Ishaan Khatter and Ananya Panday starrer Khaali Peeli is being touted as one of the most watched mainstream films amidst lockdown by trade analysts - Hindustan Times
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Ishaan Khatter and Ananya Panday starrer Khaali Peeli is being touted as one of the most watched mainstream films amidst lockdown by trade analysts

Oct 06, 2020 08:38 PM IST

High on romance, action, drama and comedy, Khaali Peeli has emerged as the perfect movie to enjoy at home with your loved ones during this period.

Ishaan Khatter and Ananya Panday starrer Khaali Peeli has become a trendsetter in more ways than one. The masala entertainer managed to create the right buzz much before the release through its strategically planned and smart PR campaign. It was soon after its big announcement that Khaali Peeli became one of the most highly anticipated films of 2020. Interestingly, the commercial potboiler is Bollywood’s first ever film to have a multi-format release.

A still from the film(ZEE Studios)
A still from the film(ZEE Studios)

Khaali Peeli, which had a digital premiere and global theatrical release in selected cities on October 2, opened to great reviews. Right from the mainstream critics to the entertainment press and the commercial audiences - all seem to have loved the film and given it big thumbs up. Needless to say, it has emerged as one of the biggest films of the year.

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Speaking of the same, popular trade analyst Komal Nahta says, “Khaali Peeli was made for the big screen is evident from the content. Yet, if proof was ever required, it came in the form of 6 (out of 6) housefull shows of the entertainer in the only drive-in (make-shift) cinema it was released in the country. Had the film released in normal times, there’s no doubt, it would’ve been a big winner!”

On the other hand, film critic Joginder Tuteja stated, “I guess the best part about the release of Khaali Peeli in the drive-in theatres has clarified a couple of things. Firstly, the audiences are really hungry for a film to come in and atleast, have a theatrical experience. We saw how the drive-in shows were sold out and the response was good. Secondly, I think now this whole nepotism thing can be buried because we had got Ananya Panday and Ishaan Khatter, and there were so many accusations of nepotism. These guys have gone out there and audiences have also gone to watch what they have to offer. Even from the performances’ point of view, this film is a masala film and from that aspect, both of them did pretty well. They’ve showed it’s not just because they were born in a film family. The fact is that the audiences also liked what they had to offer. So, good thing is that A - the drive-in experience worked, B - the entire nepotism thing has gone for a toss and then lastly, the performances have been liked. When we see the rating of the film in IMDB or elsewhere, it actually quashes all these conclusions. The IMDB rating shows 2/10 but if you ask the real audience, it’s totally different. This again shows that how skewed can this entire rating business get, when it comes to people who are actually watching the film vis-à-vis people who are not and are just going ahead and are giving poor rating. So a lot of positives have come out of this. This is the first film, which has actually started monetizing in some way theatrically; even though it was a miniscule amount.”

For the unversed, Khaali Peeli was initially designed for a theatrical release. High on romance, action, drama and comedy, Khaali Peeli has undoubtedly become the perfect movie to enjoy at home with loved ones in the lockdown.

According to trade pundits, Khaali Peeli would have been a major money spinner and emerged as a super-hit if it would have had a theatrical release. However, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the film enjoyed an impressive direct-to-OTT release. Meanwhile, at the same time, makers organised some special drive-in shows across select venues in the country. While massive love has been pouring in for the film on social media, a makeshift drive-in theatre in Gurugram ran full house on the day of its release. The shows over the weekend have witnessed a strong advance booking and ran with 100% occupancy, with social distancing norms in place.

Trade analysts have already declared Khaali Peeli as one of the most watched mainstream films in the current times.

There are no brownie points for guessing that Khaali Peeli has struck the right chord with the audiences and has emerged as a winner, through and through.

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