Shamshera under review after Sonchiriya

The abysmal box office performance of Abhishek Choubey’s bleak but brilliant Sonchiriya has put a question mark on Yash Raj Films’ under-production dacoit drama Shamshera, which stars Ranbir Kapoor.

Sources say that Aditya Chopra is reviewing the entire project in the light of Sonchiriya’s rejection.

The question, say sources, is one of commercial viability. “Do audiences want to see dacoit dramas of the hardcore commercial kind, like Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Kachche Dhaage and Heera, or the more raw and real kind, like Mujhe Jeene Do, Bandit Queen, and Sonchiriya? Shamshera falls between the two extremes. And although Adi has full faith in his director Karan Malhotra and actor Ranbir Kapoor, there is a constant pressure to ensure box office success. After Sonchiriya, Shamshera is being re-examined,” says a source in the know.

This is not to suggest that the film is being put on hold. However, the Eid 2020 release date may not be met after all.