Ayushmann Khurrana wants Amitabh Bachchan’s stalled film Shoebite to release: ‘It’ll be India’s entry to Oscars’

Ayushmann Khurrana says he has seen Shoojit Sircar’s unreleased film Shoebite twice and thinks it is his best work till date.

Actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who is working with Shoojit Sircar for the second time in Gulabo Sitabo, says the best film of his career is an unreleased film from 10 years ago. Shoebite, which starred Amitabh Bachchan as the lead, has been eating dust under lock and key while film studios fight over its rights.

Amitabh Bachchan in a still from Shoebite.

Film Companion’s Anupama Chopra played a quiz with Ayushmann over a video call recently. She asked him a question about ‘an unreleased film by Shoojit Sircar starring Amitabh Bachchan which was also titled Johnny Walker and Johnny Mastana’. While Ayushmann could not remember the title of the film, he still heaped praises on it.

“I have seen that film twice by the way in the edit and it is his best film till date. If it released, it is going to be India’s entry to Oscars or something like that. It’s so beautiful. I think somebody should request and release it right now. This is the time,” he said. “I have seen it twice before Vicky Donor by the way. Once alone and once with Tahira. I was so inspired and happy,” he said.

Amitabh and Ayushmann will be seen together for the first time in Shoojit Sircar’s Gulabo Sitabo.

Fans agreed that the film should be release straight to digital amid the lockdown. Filmmaker Siddharth Malhotra also replied, “I completely agree that film is undoubtedly a masterpiece and arguably one of @SrBachchan best performances in current times he really gave the film a lot of heart and soul and you feel it totally !!!!,” he said, having seen the film as well. “I am wondering if Shoebite could be released on Netflix or Amazon... at least we the fans get to see the film,” wrote a fan.

Even Amitabh Bachchan has made repeated requests over the years to release the film. “Please please please .. its a great story,” he wrote in a tweet last year.

As per reports, the film is entangled in a legal battle between production houses. Upset with the production house he worked with originally, Shoojit had earlier told Hindustan Times, “I feel it’s an insult and disregard to creative people. You can’t disrespect an artiste like Mr Bachchan, who worked for two years on the film. Nothing has happened till now.”

Reportedly, an issue arose as the script is based on an idea by Hollywood director M Night Shyamalan, who was making the same film with a major Hollywood studio. “The American studio had given us the green signal, so we made the film. Till now, they haven’t made it, so they have to sort it out,” Shoojit added.

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