Jigra Controversy: Nepotism Allegations To Corporate Bookings, Row Over Alia Bhatt's Film Explained

Jigra Controversy: Alia Bhatt 's latest release is an action thriller about a jailbreak. While there was much anticipation riding on the National Award winning actress' latest release, the box office response to it has been muted. In two days since its release on Dussehra, Jigra has collected just ₹11 crore, emerging as one of Alia's lowest grossers in over a decade. Meanwhile, controversies surround the film, casting more shadow over its future business.

Did nepotism play a part in Alia Bhatt bagging Jigra?

Before Jigra released, an interview with director Vasan Bala went viral in which he alleged that the producer sent a roughly drafted script of the film to Alia Bhatt without his consent. “I think six or seven hours later, he (producer) called saying, ‘I’ve already set it to Alia’. I was really not happy with it. I was like, ‘I would have at least done some spellcheck, grammar check, hygiene, written some very nice hero entry. So that email was sent, I was like, ‘Why did you do this?’. He said, ‘No, no, this is how it works’,” Vasan recalled his conversation.

Many on social media alleged that since the producer is close to Alia, he locked her for the film out of his own discretion.

Was Katrina Kaif the director's choice for Jigra?

Amid allegations that nepotism played a part in Jigra casting, an old video of Katrina Kaif made its way to the social media platforms in which the Tiger 3 actress recalled being in conversation with director Vasan Bala for a movie but it did not materialise. Katrina further emphasised that the reason for her not being a part of the said film was not her. Many speculated that Vasan had discussed Jigra with Katrina, which later Alia ended up doing.

Jigra muted response leads to allegations of 'corporate bookings'

Jigra has failed to attract audiences despite its festive release. It seems like the movie has failed to strike a chord with the audiences and remains a pull only for the multiplex visiting viewers. As shows of Jigra went unattended, many alleged that the makers are resorting to "self-bookings" and inflating the box office numbers to give the impression that the film is a moderate success. This practice is also called "corporate bookings".

The same sentiment was echoed by Divya Khossla Kumar as she posted an Insta story of an empty cinema hall, writing, "Went to Citi Mall PVR for Jigra show. Theatre was totally empty all theaters going empty everywhere. #Aliabhatt me sach mein Bahut #Jigra hai.. Khud hi tickets karide aur fake collections announce kar diye. Wonder why paid media is silent. #weshdnotfooltheaudience #truthoverlies #HappyDussehra (sic)," she wrote.

Is Jigra a copy of Savi?

Divya Khossla Kumar seems to be drawn into the controversy surrounding Jigra after she alleged that the movie is a copy of her film Savi, which released earlier this year. Divya’s film Savi tells the story of a housewife trying to free her husband from a high-security prison in England. It is inspired by the mythological tale of Savitri and Satyavan.

Meanwhile, Jigra follows the journey of Satya ( Alia Bhatt ), a young woman who goes to great lengths to free her brother Ankur (Vedang Raina), who is imprisoned in a foreign jail. Given the thematic similarities, Divya alleged (via her PR team) that Jigra is a copy of Savi.

Kangana fires potshots at Alia amid Emergency delay

Kangana Ranaut 's Emergency has been delayed indefinitely pending censor clearance. The Sikh community has alleged that the movie, which is inspired by the life and times of former India PM Indira Gandhi, disparages them. Following this, CBFC withheld its censor certificate causing a delay in its release.

After Jigra opened to mixed reviews, Kangana seemingly targeted Alia and the makers of Jigra for not supporting other "female led" films, which led to their own movie bombing at the box office.