Recently, the Bollywood film The Lady Killer, led by Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar, quietly made its way to YouTube after failing to secure a deal with any major OTT platforms. Despite the hopes attached to the project, the movie struggled to make an impact from the start, both at the box office and with streaming services.
When released in theaters, The Lady Killer faced severe challenges. The film sold fewer than 300 tickets on its opening day, and the total earnings during its theatrical run did not exceed INR 50,000. With these disappointing figures, the film’s release on popular streaming platforms, such as Netflix, was canceled. Instead, T-series opted to make the two-hour film available for free on its YouTube channel earlier this week.
In a similar manner to its theatrical release, The Lady Killer arrived on YouTube without any noticeable pre-release promotions. This mirrored the earlier silence around its box office debut, suggesting a lack of confidence in the film’s potential to attract an audience.
Ajay Bahl Reveals Missing Scenes in ‘The Lady Killer’ Led to Its Disjointed Story and Box Office Failure:
Directed by Ajay Bahl, known for his previous work on Blurr and Section 375, the film aimed to be a compelling romance thriller. Bahl, alongside co-writers Pawan Sony and Mayank Tewari, crafted a story intended to draw viewers in with psychological depth. However, viewers noticed that something was missing.
Responding to comments on YouTube, director Ajay Bahl admitted the film was incomplete. According to him, about 30 pages from the original 117-page screenplay were never filmed. Key elements of the story, such as the development of the romance between Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar’s characters, Bhumi’s struggles with alcohol, and Arjun’s growing sense of despair, were left out. As a result, the final product appeared disjointed and failed to provide a strong emotional connection.
The lack of these important psychological beats, as Bahl explained, was likely responsible for the film’s inability to engage its audience. Consequently, viewers found it challenging to relate to the characters and the story, contributing to its status as one of the biggest Bollywood flops in recent years.
