Following the blockbuster hit of Gadar 2, which made over ₹500 crore, hopes were high for Anil Sharma’s next movie, Vanvaas, featuring his son Utkarsh Sharma.
Vanvaas, though, bombed at the box office, raking in a paltry ₹7 crore and getting mixed to negative reviews. After the fiasco, the producers attributed the failure of the film to a “screen war” with top releases such as Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2 and Varun Dhawan’s Baby John, alleging limited shows suppressed their box office potential.
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But the excuse sounds shaky. Even assuming Vanvaas had opened singly and had a four-week free run, the result probably would have remained the same. The dated storytelling and presentation of the film simply did not resonate with the audience in today’s times.
The lukewarm opening—only ₹73 lakh on opening day—indicated there was minimal genuine demand. Gadar 2 rode on sentiment and the power of the brand, whereas Vanvaas presented nothing original or engaging. Accusing competition is easy, but the fact remains that the content of the film was not aligned with what viewers wanted to watch today.
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The box office is not forgiving, and Vanvaas would have fared badly anyway, be it on release date or competition. Anil Sharma’s denial of the same indicates merely a disconnect from the changing tastes of the public.
