PremiumNew Delhi: Disney+ Hotstar, the video streaming service owned by Disney India, has said late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s Dil Bechara that premiered Friday evening, notched up the biggest opening for a movie on the platform. It did not share numbers on viewership.
“A film that will always be etched in the hearts of all Bollywood fans. Your love has made Dil Bechara the biggest movie opening. Ever," Disney+ Hotstar tweeted.
While reports of Hotstar crashing on the film’s premiere night are untrue, there were technical issues, possibly due to traffic, that delayed streaming for certain parts of the world. In the UK, for instance, the film became available a couple of hours late.
The film could be a missed opportunity for producer Fox Star Studios and parent company Disney India, according to trade experts. Given the strong sentiment around Rajput’s untimely death last month and the debate around nepotism it has stirred among industry members and lay audiences alike, the film had the potential to set the cash registers ringing, if released in theatres, they said.
Made with an investment of ₹25-30 crore, Dil Bechara would have required publicity and marketing budget of another ₹8-10 crore to find theatrical showcasing. However, even if the content had turned out average, box office returns, coupled with satellite, digital and music rights would have easily helped it break even, if not notch up substantial profits had the word-of-mouth around it been positive.
