Karan Johar had given up on Liger long before release
Karan Johar had given up on Liger long before release
The impact of the epoch-defining disaster that was Liger refuses to die down. Distributors have now threatened to stage a dharna in the compound of director Puri Jagannadh’s office in Hyderabad and even do a fast-unto-death to get back at least some of their losses.
In the meanwhile, Puri has been telling his close friends that Karan Johar who partnered Puri on the pathetic project was gung-ho about the outcome and that they would be working on another project soon.
On both counts sources close to Karan Johar would like to defer.
“Karan had washed his hands off the project after he was shown the complete film. He had walked out of the screening politely telling Puri that the film didn’t match with his, Karan’s sensibilities and that he hoped there was an audience for it. Karan also suggested that the climax with Mike Tyson be reshot. But Puri refused, arguing that everyone in his team loved the climax and the film. And that was that. Karan took no further interest in the film’s post-production and release,” a source close to the project reveals.
Puri is also heard telling his friends that Karan insisted on Ananya Panday as Vijay Deverakonda’s leading lady in Liger.
“Not true at all,” a close friend of Karan Johar reveals. “Vijay and Puri’s first choice was Janhvi Kapoor. When Janhvi’s dates didn’t work out they seemed more than happy to have Ananya Pandey on board. Throughout the film’s shooting they kept pampering her like a princess. Now when the film has proven a disaster Puri is looking for scapegoats.”
Karan has moved on. Liger is history for him. Vijay Deverakonda has also moved on. But Puri is not allowed to do so. Not until he compensates the distributors. The situation regarding the reimbursement is getting uglier with each passing day, what with the distributors up in arms.
Rather than peacefully settling accounts, Puri has launched a counter-attack on the distributors. In a telephonic interview, he can be heard upbraiding them, “Are you trying to blackmail me? I need not pay back to anyone. But still giving only out of sympathy that you also have lost your money. I already spoke with the buyers. I said that I will pay the agreed amount in a month. In spite of this, if you do overaction, I don’t feel like paying. I am giving to safeguard my dignity. But if you attack it, I cannot. We are all gambling here. Some will work and some won’t. Right from Pokiri to iSmart Shankar, many buyers have to pay me. Will the Buyers’ Association collect the money I need to get and pay me? If you still wish to agitate, go ahead. I will keep the list of the agitators and pay only to those who are not in the list”.
I am afraid taking an aggressive stand would only worsen the situation for Puri. He needs to find a way to pay the distributors back. He may not be bound to do so legally. But he is definitely obligated to compensate on humanitarian grounds. That attitude of if-you-make-noise-I-won’t-give may work at a mid-day meal in a school. These are distributors who have lost almost everything because of one film.
Pay, he must.
Incidentally, it was Rajinikanth who started the trend of compensating distributors for films starring him if they lost. Chiranjeevi, Mahesh Babu and others followed. In the case of Liger, the director who is also the producer is held liable.
Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.
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