After the amazing box office collection of Chhaava- a whopping ₹600 crores in India, making it the third film to reach this milestone after Pushpa 2 and Stree 2, the film’s OTT performance has been surprisingly underwhelming since its release on Netflix on April 11.
The film garnered just 2.2 million views in its first week of release, followed by 3.3 million in its second week.
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Despite the rise in viewership, the numbers are nowhere near what one would expect from a ₹600 crore blockbuster.
So, what could be the reason for this underperformance? The answer is right in front of us.
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The film was, in reality, just average, with a few impactful scenes scattered throughout.
Despite being composed by A.R. Rahman, the background score didn’t leave a lasting impression.
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Beyond that, the film was filled with mediocre performances by the cast, barring Vicky Kaushal, overuse of slow-motion fight scenes, and action sequences that lacked real impact and relied heavily on loud shouting.
Rashmika Mandanna’s performance felt one-dimensional and stoic, while Akshaye Khanna was severely underutilised.
The biggest reason for the film’s theatrical success was the sentiments it tapped into of Indians against the Mughals.
However, those same sentiments also sparked fan violence and stirred up significant controversy.
Overall, the film had a few notable moments, but nothing truly memorable.
It’s not surprising, then, that its box office success hasn’t translated into strong Netflix viewership.
It seems Chhaava may have been a grand but costly bet for Netflix, one that didn’t quite pay off.
