'Jigra' director Vasan Bala deactivates X account amid film's failure
What's the story
Filmmaker Vasan Bala has deactivated his X (formerly Twitter) account after facing immense backlash for defending the box office performance of his latest film, Jigra.
The film, starring Alia Bhatt and Vedang Raina, has only collected ₹25.35cr so far, which is low considering it stars an A-list actor.
His X account was active till Saturday but was reportedly found deleted on Sunday.
Backlash details
Bala faced criticism for defending 'Jigra'
Bala's defense of Jigra in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, which he shared on X, drew backlash.
Some netizens called him "arrogant" for not accepting the film's underperformance.
After his account was deactivated, many have defended Bala, saying he shouldn't be solely blamed for the film's failure.
One X user wrote, "He has been made a scapegoat," while another added, "How is he responsible for the film not opening well? It's Alia's job to pull audiences."
Bala's statement
'I do feel the failure': Bala on film's performance
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India, Bala recently said, "I do feel [the failure]. I feel it majorly. I mean, they [Karan Johar and Bhatt] are supremely supportive, and there is no ounce of letting me feel like this. It is something that I have to grapple with."
"The surprise was the failure because you don't set out to fail. Also, this was not a very stubborn, I-will-only-deliver-it-this-way kind of film. I thought it was a pretty accessible, straight-arrow film."
Box office performance
'Jigra' underperformed despite positive reviews
A story about a sister's efforts to free her brother from a foreign prison, Jigra got mixed to positive reviews when it was released on October 11.
However, it failed to meet box office expectations.
The film's underperformance was further highlighted by its box office clash with Rajkummar Rao's Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, which performed better despite receiving negative reviews.
Producer's role
Fans also questioned Johar's role in 'Jigra'
Some netizens have also raised questions over producer Karan Johar's involvement in Jigra.
They noted that during the film's promotion, Bhatt and Raina were front and center with Johar.
But after the film flopped, Bala was left to stand up for the film.
This has sparked a debate about whether it's fair for a director to shoulder all the blame for a film's failure or it's a shared responsibility.