It’s been three days since the release of the first big Bollywood film in cinemas since the pandemic hit last year and ‘Roohi’ has already fallen prey to piracy.
The Janhvi Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao horror-comedy has already leaked online, across various platforms, even as the film does an average run at the box office. Gulf News refrains from mentioning the names of platforms the film has been leaked on.
According to the report in Box Office India, ‘Roohi’ earned two million on its second day or release, with the film’s total collection standing at 47.5 million Indian Rupees. It is unclear how much business would have been lost to piracy, but the Bollywood film isn’t the only project that has lost out on earnings due to this.
Earlier, movies such as ‘Madam Chief Minister’ were leaked online within hours of its release.
With cinemas across India shut close to a year on account of the pandemic, many Bollywood films found a new lease on life across streaming platforms. However, that still didn’t curb the piracy issue plaguing Bollywood, with films such as Akshay Kumar’s ‘Laxmii’, Abhishek Bachchan’s ‘Ludo’ and Varun Dhawan’s ‘Coolie No. 1’ finding their way on pirate websites within hours of releasing.
While it is still early to predict the box office collection of ‘Roohi’, the makers of the film are pleased their movie is finally showcasing at a cinema.
Penning an emotional note on Instagram, lead actor Varun Sharma couldn’t contain his excitement that the movie was finally heading to theatres after a long delay. “For us, actors, cinema halls and multiplexes are nothing short of a shrine. A year back, when the on-going pandemic hit us hard and theatres had to stay shut, the entire cinema industry incurred massive losses. But more importantly, it took an emotional toll on us.”
Speaking about his “middle class” upbringing in Jalandhar, Sharma continued: “I knew no one in showbiz. Despite all that, I wanted to be an actor for the only time I was utterly and truly happy was when I would be before the big screen living the magic and absorbing the larger-than-life charm of Hindi films. Soon, first day first shows became a way of life and before I knew it, I was seduced into the world of movies.”
“…Roohi is my first release after Chhichhore that released in 2019. Let us come together and relive the magic. But don’t forget to stay safe. Wear your masks and enjoy the rollercoaster ride that Roohi is,” he added.
