Akshay Kumar got teary as Samrat Prithviraj failed; Director Chandraprakash Dwivedi opens up on BO letdown
Chandraprakash Dwivedi open up about the box office failure of 'Samrat Prithviraj.' Dwivedi cites differences with producer Aditya Chopra's vision. Akshay, visibly moved, welcomed honest critique even though he welled up after the did not live up to it's expectation
FollowThe failure of 'Samrat Prithviraj' at the box office left its lead actor, Akshay Kumar, emotional, as revealed by director Chandraprakash Dwivedi. In a recent conversation with Mukesh Khanna on the YouTube channel Bheeshm International, Dwivedi shared insights into the film's setbacks and the differences in vision between him and producer Aditya Chopra.
The film, released in 2022 with hopes of reviving audience interest post-pandemic, did not meet expectations. Dwivedi disclosed that he had raised concerns with Chopra during production but lacked the influence to alter the course of the film. Despite the setbacks, the director and Akshay Kumar took away a crucial lesson about refraining from distorting historical facts.
During a candid moment, Dwivedi recounted Akshay Kumar's emotional reaction to the film's criticism, with tears welling up in his eyes. Despite being a successful actor, Akshay welcomed Dwivedi's face-to-face critique, which was also communicated via email. Surprisingly, this open communication did not strain their relationship, and they maintained a tension-free rapport.
Dwivedi acknowledged the audience's pre-release scrutiny, including objections to Akshay's portrayal, age disparity with Manushi Chillar, and cinematic liberties with historical accuracy. Reflecting on these objections, the director admitted that most of them turned out to be valid.
The director did not shy away from accepting the team's collective lapse in meeting responsibilities towards the audience. He humbly singled himself out as the weak link and emphasized that if every team member had fulfilled their duties, the questions and criticisms wouldn't have surfaced.
The article also delves into the differences in vision between Dwivedi and producer Aditya Chopra. While recognizing Chopra's commitment and organizational skills, Dwivedi highlighted their fundamentally disparate ideas on historical storytelling. Despite expressing objections, the director proceeded with the film, leading to unexpected outcomes.
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Dwivedi shared an incident where feedback about the lead actor's attire resembling clothing from Manyavar was conveyed to Chopra. Despite high expectations for the film's success, no one foresaw its ultimate fate. Dwivedi remained unperturbed on the release day, as he had already anticipated the outcome and was immersed in scripting his next film.
