In 2020 Affected Chhapaak: 'No Denying That'

In 2020, her film 'Chhapaak' based on the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal suffered due to Deepika's controversial visit to JNU just three days before the film's release.

In 2020, her film 'Chhapaak' based on the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal suffered due to Deepika's controversial visit to JNU just three days before the film's release.

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New Delhi: Deepika Padukone is known for some iconic roles and performances. In 2020, her film 'Chhapaak' based on the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal suffered due to Deepika's controversial visit to JNU just three days before the film's release. Despite a strong backing with a director like Meghna Gulzar, 'Chhapaak' did not perform well at the box office.

Meghna Gulzar, whose upcoming film 'Sam Bahadur' is just days away from release admitted that Deepika's visit to JNU 'made a dent' on her film.

In an interview with Indian Express, Meghna Gulzar shared, "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.”

Deepika Padukone made a surprise visit to JNU on January 7, 2020, three days before the release of 'Chhapaak', and joined protests against the JNU attack and the Citizenship Amendment Act.

In response to that, many trended #BoycottChhapaak and #BlockDeepika on Twitter and social platforms. Deepika Padukone also made her debut production with 'Chhapaak'. Despite the budget of Rs. 50 cr, the film grossed only Rs. 55.44 cr at the box office.

Meanwhile, Meghna Gulzar will be returning with ‘Sam Bahadur’ on December 1, 2023. The film stars Vicky Kaushal in the titular role. 

‘Sam Bahadur’ will be clashing with Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s ‘Animal’ on Dec 1. ‘Animal’ stars Ranbir Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor and Rashmika Mandnanna. The film is more inclined towards the commercial space.

‘Sam Bahadur’ on the other hand, is a biographical drama based on the life of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. The film also stars Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra. The Dangal girls will be coming together after a long time and fans are excited to watch the film brings to fore.