October 12, 2024: Actor and filmmaker Divya Khosla Kumar has launched a scathing attack on Alia Bhatt, accusing the actress of inflating the box office numbers of her latest release, Jigra. The action-packed jailbreak drama, directed by Vasan Bala and co-produced by Karan Johar and Alia, hit theatres last Friday to mixed reviews. However, Khosla Kumar claims that the reported earnings do not reflect audience interest.
Taking to Instagram, Divya shared a screenshot of an empty cinema hall supposedly screening Jigra and criticised the film’s makers for allegedly manipulating ticket sales to boost box office figures. In her post, she accused Alia of buying tickets herself and misleading audiences with fake collection reports.
She captioned the post, “Went to Citi Mall PVR for Jigra show. Theatre was totally empty… all theaters going empty everywhere. #AliaBhatt really has a lot of #Jigra to buy her own tickets and announce fake collections. Wonder why paid media is silent. #WeShouldNotFoolTheAudience #TruthOverLies #HappyDussehra.”
Divya’s outburst is believed to be fueled by the box office clash between Jigra and Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Waala Video, which is produced by her husband, Bhushan Kumar, under the T-Series banner. Additionally, tensions within the industry have been simmering ever since the Jigra trailer was released. Sources close to Divya claim the film bears similarities to her own prison-break drama Savi, which co-starred Anil Kapoor.
Also Read: ‘Jigra’ Review: A Promise of Emotional Depth Undermined by a Disjointed Script
Also Read: Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video Beats Jigra on Opening Day Amid Dussehra Clash
Reports suggest that Mukesh Bhatt, the producer of Savi, had previously bought the remake rights to The Next Three Days for Rs 4 crore while still working with his now-estranged brother Mahesh Bhatt. According to insiders, Alia was aware of the remake rights but passed the screenplay to another production house after the brothers parted ways.
Jigra opened with an underwhelming Rs 5 crore at the box office, and with stiff competition, the film has just a few days left to make an impact and achieve respectable lifetime collections.
