Karan Johar puts a stop to all the pre-release screenings at Dharma Productions: ‘This decision has been difficult’

At the moment, filmmaker Karan Johar is looking forward to the release of Jigra, which stars Alia Bhatt and Vedang Raina. It is slated to open on October 11.

Filmmaker-producer Karan Johar has decided to stop pre-release screenings of the films backed by his banner Dharma Productions. He said he has taken the difficult decision to maintain the cinematic experience for all.

Filmmaker-producer Karan Johar released a statement to make the announcement.

No pre-release screenings

Karan announced stopping the pre-release screenings on Monday through a statement. The statement by the production house was signed by Karan and Apoorva Mehta. It was addressed to "dear members of the media".

“For years, rather decades, you have firmly stood by us at Dharma Productions, supporting our films, sharing our dreams, and celebrating our victories. Your faith in us has been a driving force throughout our journey, and we'd like to take this moment to extend our deepest and heartfelt gratitude to you all. Each coverage, review, and feedback has been invaluable to us, and they have undeniably helped us make our films reach audiences far and wide,” read the note.

The statement further stated, "As we continue to evolve, we find ourselves at a juncture where we must adapt and innovate our approach. After much deliberation, we've unanimously decided to forgo pre-release screenings for our upcoming films. This decision has been difficult to make, however, we believe it's a necessary step in ensuring that every viewer, including our friends in the media, witness our stories as they were meant to be experienced. We believe it will help in maintaining the excitement of the cinematic experience for all."

The statement.

When it comes to screenings for reviews, the production house shared that they would host screenings for the press in the first half of the film's release day for timely reviews.

"Having said that, we understand the importance of timely reviews and the role they play in the success of our films. Therefore, we are pleased to announce that we will be hosting press screenings in the first half of the release day for each of our movies. We warmly welcome all media personnel to join us at these screenings, where you will be the first to witness our latest offerings (sic)," the note said.

Karan reacts on Vasan Bala's comment on Jigra script

Earlier this week, Karan broke his silence on Jigra director Vasan Bala's recent comment about sending his unfinished script of the film to actor Alia Bhatt. He reacted to the negativity coming his way.

"The gore misinterpretation of his comment about me sending the script to Alia without his grammar checks made me laugh initially at the ludicrousness of it all but now is truly annoying me … Vasan continues to be one of my most talented and wonderful collaborators and if you see his interview and hear his tone you will totally get it! BUT NO … much ado about nothing is all over the place…I fold my hands and tell everyone please hear and read entire interviews before making click bait assumptions. (Red heart emoji) ! Loads of Love to all of you …." he wrote on Instagram.

Backed by Karan and Alia, Jigra stars Alia (Satya) and Vedang Raina (Ankur) as siblings. It is set to be an action-packed narrative centred around a prison break, showcasing the lengths a sister will go to protect her brother. Jigra is set to hit theatres on October 11.