Vikrant Massey starrer Sabarmati Report, a political thriller, will be streaming on ZEE5 on January 10, 2025. The much-hyped film was promoted with high-profile promos by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah
Yet its theatrical release in November 2024 was extremely poor. Mixed reviews and the box office performance being below expectations may attract more controversy to the digital release.
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The film, with a budget of 50 crores, grossed around 30-32 crores and did not meet commercial expectations. The plot, based on the 2002 Godhra tragedy, touched upon media’s role in exposing the truth but failed to captivate the broader audience despite some buzz created by its promotions.
Directed by Dheeraj Sarna, the film is about journalist Samar Kumar as he delves deep into the Godhra incident, which is said to have a conspiracy associated with it.
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Although it had the right premise, the film did not do justice to what its themes could have given and was not up to the expectations of the audience.
The movie, however, hints at a cavity appeal that can work well for the OTT audience. The drawback is that the OTT viewer is a critical lot, and if its theme or treatment does not reach them, they will start trolling it. The depth of expectation is what this digital audience demands, so any lacuna might highlight the negative response.
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Ultimately, the OTT release of The Sabarmati Report may well have an audience, all dependent on how well the movie engages with viewers. Its digital reception will therefore tell if it generates any more controversy or if the respect it missed in cinemas will be gained.
