Arshad Warsi corrects a journalist who called Bachchhan Paandey a box office success: ‘Don’t lie, it’s not’

Arshad Warsi is very well aware that Bachchhan Paandey starring Akshay Kumar and Kriti Sanon is not a box office hit but has recovered the money. The film, which was released on March 18, came around a time when The Kashmir Files was keeping the triumph on box office and a week later after its release, SS Rajamouli’s RRR hit the screens. The actor, who recently attended a launch event in Bengaluru, corrected a journalist who called Bachchhan Paandey a hit.

Arshad chuckled and said, “Don’t lie, it is not a success.” He continued, “It was a good film, but unfortunately it happened, some things work, some things don’t. I feel it just went through a bad patch, there were various things that made it not as successful as it should have been. It is a big film, it should’ve made a lot more money, but it is still not a loss, it covered its money.”

Further probing about whether it is the OTT effect, Arshad said, “No, I don’t think it is the OTT effect. Okay, I’ve got an answer for that, but I’m not going to say it. Let’s not get into it, it is a different space.”

In a recent conversation with Hindustan Times, Akshay Kumar admitted that the stupendous reactions to The Kashmir Files and its box office success did affect Bachchhan Paandey. He’d said, “Firstly, let me tell you I am elated with the success that The Kashmir Files has seen. It tells you the power of cinema and that there is no formula of starting budgets and films in a certain way that guarantee success. It proves that the audiences are who we make our films for and when they lap up something it just flies. Yes, I would have liked Bachchhan Paandey to better than what it is doing but not once do I blame The Kashmir files for it. That film is a storm and we came in the eye of it.”

Meanwhile, Arshad Warsi will next star in Asur season 2 releasing in June or July 2022.