With several of her films this year not making the desired impact at the box office, Mrunal Thakur believes a film’s success cannot be measured by its theatrical run alone. The actor, whose latest outing Pooja Meri Jaan is receiving appreciation on OTT, says, “I feel medium doesn’t matter today. What matters is the story, subject, characters, and the director’s point of view to reach out to the audience.”
Citing Laapataa Ladies as an example, Mrunal points to how a film can find renewed appreciation after its digital release. “When it came out in theatres, people didn’t appreciate. But the moment it was out on OTT, everyone was like, oh my god, wow. Why did we miss this movie?” she says. “There are certain films which don’t make the box office collection. But it does make a lot of noise on social networking sites when it is on platform,” she adds.
She has witnessed a similar response to Dacoit, with fans telling her they regretted not watching it in theatres. “A lot of audience have apologized. Fans of mine have apologized for not watching it on big screen,” she shares. Acknowledging the role of marketing and changing audience choices, she says, “It is also the choices of the audience now. Because it is also how you market a movie. Everything has become a little different. I am kind of learning and I am in a learning phase.”
Asked if negative feedback bothers her, the actor says, “I have always been that person who takes feedback, but I also don’t want to take the negative feedback from people who do not have a display picture of their own. As simple as that.”
{{/usCountry}}Asked if negative feedback bothers her, the actor says, “I have always been that person who takes feedback, but I also don’t want to take the negative feedback from people who do not have a display picture of their own. As simple as that.”
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Pooja Meri Jaan has brought her a different kind of validation. Mrunal reveals that viewers have sent handwritten letters to her home about how the film’s portrayal of one-sided relationships resonated with them. “They wrote pages and pages of letters, expressing how it resonated with them in more than one way,” she says. She is particularly struck by how the film has connected with men as well as women. “It’s just crazy that how a film like this can reach so many not just girls but men,” she adds.
Mrunal also finds her work reaching audiences beyond India. During a visit to Paris, she met someone who had watched Love Sonia She recalls a viewer from the Philippines watching Made in Heaven and an American friend discovering Sita Ramam through Indian friends. “I am just happy to be entering into the industry in a time where my work is appreciated not just in India,” she says.